When we buy our cars, we expect them to be perfect for a long time to come, however, sometimes things happen and wear and tear takes its toll on the car. That being said, every year an MOT should be undertaken to make sure your car is roadworthy and safe. Each time an MOT comes around, even if you think the car is fine, you will inevitably start panicking that it will fail. Here are 3 tips that will ensure you don’t fail on silly points.
- Clean your car
Psychology plays a part in the MOT process as clean cars are more likely to pass! It’s not a direct criterion for your car to be clean, but a clean car is a looked after car and the mechanics are more likely to think your car is fine! Obviously, we are not saying their judgement is not fair, however, the statistics don’t lie!
- Check the windscreen wipers and fluid
Another simple tip is to check that your window wipers work correctly. Over time these wipers degrade due to being exposed to the environment and all its weather. You can pick up new wipers very cheaply, just make sure they are the right size for your car! Each model may be slightly different too so check online which your car needs before buying.
Also, don’t forget to top up the washer fluid, and make sure the sprayers are working correctly. Sometimes the washer sprayers can get clogged up and a simple car clean and scrub can sort the problem. If this doesn’t do the trick, they may need to be replaced and it’s better to be preemptive of why your MOT may fail and sort any problems out beforehand.
- Number plates
Make sure your number plate is visible and in good condition. The law in the UK is that all number plates must be clear and visible at all times. If your number plate is cracked it could mean a failed MOT. Private plates may also equal a fail, this is because some companies don’t adhere to the correct lettering size and spacing requirements. If it is not to the correct standard you may fail your MOT. Therefore make sure you check before buying that the lettering is correct, because you may end up having to buy your number plate twice.
These are just three tips you can do to reduce the risk of failing your MOT, however, if you want a more in-depth answer for whether or not you may fail is by checking a website called Will It Pass. This site will predict whether or not your car will pass its MOT by just entering some simple details about your car. It will compare any other vehicles of the same make and model from the year of production to warn of any similar MOT fails. It then allows you to get those issues checked before going to your MOT, to allow your car to pass with flying colours.
