ad collaborative post // If your first MOT is coming up, you may be worrying about whether your car – soon to be three years old – is going to pass the test with flying colours or if it will cost you hundreds of pounds in repairs.
Much of the uncertainty with the MOT test comes down to a lack of knowledge: when you know what the inspector is going to be checking, you can make sure that your car is in great condition for the MOT. So, which elements get tested during an MOT test? It can be broken down into six groupings. Let’s take a look before you avail the best summer deals and book your car in today at Elite MOTs London Centre.
Exterior Checks
Walk around the outside of your car, looking for anything that might indicate a problem. Dents, rust damage, loose or damaged mirrors, bumpers or number plates, cracks in the windows and/ or lights can all present a potential MOT issue and should be sorted before you take your car in.
Speaking of number plates, it should, as well as being firmly attached, be easy to read and in a legally approved font for number plates. Tyres and wheels should get a thorough check-up as they are vital to the roadworthiness of your vehicle.
Interior Checks
Sit in the driving seat and look around. Visibility should be maximal, with nothing obscuring your field of vision through the windscreens, mirrors and windows. All the buttons, knobs, levers and steering wheel should be in good working order, easily identifiable and easy to operate – and no dashboard warning lights should be showing.
Brakes – both the service brake pedal and the handbrake should work well, and the whole interior should be as clean and tidy as possible. Seatbelts, if fitted, should all clip easily and release without sticking.
Under the Hood
The inspector will pop the hood of your car and spend a long time with a torch, checking the various systems: brakes, exhaust, steering and so on – as far as they can be seen. They will also check the water in the radiator, the state of your battery and make sure that your windscreen washer reservoir is full with an appropriate detergent-laden solution.
The Chassis
The underneath of your car is most likely to be unknown territory to you, and there is little you can do to ensure that everything is as it should be without some mechanical expertise under your belt. The inspector will continue his examination of the exhaust, brake and steering systems, check the fuel lines and tank, and generally make sure that everything is in good working order and properly attached where this is relevant.
While the car is on the inspection pit, the MOT inspector will complete their examination of the tyres and wheels from this new vantage point.
Emissions
To reduce the amounts of harmful chemicals in the air, the UK has strict emissions rules, and the MOT inspector will run your engine to take a measure of the emissions and ensure that you are within legal limits.
Brakes
Being able to stop reliably is absolutely vital, so your brakes have their own section. At this point, the inspector will take information gathered under and inside the car, and add it to the results of braking tests that he or she will run. Both the service brake and the handbrake must be in good working order and able to stop the car reasonably quickly on demand.
Now you know the main elements that are inspected during an MOT test. Just keep these in order and your car will be sure to ace the test.
