ACC UK Ltd, Winners of The Independent Garage of the Year 2015, Servicing, Repair & MOT Specialists
based in the heart of Farnborough, Hampshire like to give you hints and tips on maintaining your Volvo or Toyota to help reduce breakdowns and expensive
car repair bills.
The blog this week is a simple checklist you can perform before bringing your Volvo or Toyota in for its MOT. Please remember that an MOT certificate confirms
that at the time of the test your Volvo or Toyota met the minimum road safety and environmental standards required by law.
It doesn’t mean that your car will remain roadworthy for the following 12 months. You still need to make sure that you maintain your car well, including
ensuring that you have your Volvo or Toyota regularly serviced according to the manufacturer guidelines and that you perform regular checks on things
like tyre pressures throughout the year. You should also ensure that you action any dashboard warning lights when they happen and get any unusual noises
checked out quickly. Preventative maintenance is always the advisable and most cost effective route to follow.
There are some things that you can do yourself to help keep costs down – see the checklist below and action any items you can before taking your Volvo
or Toyota in for its MOT at your local independent garage.
Headlights and indicators: check all your lights, if there are none that work check to see if a bulb needs replacing – any lights not
working will result in an MOT Failure and some garages will charge you not only for the bulbs but also for the time!
Brake lights: you can check that your brake lights are working against a wall or look for a reflection in a window if you are on your
own
Tyres: your tyres will need to have a minimum tread depth of 1.6mm – you can check your tyre depth using a 20p – check our previous blog
regarding how to do this. Also make sure the tyre sidewalls are free from damage and they have the correct tyre pressures – these can be found in your
handbook.
The handbrake: check the tension in your handbrake. If there is very little tension or none then you will have to get your local independent
Volvo or Toyota garage to look at it – this is not something you would attempt to fix yourself.
Seats and seatbelts: you will need to ensure that the drivers seat moves forward and backwards and that all the seatbelts in the car extend
correctly and all locks work..
Windscreen: any damage wider than 10mm in the driver’s central view will cause an MOT fail, as will any damage larger than 40mm in the
whole of the swept area.
Windscreen wipers: you need to ensure that the wiper blades work correctly and that the rubber is free from corrosion and splits. If in
doubt replace them before the MOT
Suspension check: check the shock absorbers by applying your weight to each corner of the car then quickly releasing it. The corner of
the car should quickly return to its original position. If it bounces more than twice, this could mean that the shock absorbers are faulty and need
to be checked.
Horn: if your horn is not working or is very quiet you will need to get it fixed.
Exhaust: check your exhaust for leaks, noises or smoke – there could be a problem
Fuel and engine oil: make sure your car is filled with enough fuel and engine oil – you can be turned away from the MOT if there isn’t
enough to test your car’s emissions levels properly.
We hope you found these quick tips helpful – there is nothing worse than the hassle of a retest if your car fails on something minor that could easily
have been avoided. Here at ACC UK Ltd, Winners of The Motor Trader Independent Garage of The Year 2015 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.
