A Pre-MOT Checklist that Could Save You Money
The purpose of an MOT is to ensure the road legality of your vehicle – but many treat it as an annual check-up or service, despite the inflated repair and re-testing costs attributed to an MOT fail and the delays to getting your car back on the road. In most cases, the reasons for failure are simple, preventable or easily and cheaply fixable. As such, you can save valuable time and money by running this checklist before taking your car in for an MOT.
Check Your Oil Levels
Engine oil is crucial for the health of your engine, and its levels and quality should be monitored on a regular basis. Engine oil is responsible for lubricating your engine’s moving parts, and having low levels of oil can cause increased engine wear and even catastrophic failure. Low engine oil levels would not affect your MOT result, but an MOT tester can refuse to test if they believe running the test will damage the car – and low or old engine oil are common factors in such a decision. Regularly checking your levels can also tell you whether or not you have an oil leak, which could affect your MOT results.
Check Your Tyres
Another common fail condition for MOTs lies in the health of your tyres – something which you have direct control over, and could be paying a premium to fix if discovered. Tread depth is the most common reason for tyre-related MOT failure, and constitutes a dangerous defect – meaning your car cannot legally leave the garage until its tyres are replaced, and subjecting you to their retail tyre prices. You can avoid this potential cost by checking your tyres ahead of your MOT; simply place a 20p piece end-on in your tyre’s tread. If you can see the outer band of the 20p peeking above the tyre, your tread is illegal. Instead of paying garage prices, you can buy tyres online to reduce costs and prevent the likelihood of paying for another MOT in the process.
Check Your Warning Lights
Warning lights are not an advisory feature, and should be treated seriously the moment they appear. Not only are they telling you that something definitively requires investigation – which could cause trouble when your MOT comes around – but new MOT rules have seen the introduction of a ‘Malfunction Indicator Lamp’ test, wherein an illuminated warning light is an instant MOT fail. Before your test, verify that none of your warning lights are on. If any are, take your car in for a service before your MOT.
Check Your Brake Fluid
Brake fluid levels no longer constitute an MOT fail, instead resulting in a minor defect on your MOT results. Nonetheless, checking your brake fluid levels before you head for your test can tell you important things about the health of your braking system, and even reveal a leak before it is discovered by an MOT tester.
