Is that time of year coming around again? The dreaded realisation that your car’s MOT is up for renewal is a stressful time for many car owners. Mainly because you have no idea whether you’re walking out with a £50 bill or a £500 bill. Let’s face it, if you’ve got a slightly older car, £500 still might be a relatively small price to pay.
So if you’re frantically searching the internet for how to pass an MOT of your vehicle, you’ve come to the right place. Sure there may be things that are out of your control, but we’re sharing the best tips possible so your car has the best chance of making it through with the smallest bill possible.
What to do before your MOT
The first thing you will need to do before your MOT is dig out your old certificate. This will tell you the exact date your MOT expires and the absolute latest you can book one. Note that in the UK if your MOT expires and you drive without it you could face fines and further legal implications. However, if you can only book your MOT after the expiration date, you may drive the car to the appointment but not for anything else. It is a rare occurrence, but if you are driving to your MOT appointment with an expired MOT, as long as you have proof of your destination you shouldn’t face any implications.
Once you’ve obtained your previous MOT certificate take a look at the advisories from the last time it went into the garage. This will be really helpful in getting you a head start on the next pass certificate. Your car may have passed, but there was an advisory to change the tyre soon – go out and check them, they may make you fail if you don’t replace them before the MOT appointment.
You can book your MOT with any certified garage. We suggest that if your car is on finance with a particular car manufacturer, that you book it with them. This guarantees they will have all the equipment and parts available in order to let you have your car returned roadworthy as soon as possible.
The last thing you want to do is take another day off work because your car failed the MOT and you need to wait for parts to come in before you can drive it again.
Checks to make before your MOT appointment
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Clear out your car
While you cannot fail an MOT because of a messy car your garage may refuse to carry it out if they cannot easily access areas of the car. Our advice, clear everything out.
Remove items from the boot and in any footwells. It should speed up your MOT test but it will also give the garage no reason to say no. Plus, less rubbish in your car means it’s lighter and it will drive more efficiently – saving you money on fuel.
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Clean your number plates
While you’re clearing out the car, be sure to clean your number plates too. A dirty number plate will not pass an MOT and before you say it, no, it is not down to the garage to wipe your plate clean so that it can pass. They must assess the car as it appears. They cannot change something in order for it to pass.
So they may fail it if they cannot read your number plates. When you empty out the car, give it a wash too. At the very least, grab a rag from the garage and wipe the plate. It takes 5 seconds and will save you time and potentially money.
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Check your windscreen wipers
One of the most common reasons for an MOT failure is windscreen wipers being in disrepair. What’s the most frustrating thing about that too is that it’s the easiest thing you can fix before sending it to the MOT testing centre. But how can you test your windscreen wipers? It’s simple, chuck a load of water on your screen and turn them on. If you notice streaks or one of them not working properly that’s a good indication that they need changing.
You can also look at them more closely by lifting them away from your windscreen. If there are cracks in the rubber then they could be classed as faulty in which case you need a new pair. You can call your garage ahead of time letting them know that they will need replacing before the test or you can try and fit them yourself. But don’t let your car fail an MOT over a wiperblade.
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Check all your lights are working properly
Another simple check that often leads to MOT failures is broken lights. Whether it’s your indicator, full beam, low beam or brake lights. Check them all.
Wait for darkness then go out to your car with a family member or friend and turn the car on. Check all of your lights one by one, then they can tell you if they are working or not. If there are any that are broken, inform your garage and get them repaired before your MOT appointment or alternatively fit them yourself – there are plenty of tutorials online to assist you with this.
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Check your tyre tread
Your tyres should always have a tread depth of 1.6mm across the ¾ of the centre of the tyre. Which means you need to check the middle, not the outside of the tyre. The best way to check is to grab a 20p coin. There is an outer rim of the coin, almost like a border, it just so happens that this border is 2mm deep.
If you pop the coin into the tread of your tyre and you cannot see the border any more, your tyres are of a legal limit. If you can see the border, they’re potentially illegal which means they’ll fail an MOT. Get them changed to a legal limit before you send your car in.
