Do you know what is included in an MOT? The truth is, probably not. Most people simply go through the motions to keep their car road-worthy and stay on the right side of the law.
But it can be quite helpful to understand what is covered by an MOT because it means you might be able to sort out some of the more obvious and simple faults that might cause your car to fail the test.
At Sunrise Service & MOTs in Blandford, we have been providing trusted and reliable MOTs on a range of vehicles for over 20 years. This gives us the expertise to explain what is included in your MOT.
An MOT will include a walkaround of the car to check the condition of the body, chassis, engine mournings, seats, bonnet, boot, doors and mirrors.
In this walkaround, the engineer will be looking for signs of excessive corrosion and checking that there are no sharp edges that might catch someone and cause injury.
Every light on the car will be tested to make sure that they are in working order and to ensure your vehicle is visible in various conditions – the dark, heavy rain and thick fog.
Tests on the front, rear, brake, fog, indicator and registration lights will all be included in an MOT.
Checks will ensure that they:
These tests will also ensure that any pairs of lights emit the same colour, shape and size of light.
The engineer will also test the horn to ensure it produces a loud, uniform and continuous sound that other drivers can hear when on the road.
Moving into the mechanics of the car, an MOT will include tests and checks on every component of your car’s braking system.
These tests will ensure that the brakes, pedals and levers all work and are in good condition. Part of the tests will also check their efficiency. Should anything be wrong, the engineer will diagnose the problem to recommend a solution.
It will also make sure that any brake warning lights on the dashboard work should there be an issue.
Moving up from the brakes, engineers will ensure that the steering wheel is secure by pushing the wheel in different directions and completing a visual inspection to spot wear and tear and other damage.
They will also check the locking device, if your car has one, to make sure that it is only implemented when the vehicle is off.
Finally, on the steering, power steering is standard for most cars these days, so the engineer will check that there is at least the minimum level of power steering fluid in the reservoir.
Hidden and not often thought about is the suspension of the car. An integral part of the car, the suspension is usually neglected by owners due to the complexity, lack of understanding and difficulty of accessing the system.
Checks on each component of the suspension system and the shock absorbers form an integral part of what is included in an MOT.
Visual inspections of the tyres will be included, as the engineer checks that the tyre tread is within the legal limit of 1.6mm, as well as looking for signs of damage such as cuts over 25mm, lumps, bumps, tears, exposure of the cord and tread separation.
They will also check that the flat tyre warning light works when it should and that the tyre pressures are correct for your car and the regular load-bearing it experiences.
The wheels will be reviewed to ensure they are in good condition and the wheel nuts are tightly in place.
The visibility from the driver’s seat will be inspected as part of your MOT. This will cover an inspection of the windscreen to make sure that there isn’t any damage or obstruction bigger than 10mm directly in the driver’s view.
The inspection will also cover areas outside the direct view but in their peripheral, checking for damage larger than 40mm.
The wipers will be looked over and tested to make sure they swipe a sufficient area of the screen so that the driver will have a good enough view of the road.
At the back of the car, checks on your exhaust system will be included in your MOT. In doing this, the engineer will make sure that the whole system is free of leaks and is secure.
They will also check that the catalytic converter is still in place and working if your car was originally built with one.
There are strict carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon emission limits that your vehicle must fall within to reduce the environmental impacts of cars. Tests to ensure your vehicle meets these regulations will be included in your MOT.
On top of this, engineers will also check that your car is not producing smoke of any colour when running.
Believe it or not, seat belts and seats are on the checklist of what is included in an MOT.
These checks make sure that the seat belts are the correct length and work well.
Finally, inspection of your registration plate and VIN are included in your MOT.
Your car will first be inspected to confirm a plate on the front and back of your vehicle and that they are of a suitable layout – that is, the characters are correctly formed and sufficiently spaced. They will then be checked to make sure it is secure and clear. The plate must be visible to someone 20 metres away from the car.
The VIN must be permanently displayed, either on a plate, stamped or etched on the body or chassis. An MOT technician will double-check this is the case for your car.
There we have it, a list of everything covered in an MOT in the UK.
MOTs are thorough inspections and tests of your car so that problems can be spotted and fixed, keeping you safe on the road.
At Sunrise Services & MOT Centre, we are experts at what we do and can offer a reliable and trusted MOT service to customers with a range of different makes and models – we are not specialists in any one type, so we provide our expertise to everyone.
We are competitively priced compared to our local competitors in Dorset and make booking your car for its MOT hassle-free.
Not to mention that our 20-plus years of experience should provide you with confidence that we will provide an efficient and reliable service and won’t mess you around or recommend repairs if they are not necessary.
Book your car for its MOT today by calling us on 01258 459 798 or completing our online contact form.