10 checks to make before your MOT
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  • 10 checks to make before your MOT
  • 29 September 2022
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    10 checks to make before your MOT

    Here are ten very simple things you can do, before your MOT, to significantly decrease the risk of a failure.
REGISTRATION PLATE

You need to ensure that your reg plates, front and rear, are clean and visible and that the rear light is working that lights the plate up. As well as this, ensure your reg follows any legal requirements regarding spacing between letters and numbers.

HORN

One of the most simple tasks to complete - sound your horn and check that it's functioning.

BRAKE LIGHTS 

This is a two person job. In order to check that your brake lights are working properly, ask somebody to step behind your car, apply your brakes, and they will be able to advise you if they are working. Alternatively, reverse up to a reflective surface, apply the brakes and look for yourself. 

WHEELS AND TYRES

This is one of the most common MOT fails, yet is one of the easiest things to check. You need to check all round all 4 tyres for damage, including bulges, cracks and gouges. Checking the tread depth is the next step. The legal requirement is 1.6mm, the easy way to check this is by using a 20P coin - if it appears above the tread, your tyre is too worn and needs to be changed. 

HEAD LIGHTS AND INDICATORS

Before taking your vehicle to be tested, check that all of your lights are working. Turn on your head lights and your hazards, this should turn on everything that you need to check to ensure they are functioning properly. 


FUEL AND ENGINE OIL

If your vehicle is presented to a tester and it doesn't have enough fuel or oil, you may be turned away. These are needed in order to perform emission tests. The cap on your fuel tank will also need to be able to fasten securely. Save

SEATS & SEATBELTS 

The drivers seat needs to be able to slide backwards and forwards smoothly. Moving onto the seatbelts - do a quick inspection. Are they fraying? or damaged in any way? Give them a quick tug, in order to ensure that they react appropriately to sharp movement. 

WINDSCREEN

You need to check all cracks and chips on your windscreen. A crack can't be bigger than 40mm, but any damage within the area of the wipers that is bigger than 10mm can also be cause for a fail.

WINDSCREEN WIPERS

The point of your wipers is to the clear your windscreen to ensure you have clear sight of the road. You need to check the wipers to see if they are perishing, if the rubber is wearing they need to be changed. You could also check the screen wash levels. 

SUSPENSION

To check the suspension of your vehicle, press down on each front wing, if the car returns to it's normal position you have nothing to worry about. If it bounces, this means the shock absorbers could be worn. 

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