Every car owner will ultimately have to take their vehicle for a MOT test. Anticipating your first one may cause you to feel a bit nervous. Will your car be in fine running order? What happens if they find something you were ignorant of? How will you get by if the authorities decide that your car isn’t safe to drive? There are several causes for caution regarding it. The good news is that you have the power to make a big difference in the day by doing small things.
Every year, a large number of cars fail the MOT test because of straightforward issues that the owner could have avoided or fixed. For this reason, you should give your automobile a full inspection before taking it to the mechanic. Of course, if you’re not a trained mechanic, certain more intricate tests are best left to the professionals. However, you may take a variety of actions to guarantee that your car is in the best possible shape before the MOT Havant. Come along as we go over them in more depth below;
A MOT test: what is it?
The Ministry of Transport test, or MOT, establishes if your vehicle satisfies environmental and road safety standards. Automobiles are required to undergo a MOT test three years after registration and then once a year thereafter.
How does it work?
It’s no longer possible to take your automobile to any garage when it needs a MOT. There are just a few places where the test may be legally given. To ensure you’re using a legitimate facility, look for a blue sign with three white triangles on it, indicating that the centre is able to perform genuine MOT testing.
During the test, a thorough inspection of your automobile will be performed to look for any minor, serious, or dangerous defects. We’ll do a comprehensive inspection of everything but the engine, clutch, and gearbox.
How should I prepare for my MOT test?
To prepare for your MOT, all you need is a little organisation. Firstly, ensure that your time is correct! To be sure you are in the correct window of time, check the dates on your previous MOT certificate, if applicable. You can extend your MOT for up to one month prior to its expiration. Conveniently, this date will be printed on your previous certificate. If you have a hard time remembering deadlines like these, think about signing up for the government’s free text or email reminder service.
Once all the dates have been set, compile a list of your own MOT criteria. Ensure that each part or feature that will be tested in the official exam is in working order. Again, proceed with caution and test just those objects that are actually secure. Certain mechanical parts should not be tampered with unless you are an expert in this area.
If you need any more help deciding what to cover, we’ve included a list of some of the more obvious subjects to look into below. Of course, it won’t help to wait until the last minute; you need to provide enough time to fix any errors before the test.
Grab a rag and let’s get started with a comprehensive cleaning. Trash everything that isn’t absolutely necessary and save important documents in your glove box (okay, so you can definitely keep your reliable car candy in there too).
This may sound like a no-brainer, but the examiners may decline to do the MOT test if the car is too disorganised or packed. Therefore, ensure that the car is spotless both inside and out before delivering it to the receiver. Since the licence plates need to be clear and readable, pay special attention to them as well.
Check the bodywork of your automobile carefully after that. There are all of the heavy dents, rusty areas, and jagged edges that might injure casualties
These may need to be fixed before the test. Additionally, make sure the boot, hood, and doors all operate properly. Everything ought to open and close safely.
For obvious reasons, the state of your windscreen is very important; you need a clear view of the road and safe protection from the weather. Have any fractures greater than 10 mm in the windscreen wiper region fixed; otherwise, you run the danger of failing.
Make sure every light in your automobile is working correctly. If you have a partner, this assignment should be rather easy. Ask a friend to wait outside the car while you weigh your options. Verify the condition of the bulbs and replace any that have burned out.
As soon as a warning light appears on your dashboard, you should take immediate action. It goes without saying that you should address them as soon as problems arise, yet many individuals don’t! After turning on the ignition, check to see if any are still on. You may wish to complete this check with your car’s manual accessible, as it’s not always clear what each indication indicates.
Verify that all of your car’s tyres are in outstanding shape. Start with the issues that are immediately apparent by looking; make sure all four tyres are correctly mounted and examine for any cuts or bulging. Proceed to tread depth if everything seems OK. This has to be at least 1.6 mm thick all the way around.
The simplest way to prepare for an MOT Havant test is to monitor any potential problems with your car all year long. Examine any strange noises or mechanical issues very once to rule out other causes.
