Checklist To Support You In Passing Your Vehicle’s Mot

By Author: Kashyap Desai
Total Articles: 8
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Owning a vehicle can be a great feeling. But just buying one isn't enough; one needs to take responsibility for its safety and those around. The MOT (Ministry of Transport Test) is one critical parameter that helps determine whether or not your vehicle is as per the minimum road safety standards. This test thoroughly checks each vital segment of the car to ensure they uphold the legal standards in place. There are two significant merits to getting an MOT test:
· It ensures the vehicle is safe to drive
· The regular checks help pinpoint minor faults before they get worse
If your vehicle's MOT test is approaching, you might be concerned about whether it will pass or fail. Numerous vehicles fail their MOT tests due to minor problems like broken bulbs or even a dirty license plate. If the issues are too challenging for you to handle on your own, you should try to complete these checks in time to have any issues fixed before your MOT. Following is a comprehensive MOT test checklist that will quickly help your car pass with flying colours.
1. Tyres
These days a surprisingly high rate of road accidents ...
... occurs due to worn-out tyres. This is why keeping track of the condition of your vehicle's tyres is essential to pass the MOT. According to legal standards, the minimum tread depth of a tyre should be 1.6mm. Anything below this around the central ¾ of the tread width is unacceptable, making the tyre obsolete and needing replacement.
2. Horn
The following parameter in the MOT testing guide is the vehicle's horn. Just make sure that one quick push is enough to emit a warning sound that will alert all the passing cars and pedestrians. This is by the easiest test, but make sure to perform it twice or thrice before taking the test.
3. Seat and seatbelts
Suppose your vehicle is about to appear for the MOT Northampton test; making sure that the driver's seat is moving forward and backwards freely is very important. Moreover, all the seatbelts need to be in good condition and should lock and unlock smoothly for the safety of the passengers. Any cuts and frays can result in the vehicle getting detained.
4. Windscreen and wipers
Will driving, it is imperative to have a clear line of vision. This is why any cracks or chips more than 10mm on the driver's side can result in a big fail. As for the rest of the windscreen, any significant markings or cracks of 40mm or less will pass the test with a warning and will need immediate mending. Also, ensure that the wipers can thoroughly clean the front and back windscreens and remove all blurriness.
5. Lights: front, back and dashboard
Next on the MOT test checklist comes the lights, and for this, you should find a friend to assist. For the front section, check the headlights, indicators and hazards. As for the rear area, ensure that the brake lights, indicators and hazards are working fine. On the other hand, the dashboard lights are in place for warning, so if any of them are blinking, it is best to consult the vehicle handbook and fix the problem before the test.
6. Mirrors
Any vehicle comes with three primary mirrors, two exterior and one interior. The exterior mirrors help view the offside and nearside of the vehicle, and the interior one help check the vehicle's rear section. Moreover, they can make passerby vehicles look closer than they are. Owing to these reasons, the MOT Northampton finds it very crucial that none of them is cracked or damaged. It is believed that a minor crack can disrupt the vision and should therefore be mended before driving and the test.
7. Fuel and oil
Lastly, during an MOT test, the garage will check your exhaust and emission levels. They will try to ensure that there aren't any noise and rattles from your engine. Therefore, the vehicle needs to have enough fuel and engine oil to conduct this test and get smooth and unobstructed results. The best way to know is to clean and re-dip your dipstick to check that your oil sitting is between the maximum and minimum markers.
Conclusion
Getting your vehicle's MOT can be worrisome as there are so many parameters to keep in mind. Nevertheless, with the help of the above-mentioned MOT testing guide, any vehicle can ace the test and be back on the road without any hassle. This ensures that the car you're driving is safe and roadworthy in addition to helping it pass its MOT.