Preparing For Your MOT
The blog this week is about tips to help you prepare for an upcoming MOT on your Volvo or Toyota. Helping you to hopefully avoid a fail and a retest. Everyone is trying to save money at the moment, interest rates are rising, fuel bills are rising, food costs are soaring etc so when it comes to owning a car, we need all the help we can get to keep costs down. Read on to find out more:
Remember that you can have your MOT carried out within the month prior to its expiry date without necessarily affecting its future anniversary. For example, assuming your car’s MOT is due on 28th February you can book it in from 28th January. After Covid when the government let people waive their MOT if it was due over the course of a 6-month period it in effect doubled the amount of MOT’s due over a 6-month period at a garage – so unless you book in advance you may find that your garage cannot accommodate you ‘last minute’. So, plan ahead if you can. A lot of cars fail on some very minor issues – please see our tips below to help you avoid these issues with your car.
- Top up all the fluids
Make sure that your screen wash and engine oil are within the correct levels. If these are below the recommended levels you could end up paying the garage to do this, incurring unnecessary labour rates as well as the fluid cost. If you are in any doubt – check your owner’s manual to see what the correct levels are and to ensure you are using the correct oil for your Volvo or Toyota.
- Clean your number plate
Were you aware that very dirty number plates could lead to a failed MOT as well as plates that are personalised but don’t follow DVLA rules – this includes using the wrong typeface and/or spacing.
- Check your headlight bulbs
You should check your front headlights (this means both the main beam and the dipped lights) as well as hazard lights and indicators. Along with your brake lights and fog lights. Get someone to help you with this – it only takes a couple of minutes. If it is a simple bulb change ,then you can do this yourself before taking your car in for its MOT. Some more modern cars are not that simple, and you may have to get your local independent garage to do this for you.
- Check your tyres
The minimum legal tread level for a tyre is a depth of 1.6mm and you can use a 20p to test the depth for yourself. We have written many blogs showing how you can use a 20p to check they tyre depth. Checking your tyres on a regular basis will help you maintain the longevity – correctly inflated tyres will wear evenly, and your petrol consumption will be better too.
- Windscreen and wiper blades
Check your windscreen for chips and cracks – if you can get them addressed before your MOT that would be advantageous – not all chips or cracks result in a fail. Check your wiper blades too, if the rubber is perished and leaving smears then you could find your car has failed its MOT. Replace them before your MOT.
- Your horn
Make sure your horn is working correctly – this is probably not something that you can fix yourself so you may need the help of the professionals at your local independent garage.
Driving your car without a valid MOT will invalidate your insurance unless you are driving to a garage for a pre booked MOT appointment. Regular servicing will help to keep your Volvo or Toyota in tip top condition along with helping to maintain its re sale value when your come to sell it. Happy Safe Motoring Folks!
Here at ACC UK Ltd, Winners of The Motor Trader Independent Garage of The Year 2015, 2019 & 2020, The IGA Big Awards 2022, The Inspire Customer Service Excellence 2016 Award, The Eagle Radio Customer Focus 2017 Business Award, The Workshop Magazine Workshop Manager of the Year 2017 Award, The LiveWire Excellence In Vehicle Servicing 2019 Award and The Aftermarket Excellence Award for Best Website 2019, The Eagle Radio Biz Award – Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 & the SME News Magazine Most Trusted Car Servicing Provider 2020, we pride ourselves on offering an outstanding customer experience for a fraction of the cost of a dealership. Give us a call and let us quote you for your next service or repair on your Volvo or Toyota. We service all areas around Farnborough, Fleet, Aldershot, Farnham, Guildford, Frimley, Camberley, Hook, Sandhurst, Crowthorne, Yateley, Hampshire and Surrey. We offer free collection and drop off services. We also have a fleet of courtesy cars to allow you to get on with your schedule whilst your Volvo or Toyota is with us. Happy Motoring from all at ACC UK Ltd – Independent Volvo & Toyota servicing, repair and MOT specialists based in the heart of Farnborough, Hampshire.
