How to prepare your car for an MOT

An MOT is a legal requirement for any vehicle over the age of 3 years. Vehicles are taken into an MOT test centre and inspected for any faults, damages or anything that would prove to be a problem or a concern.

The MOT scheme is in place to ensure that:

- Cars are well maintained;
- that the car is in good enough condition to be road-worthy and to make sure that it complies with certain important requirements of the law.

REMEMBER: the test certificate relates only to the condition of the testable items at the time of the test and should not be regarded as evidence of their condition at any other time; nor should it be accepted as evidence of the general mechanical condition of the vehicle. (Information taken from http://www.ukmot.com/ website).

We have put together a list of vehicle checks you should carry out prior to your car MOT test, please note - this is not an exhaustive list, it does cover many of the main points, we are not liable for any missing information, nor if your vehicle fails its MOT based on part or the whole of this information, it is for guidance only.

Checks	What to check for	Action to take
Lights	All lights should be working, including: Number plate lamps, indicator lights, rear fog lamps, reverse lights and if fitted, front fog/spot lamps.	Switch on all lights and check they are all in working order. If not, replace bulbs. Some bulbs will fade colour – replace these or your vehicle may fail.
Number Plate	Number plates must be present and secure. There should be no cracks, fading or obscurities. Must be composed wit correctly formed letters and spacing’s.	Replace number plate if needed.
Windscreen	Chips and scratches on the windscreen. Damage any larger than 10mm will fail if in the drivers line of vision. Damage larger than 40mm will fail in the rest of the windscreen area.	Professional car repair & servicing companies can repair the chip or scratch or you may need a whole new windscreen.
Wiper Blades	Check the windscreen wash fluid is topped up and the windscreen washers work and are aimed correctly. Remove any air fresheners/fluffy dice etc hanging from the rear view mirror.	Wiper blades (both front and rear, if fitted) should provide a streak-free finish across the screen. No residue should be visible that obscures vision.
Mirrors	Broken mirror glass. Even if only cracked this is an MOT failure.	Replace mirror, glass or use a replacement stick on glass which is available for most vehicles.
Seatbelts	Security of seat belt mountings, locking stalks, security and operation of the lock/release mechanism, condition of webbing and retraction of the belt.	Replace seatbelt/locking system if needed.
Tyres	Tyre pressure, tread depth and the general condition of each tyre should be checked.	Legal minimum tread depth for cars and vans up to 3,500kgs is 1.6mm.
Horn	Check operation and check that the horn is loud enough (just try not to scare the neighbours)	Repair horn.
Doors	Must be operable from the inside and outside and all must latch securely. Tailgates & bootlids must be securable in the closed position.	Ask a mechanic to fix any problems with doors, latches and mechanisms.
Fuel System	Check throughout the run of the fuel line from the fuel tank to the engine and under the bonnet for any fuel leaking, as this will result in an immediate MOT fail. Also check the fuel filler cap fastens securely & the seal in the cap is not torn, deteriorating or missing.	Repair any damages that may be causing your fuel tank to leak.
Exhaust System & emissions	The exhaust system will fail if part of the system is missing, excessively deteriorated, a mounting is missing or damaged, if there is a major leak in the system or if it is excessively noisy. Emissions are checked using special equipment to check the year that your vehicle was first used on the road. They also do a visual check for excessive smoking. All are immediate failures.	Use a fuel system cleaner prior to taking your car to the MOT. This will help reduce the CO2 emissions, it will clean the fuel system and help to reduce smoke.
Steering	·          Wheel in correct position ·          Upper bearings of steering column ·          Steering shaft checked for end float ·          Clamping bolts  checked for security ·          Split pins and locking nuts ·          Play in the steering wheel is checked ·          Flexible coupling & universal joints are checked ·          Power steering systems are checked ·          Security of steering rack.	Get your mechanic to do all checks for steering or do it yourself if you know what you are looking for.
Brakes	·          Anti lock braking system warning lamp – should be functional. ·          Parking brake – mountings should be checked for security and corrosion. ·          Footbrake – pedal and rubber should not be worn excessively with sufficient reserve of travel. ·          Brake discs & drums- check for contamination/corrosion/wear. ·          Brake pads – the condition should be checked and the condition of the linkages and cables. ·          Performance of front and rear brakes and hand brake should be checked for efficiency & balance using specialised equipment (ask your mechanic). ·          Brake back plates and callipers should be checked for condition and security.	All checks should be made prior to the MOT Test and repairs should be made accordingly if any damage/corrosion or wear is found.
Under Bonnet	Master cylinder and servo unit should be checked for leaks when engine is on and brakes are applied. Visible metal and flexible brake pipes should be checked for corrosion, condition, fouling or leaks and any other metal brake pipes that are visible beneath the car should be checked.
Vehicle Structure	The body of the vehicle must not be so insecure or displaced that it might lead to loss of control of the vehicle when driven or be a danger to other road users. There must be no corrosion damage that would cause dangerous sharp edges. Excessive corrosion can mean anything from a hole to a significantly weakened structure.	Check your vehicle over fully to ensure that there are no sharp, protruding edges which could cause danger when driving.