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An MOT is performed on an annual basis and consists of dozens of vehicle checks; it’s a legal requirement for cars that are three years old or more.
Brayley Renault is an authorised MOT testing centre, so if your car’s MOT is due, there’s no better place to go for your test.
Approximately 1.5 million cars fail their MOTs every year. To stand the best chance of MOT success, there are things you can check yourself before the test takes place.
1. Headlights and indicators
Test all exterior lights (headlights, indicators, sidelights, rear lights and hazards lights) to make sure they’re working.
2. Brake lights
To check that the brake lights are functioning properly, you’ll need to put your foot on the brake pedal – but how can you see if the brake light is working? Ask a friend to do this for you – or use a carefully positioned reflective surface to see for yourself.
3. License plates
Make sure that license plates are clean and legible, and check that the font and the spacing of letters and numbers meets with legal requirements.
4. Wheels and tyres
Check for any damage, and ensure that each tyre’s tread depth is no less than 1.6 mm (ideally, 3mm).
5. Seats and seatbelts
Make sure that the driver’s seat moves forwards and backwards without any issues. Fully extend each seatbelt to check for any damage – and give each seatbelt a sharp tug to simulate severe-braking conditions.
6. Windscreen
Clean the windscreen before checking for any damage. If the ‘swept’ arear ahead of the driver’s position has a scratch, chip or impairment which is larger than 10mm, the car will fail its MOT. The same applies to damage of more than 40mm elsewhere on the windscreen.
7. Windscreen wipers
Check to see that both wipers work properly by seeing if they adequately clear water sprayed onto the windscreen. If they don’t, they’ll need to be replaced.
8. Screen wash
Make sure your vehicle’s screen wash bottle is filled up.
9. Horn
If the horn is defective, it will need to be fixed or replaced.
10. Fuel and engine oil
Fuel tanks (petrol/diesel cars) require sufficient fuel for emissions tests to be carried out. Also, ensure that your vehicle has enough engine oil and brake fluid.
Please note: before carrying out any checks, ensure that your vehicle has cooled down sufficiently in order to avoid sustaining injury due to hot surfaces.
The vast majority of vehicles which are three years old or more must be MOT tested. If you’re unsure, you can check your car’s MOT status by visiting https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-status.
About 45 minutes to an hour.
If any ‘dangerous’ issues are identified, you won’t be allowed to drive your car away. However, we can remedy any such problems. We’ll provide you with a quote first, of course, and seek your permission before carrying out the necessary repairs.
If the issues are not serious, you can drive your vehicle away as long as your existing MOT certificate is valid – but the car will need to be repaired before an MOT re-test can occur.
Is your car due its MOT? If so, please make an appointment at your earliest convenience by completing our online contact form.
