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Washers, wipers and windscreen
Make sure the washers have water in them and that they work properly – this is an MOT item. Look at your wiper blades to see if the surface which wipes the screen is not cracked, broken or damaged in any way. Has the windscreen got any large cracks in it. If it has then that could be a failure depending on how extensive they are and where they appear on the screen – and remember, many insurance policies allow windscreen replacement without affecting the policy.
Wheels and tyres
If you have ‘alloy’ wheels with the wheel nuts exposed, make sure that none are missing. If the wheel rim has been seriously damaged that too could be a failure. Also, check the valve to make sure that it has not been damaged or is misaligned. Although you do not have to remove the hub caps for the Test, and the Tester won’t do so if they remain on the vehicle, you will have a better examination of the vehicle if you do remove them, although if any wheel nuts are missing a failure will result.
Checking the tyres is also important. As far as the tyres themselves are concerned the requirements regarding the type of tyre, its structure and which type of tyre is acceptable or not on the fronts or rears, that is quite technical and would require expert knowledge.
However, the tyre condition can be visually checked. Has the tyre wall been damaged? Are there any serious cuts or damage on the tread? And you can check the wear by seeing if it has extended beyond the so called ‘wear bars’ within the tread. If they are smooth across the tread then there will be less than the acceptable 1.6mm of tread required.
Lights, indicators and hazards
Very obviously, check all the lights and indicators are working and replace any failed bulbs. Make sure the hazards working too. Either use a mirror placed behind the car, or get someone to stand behind the car while you operate the brakes, hazard lights, fog light and indicators. The number plate light is also part of the MOT, although the reversing light is not.
General
Although it isn’t necessary to present a cleaned and polished vehicle for an MOT, if the underside, or items requiring inspection in the engine compartment is really dirty and covered in oil, then the Tester can refuse to inspect it and you will have made an unnecessary journey. Also, if you are taking a small van or truck for MOT, if there is a large load on board that too may have to be removed for the MOT. The same applies to items in the boot; do not present the car for Test with the boot crammed full. The Tester may have to look into the boot to examine the rear suspension mounting and will need to be able to see them to complete the MOT.
Have a look at the seat belts. Do they properly engage? Is the belt frayed or cut? That too could result in a failure.
Damaged bodywork can also cause an MOT failure if it is likely to result in damage or injury to other road users, including pedestrians – so make sure that there are no nasty jagged exposed edges.
Is there a smell of petrol? Do not present your car for an MOT Test with a fuel leak.
Any fuel leak at all will result in an immediate failure with no other items being examined because of the serious potential hazard during the MOT Test.
Oh, and finally, you may need the vehicle registration documents as some MOT Tested items are checked in a way which could depend on when the vehicle was first registered. If your vehicle falls across one of these date breaks, and the Tester doesn’t have the documentation to check, you may find you will be turned away until you have the correct paper work which can be checked.
Brakes
There are a number of reasons that a vehicle can fail the MOT on brakes. There may be a brake fluid leak, the brakes may have an imbalance causing the vehicle to veer to one side or the other during braking. The efficiency of the brakes may be inadequate for the type of vehicle, flexible or metal brake pipes may be defective, or some other mechanical element in the braking system could be worn excessively.
As has been noted elsewhere, the MOT cannot provide a comprehensive examination of the brakes. During an MOT Test the Tester is not allowed to dismantle components – and it is quite possible for there to be a latent defect within the brakes which would merit a failure but which the Tester cannot detect during the MOT and isn’t flagged up by the braking performance – slightly leaking brake cylinders within the system is just one example.
However there are a number of fairly straightforward jobs which can be carried out by an experienced DIY mechanic. Changing brake shoes or pads for example. The problem here is that after the repair the DIY motorist cannot check the brakes in the same way as the Testing Station – with the use of a roller brake test machine. The roller brake testing equipment not only measures braking efficiency it also accurately measures brake imbalance as a percentage.
So following that hard weekend of car repairing, the result of the brake re-Test could be a failure due to an unexpected fault detected by the brake test equipment, which may not necessarily show up when the vehicle is driven. And don’t forget, a braking imbalance which might feel only very slight on a dry road, could be disastrous in the wet.
Steering
Provided it is relatively simple, like changing track rod ends or the like, then there’s no reason why the ‘home repairer’ should not carry out straightforward repairs following an MOT failure. However there is another consideration – without accurate tracking equipment, should the tracking not be correct when the defective components have been replaced, then accelerated tyre wear will result – this may not be evident until considerable wear has resulted – so such a repair could be a false economy.
Emissions
Here the DIY mechanic could face problems – especially on more modern vehicles. Most emission problems will need sophisticated diagnostic equipment to discover what the problem is before it can be rectified – and even then, without the gas analysis equipment used in Testing Stations it would be impossible to be sure that the problem has been solved. However, any reasonable sized non-MOT garage would probably have this equipment. This is an area which the amateur would best be advised to steer clear of.
Welding
Welding is less likely to be tackled by a DIY mechanic, but can have pitfalls if it is done by a repair garage which is not also aware of the MOT specifications for welding repair. The technical requirements of VOSA (the government agency which administrates the MOT) regarding what can be repaired by welding and what can’t, as well as the way in which the welded repair is done, are quite precise – and non-MOT garages do not always have this knowledge.
