Tips For Passing Your MOT

Here at Garage Equipment we provide top quality MOT test equipment for garages that are looking to carry out MOTs for their customers. We also hope that everybody who has a car is able to drive it safely on the road and pass their MOTs when the time comes. With that in mind, we have compiled a short list of tips that should help the average driver catch out some of the small issues that often get picked up during an MOT test, so that they can get them remedied before the test is carried out.

Headlights

Before taking your car to the garage, check its headlights to ensure that they work on all settings. Ideally you should do this in a darkened area, with the headlights pointing towards a garage door or wall so that they can be seen clearly. Test the headlights on all settings, including parking, dipped and your main beams. You should also keep an eye on the alignment and make adjustments accordingly. This test will allow you to see if any bulbs have blown out or are starting to weaken, allowing you to get it changed rather than having to deal with failing the MOT because of a dodgy bulb. You should also carry out the same tests for all of your other lights, ideally with a friend helping you so that you can check that indicators work correctly and your brake lights are okay.

Brakes

You will want to make sure your brakes are in the best condition they can be in before your MOT. If you have noticed that the brake pedal has started to feel spongy, this may because there is trapped air in the system. Speak to a mechanic and they will be able to remove this air for you through a process that is known as bleeding. You should also top up your brake fluid before the test so that the only chance of your brakes failing is because the pads have started to show signs of wear and tear.

The Handbrake

This is a nice and simple test, as there isn’t a huge amount that you can check to make sure that your handbrake operates as expected. Just park your car on a hill and make sure that the handbrake is capable of holding the car in place. If it isn’t, you need to get it looked at straight away, as this will lead to an instant fail on the MOT.

The Tyres

The condition of your tyres will also be taken into account during the course of the MOT. You need to make sure that they are not showing any marked signs of wear and tear and that the tread depth is as deep as you expect it to be. If not, you may need to shell out for new tyres, but at least you avoid the added cost of a second MOT after failing the first.

Of course, there are plenty of other things that you can run small tests on before you have your MOT carried out. Rest assured that any garage that uses our MOT testing equipment will be more than capable of highlighting any issues that exist with your car, either during the test itself or when carrying out a service.