Does your car need an MOT? If it is 3 years old or older, it is legally required to have one every year – and with car garages expecting an uptick in MOT bookings over the Winter, now might be the best time for you to book yourself in. But before you do, there are five quick ways that will help you to prepare your car for MOT, in order to give yourself the best possible chance of passing.

 Check Your vehicle Oil

 Checking your oil can be an easy thing to forget about, but leaving it too long without topping up or replacing can be disastrous for your engine. Over time, old oil breaks down and burns, with the resulting fumes affecting your catalytic converter. In the short term, this old oil can make your MOT’s emission test difficult – so, for the best chance of success, be sure to replace and top up your oil ahead of your MOT. And don’t forget to check for oil leakage as well. Sometimes oil leakages are the root cause for major engine works. 

 Checking the Warning Lights

 Warning lights can feel like a part of everyday life when it comes to older or used cars, and ignoring them can become second nature – especially if your car seems to be running perfectly fine. But if you book your MOT and send your car in with a warning light issue, a simple test called a Malfunction Indicator Lamp Test will be your undoing – and an instant MOT fail. Many warning light issues are a simple fix and anything a little more serious warrants a service before your MOT. It might be hard to stomach, but spending the money before the MOT saves you paying for two MOTs, and an even costlier repair bill at a garage that might not have been your original choice. PRO TIP – check your warning lights and if you are seeing any warning light, remove the battery terminal as that resets the system to recheck if the warning is still there. 

 Check Your Brake and Brake Fluid

When it comes to safety, brakes are considered one of the essential parts. A faulty Brake can put your life in life-threatening danger. While servicing your vehicle, your brakes should be checked thoroughly. If they have any kind of problems, then it should be repaired before the date of MOT. There are many parts in the braking system, you can’t find out just by looking which part is faulty and needs to be repaired. So, check your braking system completely once in while during the service.

While no longer classified as a major defect, and no longer subject to failure conditions, keeping your Brake Fluid topped up before an MOT can stand you in good stead, and keep your MOT a little cleaner. That said, you can still receive an MOT fail for contaminated brake fluid; if your brake fluid is a little darker in color before your MOT, be sure to replace it just to be safe. You can also invest in chemical testing strips, to make sure your fluid is up to code.

 Check Your Vehicle Tyres

Your tires are also very important to monitor ahead of your MOT – though neglecting to monitor them year-round can be costly as well. If your tire treads are worn below 1.6mm, your Tyres are illegal and could earn you a hefty fine, as well as points on your license. Worn tires will also earn you to fail on your MOT. To test if your tyres are legal, use the 20p test: place a 20p coin end-up in your tyre’s tread. If the edge of the outer band is visible, your tyres need replacing.

Look out for bulges, punctures, crackings, or cuts on the sidewalls of tyres, and objects stuck in the tread. Don’t forget to, check your spare tyres as well. They should be road legal. And also Make sure that all of your tires have the right amount of pressure in them. 

You require proper functioning wheels to ace your MOT. It is wise to perform wheel balancing and alignment before your MOT.

Check  and Clean Your WindScreen

Check your windscreen for any glass damage, crack, or chip. to the glass. According to MOT guidelines, your windscreen should not have a chip or crack in the area where the wipers sweep bigger than 40mm, or wider than 10mm, it can lead you to fail in your vehicle’s MOT test. 

 If there’s any damage around the wiper, get it repaired before the MOT test. Not just your windscreen, all of your mirrors should be in good condition and fixed firmly. You should also check that both rear and front wipers are fully functional. If the blades are damaged, they put scratches on your windscreens. Wipers are cheap and can be replaced easily. If any of your screens or mirrors don’t meet the required criteria, you are likely to get failed in your MOT.

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