They also tend to cover their work in thick underseal which obscures the weld so the Tester is unable to examine the repair properly.
For these reasons it is always better to have a Testing Station carry out welding work, or if not then ensure the person doing the work does not cover it in underseal until after the Test, or if after a failure, the re-Test has been done.
But, in spite of the preceeding advice, another interesting issue which has recently come up is the advisability of motorists carrying out their own DIY repairs following MOT failure – is it a good idea?
However, the tyre condition can be visually checked. Has the tyre wall been damaged? Are there any serious cuts or damage on the tread? And you can check the wear by seeing if it has extended beyond the so called ‘wear bars’ within the tread. If they are smooth across the tread then there will be less than the acceptable 1.6mm of tread required.
Lights, indicators and hazards
Very obviously, check all the lights and indicators are working and replace any failed bulbs. Make sure the hazards working too. Either use a mirror placed behind the car, or get someone to stand behind the car while you operate the brakes, hazard lights, fog light and indicators. The number plate light is also part of the MOT, although the reversing light is not.
General
Although it isn’t necessary to present a cleaned and polished vehicle for an MOT, if the underside, or items requiring inspection in the engine compartment is really dirty and covered in oil, then the Tester can refuse to inspect it and you will have made an unnecessary journey. Also, if you are taking a small van or truck for MOT, if there is a large load on board that too may have to be removed for the MOT. The same applies to items in the boot; do not present the car for Test with the boot crammed full. The Tester may have to look into the boot to examine the rear suspension mounting and will need to be able to see them to complete the MOT.
Have a look at the seat belts. Do they properly engage? Is the belt frayed or cut? That too could result in a failure.
Damaged bodywork can also cause an MOT failure if it is likely to result in damage or injury to other road users, including pedestrians – so make sure that there are no nasty jagged exposed edges.
Is there a smell of petrol? Do not present your car for an MOT Test with a fuel leak.
Any fuel leak at all will result in an immediate failure with no other items being examined because of the serious potential hazard during the MOT Test.
Oh, and finally, you may need the vehicle registration documents as some MOT Tested items are checked in a way which could depend on when the vehicle was first registered. If your vehicle falls across one of these date breaks, and the Tester doesn’t have the documentation to check, you may find you will be turned away until you have the correct paper work which can be checked.
Brakes
There are a number of reasons that a vehicle can fail the MOT on brakes. There may be a brake fluid leak, the brakes may have an imbalance causing the vehicle to veer to one side or the other during braking. The efficiency of the brakes may be inadequate for the type of vehicle, flexible or metal brake pipes may be defective, or some other mechanical element in the braking system could be worn excessively.
As has been noted elsewhere, the MOT cannot provide a comprehensive examination of the brakes. During an MOT Test the Tester is not allowed to dismantle components – and it is quite possible for there to be a latent defect within the brakes which would merit a failure but which the Tester cannot detect during the MOT and isn’t flagged up by the braking performance – slightly leaking brake cylinders within the system is just one example.
However there are a number of fairly straightforward jobs which can be carried out by an experienced DIY mechanic. Changing brake shoes or pads for example. The problem here is that after the repair the DIY motorist cannot check the brakes in the same way as the Testing Station – with the use of a roller brake test machine. The roller brake testing equipment not only measures braking efficiency it also accurately measures brake imbalance as a percentage.
So following that hard weekend of car repairing, the result of the brake re-
Steering
Provided it is relatively simple, like changing track rod ends or the like, then there’s no reason why the ‘home repairer’ should not carry out straightforward repairs following an MOT failure. However there is another consideration – without accurate tracking equipment, should the tracking not be correct when the defective components have been replaced, then accelerated tyre wear will result – this may not be evident until considerable wear has resulted – so such a repair could be a false economy.
Emissions
Here the DIY mechanic could face problems – especially on more modern vehicles. Most emission problems will need sophisticated diagnostic equipment to discover what the problem is before it can be rectified – and even then, without the gas analysis equipment used in Testing Stations it would be impossible to be sure that the problem has been solved. However, any reasonable sized non-
Welding
Welding is less likely to be tackled by a DIY mechanic, but can have pitfalls if it is done by a repair garage which is not also aware of the MOT specifications for welding repair. The technical requirements of VOSA (the government agency which administrates the MOT) regarding what can be repaired by welding and what can’t, as well as the way in which the welded repair is done, are quite precise – and non-
For these reasons it is always better to have a Testing Station carry out welding work, or if not then ensure the person doing the work does not cover it in underseal until after the Test, or if after a failure, the re-
But, in spite of the preceeding advice, another interesting issue which has recently come up is the advisability of motorists carrying out their own DIY repairs following MOT failure – is it a good idea?
Whether or not you are a good DIY car mechanic, there are some things you can do to improve a chance for your car to pass an MOT first time.
MOT FAILURE BREAKDOWN
According to VOSA, the most failures during MOT Tests are lighting, signalling, brakes and suspension.
Below are the tips you may find useful:
Below are the tips you may find useful:
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