An MOT is a quality assurance inspection that guarantees your car satisfies the minimal roadway regulatory standards, including the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency's controlled exhaust emissions limits (DVSA, formally VOSA).
Relevant aspects of your car will be evaluated during the same test to make sure that they satisfy legal requirements and that your car is ok to operate. New MOT North London guidelines coming into effect in May 2018, and any flaws will be classified as either hazardous, serious, or minor.
Even if your vehicle passes its MOT, it may still have small flaws (which should be fixed as soon as possible to prevent it from getting worse). It may also be accompanied by cautions, implying that you should keep a watch on the problem and correct it if it worsens.
Is my automobile in need of an MOT?
If your vehicle is more than 3 years old, it must have an MOT. If you have trouble remembering when your MOT is due, you may also opt for text messages or email reminders from the government.
Without a valid MOT test, your vehicle is not deemed roadworthy; you will be unable to extend your congestion charge or protection, and you will be unable to drive your vehicle.
What tasks are performed during an MOT?
While the MOT will not examine the health of the engine, clutch, or gearbox, it does examine other critical components of your vehicle, so you must keep up with your vehicle's prolongation to surpass.
The MOT inspector will examine the car's body, vehicle structure, and overall state, ensuring that there is no significant damage in any specific areas. Towing hooks, gasoline pumps, seatbelts, seating, gates, glasses, load security, brake system, tyres/wheels, headlights, the front, the windshield, windshield washers, the horns, steering/suspension, and electronic parts will also be examined.
It appears to be a lot, and it may appear nearly impossible to pass: how can you ensure that all of those items are operating properly day after day? The answer to this question is regular vehicle services.
How does one go about passing an MOT?
The solution is as simple as taking care of your automobile and ensuring that certain basic elements are in good functioning condition before driving it to the garage.
Here's a list of ten simple things you can complete before taking your car in for an MOT.
Examine the Brake Fluid
The brake fluid is the first item on our MOT checklist. Open the hood of your automobile, making sure it's stopped, with a cool engine, and on a level surface, and check for the master cylinder.
You'll notice min and max marks; the fluid within the container must be within these two recommendations. If yours is low, be sure to replenish it. You can get brake fluid from your local auto store, but make sure it's the proper one for your car's make and model - this information should be in your owner's handbook.
Check the quality of your braking fluid before closing the cap: it should be clear or amber in colour, but it might turn brown as it ages. If this is the case, you must replace the brake fluid. A more complete test may be performed by purchasing chemical strips and immersing them in brake fluid.
Examine the Mirrors
To pass your MOT, you must have all of your required mirrors in place. This translates to one internal and one outside mirror.
Three appropriate rear-view mirror positions are:
- An outside mirror or gadget that offers a view along the vehicle's offside.
- An outside mirror or gadget that offers a view of the vehicle's nearside.
- An internal mirror or a gadget that offers a view of the vehicle's back.
- When inspecting your car's mirrors, ensure that they are devoid of cracks and are fitted at the correct angles.
Examine All Warning Lights
We'd like to assume that if a warning light appeared on your dashboard, you'd examine your car manual to figure out what was wrong and have it serviced as soon as possible.
However, if you've let this one slide, there's no better time than now to have it rectified. This will be detected in your MOT and you will fail, therefore it's better to get it done ahead of time and not put off a possibly serious condition any longer.
This is known as the ‘malfunction indicator lamp test,’ and it went into force in 2012, after a modification to the European testing directive.
Check that the tyres have enough tread.
Your MOT isn't the only reason you should keep track of your tyre tread: your car must have the ideal tread depths because if they've worn away, it can decrease your stopping distance, especially in rainy weather.
If you're discovered driving with car tyres North London that aren't the legal depth, you might face a £2,500 fine and three penalty points per tyre.
The legislation in the United Kingdom demands that your vehicle be equipped with the proper tyre size and type, as well as that the tyres be suitable for the purpose.
In the UK, your tyres should have a tread depth of at least 1.6mm.
Check to see whether your lights are working.
The front- and rear-position lamps, like your mirrors, must be operational on your vehicle for it to pass its MOT. The precise arrangement of these needed bulbs is not part of the examination, but it's preferable to ensure that both lamps are around the same height and that they're operating, unobstructed, and in excellent condition.
Put It to the Test
This is probably the quickest and easiest test to perform. The chances are that if it didn't work, you'd already been aware of it and the problem would have been resolved. So, while you're performing your entire pre-MOT inspections, don't forget to check the horn.
