Sending your car off for its MOT can be nerve-wracking, but there are certain things that you can do at home before you put it in the hands of the testers that will give it a great chance of passing. Let’s go through each of them one by one:

Check your lights

Make sure all of your lights are in good working order before submitting your car for testing. This means all of the lights, not just the brake and headlights. Commonly missed lights are the hazards and the tiny little lamp above the rear number plate. If that little blighter is out, it’s a fail. Have someone stand behind the car as you perform the check on things such as brake lights to be sure that all is well.

Check your wipers

Wiper blades need to be intact and free from any splits or degradation in order to pass inspection. Also, check that the washer jets work properly, and that the wipers are cleaning the windscreen adequately.

Check your seat belts

Many people, especially those who frequently travel alone, forget to check all of their seat belts. The common error is to only give the front belts a look, leaving the rear safety belts to chance. Make sure they are not frayed and that the clip solidly fits inside the housing with the obligatory ‘clunk-click’.

Check your mirrors

Make sure that all of your mirrors are intact and that they are free from cracks and damage. Depending on the car’s age these could result in a failure at the testing centre.

Check your windscreen

Do you have any damage on your windscreen? If you do, this could sometimes result in a failure. If the damage is directly in the view range of the driver it will need to be addressed. A chip or crack larger than 10mm in this area will generally be failed. Damage larger than 40mm elsewhere on the screen will also be deemed dangerous and the car will not pass.

Check the wheels

Give your wheel rims a quick look before putting your car in for an MOT. If there is a lot of kerb damage on the rims the inspector could fail your car. However, if you have damage on just one of your wheels and your spare is fine, it is OK to switch them over, as the spare wheel is not checked as part of the test.

Check your tyres

Have a look at your tyres to check for damage and wear and tear. If there are bald patches or cuts in the tyres side wall your car will fail its MOT. As with the rims, it is OK to switch over to the spare tyre if this is in better condition.

Once you have run all of these checks at home you can go ahead and book your MOT. For a fast and convenient booking process be sure to check out bookmygarage.com. Their easy to use online portal will find a reputable testing centre in your area and take the hassle away from booking your next MOT.