Not everyone is a mechanic!
Indeed, not everyone is a mechanic, but there are some very simple checks that every driver can make prior to taking their vehicle for an MOT.
Some of the most common failures for a car undergoing an MOT test is something as simple as a light bulb not working!
How annoying is that going to be for you to have to drive away from a test centre, get the bulb changed and then have to rebook another test to show that you've changed the bulb?
A lot of good MOT centres may do this for you without even asking you and will add the cost plus labour to the invoice for doing it for you,
BUT THEY ARE NOT OBLIGED TO.
The have every right to fail your car and make you take it away, fix it and then return possibly on another day to prove it has been rectified.
This then leaves you with a car that you legally cannot drive as it doesn't hold a valid MOT certificate, plus it also inconveniences you to take time out to book another test when the garage can fit you in.
So here is just a small list of things that you can easily check yourself prior to presenting your car for an MOT.
And to be honest all these checks should be carried out at least once a week to ensure your vehicle remains in a tip top safe manner.
All these tests combined literally take minutes.
YOUR LIGHTS?
Sidelights, Dipped beam lights, Main beam lights, Signal indicators, Reversing lights, Brake lights, rear side lights, Hazard warning lights, Rear fog lights,
and the ones people very commonly forget to check, the Number plate lights.
Are any of the light housings broken? you should not show any white light to the rear of your vehicle unless you are in reverse gear. A broken lens on brake lights, sidelights or indicator lenses could cause white light to be shown to the rear of the car.
Are you headlights made of a plastic material instead of glass? If these become dull/faded so that the correct amount of light cannot be emitted from them they can fail the test. There are lots of products on the market that you can make them look like new again in very little time.
Do any of your lights have an electrical earthing problem?
One of the easiest ways to check this is to start your car, place on the dipped beam lights, the hazard lights, and then get someone to press the brake pedal as well. When the hazard lights light up do the rear sidelights or brake lights fade and then get bright again when the hazard lights go off again? This may mean you have a electrical earth problem. Usually an easy fix, but can sometimes take a little time tracking down where the earth fault is stemming from.
FLUIDS?
Screen wash. There should be at least enough fluid in your reservoir to allow the examiner to see the windscreen jets working.
Power Steering fluid (if fitted with a reservoir). Should be within the minimum /maximum markings.
Brake and Clutch Fluid. Ensure the fluid is within the minimum/maximum makers.
Engine Oil. Check the dipstick when the engine is cold to see that the oil level is somewhere between the minimum/maximum makers. Obviously engine oil or lack of it won't necessarily fail your MOT test but by not regularly checking it you'll possibly cost yourself a lot of money in the long term.
Fluids all around the car can be visually checked for leaks just by looking under the bonnet and visually inspecting the engine bay, if the engine has a oil leak, depending on how heavy that leak is car lead to an MOT fail.
Look under the car to see if you can see any patches of fluid, look in the wheel wells for fluid that may be leaking from the shock absorbers or brake pipes.
SEAT BELTS?
Are your seatbelts in good condition, do they have any tears in them or are they frayed?
Do they locate correctly into their catchment block and release easily?
Does the inertia lock work on the in the event of an accident? If you pull them quickly the should lock up.
Are child seat removed before the MOT to ensure the whole seat belt can be viewed, and MOT examiner may not necessarily remove a child set, and has the right to fail the seatbelts if they cannot inspect them fully.
Likewise, has as seat belt fallen down behind a seat? it is not the MOT examiners job to pull seats apart to find where the seat belt is. Just ensure they are in their correct place to avoid a failure coming from them.
TYRE CONDITION?
Are you tyres legal?
Do they have a minimum tread depth of 1.6mm across the centre 3/4 of the tyre and around the full circumference?
Is there any damage to either side of the sidewalls?
Do the outside or inside edge of the tyre look bald? If so there is possibly a tracking issue with your car. This needs to be rectified before changing your tyres otherwise the tracking issue will carry on and will wear out the new tyres quicker than normal as well.
It doesn't matter whether you can track up your own wheels, a garage can do this for you. What matters is that you can sport that there may be a tracking issue and you can have it resolved prior to taking the car to MOT.
YOUR VIEW OF THE ROAD?
There is a minimum requirement of a drivers window that MUST be clear of obstructions.
Cuddly toys sat on the dashboard. A sat-nav or dashcam restricting your view or a mobile phone holder doing the same can cause a failure to be made.
If there are cracks or chips in the windscreen over a certain size they can fail the car.
THE STRUCTURE OF YOUR CAR?
Is there any rust to the bodywork? is there rust underneath your car. Just a visual inspection and a visit to your local garage for advice if there is, to notify you whether this needs rectifying prior to an MOT may avoid a fail.
Are there any sharp edges to any or the bodywork or part that are hanging off?
You may find that just be strapping them up or covering with a good proprietary tape may be adequate that someone won't hurt themselves on it is enough to allow a pass. Again get advice if you are unsure.
NUMBER PLATES?
Are they legible?
Your number plate should be legible, well fixed, and meet the standard font and spacing between the letter and numbers.
Number plates purchased for shows are not legal to be on a vehicle other than at shows.
Your number plate should also ALWAYS been clean whether going for an MOT or just for everyday use.
WINDSCREEN WIPERS and SCREEN WASH?
Do your windscreen wipers clear the screen?
Are there any chunks of rubber missing from the length of the blade that touches the windscreen?
Are the splits anywhere along the length of the wiper?
A wiper that just causes a smear across the window is no use to anyone.
As a rule, wiper blades should be changed annually as they become hard and not as effective at doing their job.
Do you have sufficient Screen wash?
If now water / screen wash comes onto the window when they are tested this would result in a fail.
Are the jets where the water comes out from positioned so that they direct water onto the windscreen to be most effective?
PETROL FILLER CAP?
Does you car have a traditional style filler cap that you have to unscrew to fuel up your car, rather than the more modern flip cover?
If so, does it seal correctly why tightened up. If the seal is either not present or damaged this can result in an MOT fail.
Do your wheels have locking wheels nuts on them?
If so, always remember to ensure that the locking wheel nut tool for those locking wheels nuts is left in the car (possibly on the passenger seat) so that should one or all of your tyres fail the MOT, and the garage rings you to ask if you would like them changed, they will be capable of doing them there and then.
If the locking wheel nut tool is not with the car they won't be able to change your tyres.
