1. Check Brake Fluid
We begin our check mot checklist with the brake fluid. Open your car’s bonnet – making sure your car is stopped, with a cool engine, on a flat surface – and look for the master cylinder.
You’ll see markings that say ‘min’ and ‘max’; the fluid within the container needs to be between these two instructions. If yours is below, make sure you top it up. You can pick up brake fluid from your local car store, but make sure it’s the right one for your make and model — you should be able to find this information in your car’s manual.
Before you close the cap, check for the condition of your brake fluid: it should be clear or an amber color, though it can turn brown as it gets older. If this is the case, you’ll need to change the brake fluid. You can do a more thorough test by buying chemical strips and dipping them in the brake fluid.
When you’ve done all your tests, don’t forget to shut the bonnet fully.
2. Check Mirrors
In order to pass your MOT, you must have your obligatory mirrors intact. This means one interior and one offside mirror.
According to the MOT manual, there are three acceptable rear-view mirror positions:
An exterior mirror or device that provides a view along the offside of the vehicle.
An exterior mirror or device that provides a view along the nearside of the vehicle.
An interior mirror or a device which provides a view to the rear of the vehicle.
When checking your car’s mirrors, ensure that none are cracked, severely impairing your view or exposing a damaged edge.
3. Check All Warning Lights
We’d like to think that if a warning light was showing on your dashboard, you would consult your vehicle handbook to identify what the problem was and get it booked in quickly to be fixed. However, if you’ve let this one go, there’s no time like the present to get it fixed. This will be picked up in your MOT and you will fail, so it’s best to get it done beforehand, and not to let a potentially dangerous problem go on any longer.
This is referred to as the ‘malfunction indicator lamp test’ and it only came into effect in 2012, after a revision to the European testing directive. It’s a simple visual test – if the tester turns on the ignition and warning lights come on, you will fail your MOT, not to mention probably finding yourself with an additional charge for the garage to investigate and diagnose what the light means.
4. Ensure Tyres Have Enough Tread
Your MOT isn’t the only reason you should stay on top on your tyre tread: it’s crucial that your car has the correct tread depths because, if they’ve been worn away, it will affect your stopping distance, particularly in wet weather conditions.
If you’re caught on the road with tyres below the required depth, you could face a fine of up to £2,500 and three penalty points per tyre.
UK driving law requires that your vehicle be fitted with the correct tyre size and type, and that the tyres are fit for purpose.
The minimum legal tyre tread in the UK is 1.6mm, in a continuous band that wraps around the central three-quarters of the tyre.
You can quickly check the tread of your tyres with the help of a 20p coin. Simply take the coin and insert it into the grooves on the tyre. You should not be able to see the outer band of the coin if your tyres are within the legal limit. If you can see that section of the coin, your tyres could be unsafe, so it’s best to get them checked and changed by a professional before your MOT.
5. Make Sure Your Lights Are Working
Much like your mirrors, there are obligatory lights that need to be working on your car for you to pass your MOT: the front- and rear-position lamps. The exact positioning of these required lamps does not form part of the inspection, but it’s best to check that both lamps are approximately the same height and that they’re working, not obstructed and in good condition.
6. Test Your Horn
Probably the quickest and easiest test to do and chances are that if this didn’t work, you’d already be aware of it and have had the fault fixed. So, as you’re doing your full pre-MOT checks, be sure to check the horn.
7. Ensure Your Vehicle Has Enough Oil
The oil check is an important part of an MOT because without it, the garage will not be able to test emission levels.
You can check this by taking a quick look under the bonnet. As you would when checking the brake fluid, do this test with the engine off and cool and the car parked on a flat, even surface.
Locate the dipstick and pull it out, then wipe off any excess oil to ensure that you’re starting with a clean stick. Next, dip the dipstick back in and remove once more. You should see the oil sitting between the ‘min’ and ‘max’ marking on the dipstick. If you don’t, it’s time to top up your oil.
Keeping on top of this is important for your vehicle, so that your oil doesn’t break down and clog your car’s filters. Fortunately, changing your oil is inexpensive, easy and relatively quick to do, so if you notice your oil needs changing before your MOT; it can be sorted in no time.