Mot Checks – What Do I Need To Know And What Are Types Of Mot Failures And Successes?
The yearly MOT test for your automobile may be a scary experience. You drop it off at the Car Service Stockport garage unsure of whether it will pass or result in a sizable fine. How does the MOT test work, and why may your car fail it?
What is an MOT?
If your automobile is older than three years, it needs to undergo an annual health inspection called an MOT test. It checks your car’s brakes, steering, tyres, and fuel system to make sure it is safe to drive.
Depending on the size of your vehicle, the cost of an MOT differs, and you may sign up for a free MOT reminder to make sure you don’t forget.
Each item that is subject to an MOT test has five possible results: pass, advisory, minor defect, major defect, and dangerous defect. To ensure that a used automobile has a current MOT certificate is free of advisories that may require future maintenance, and has proper mileage, you may check the MOT history of the vehicle.
In an MOT, what is exactly examined?
The purpose of the MOT test is to confirm that your car is secure enough to get driven on the highway. When you bring your car in for an MOT, the mechanic will check for:
- That all seat belts are securely fastened and all chairs are properly placed
- That your windscreen is not damaged and that the wipers and washers are functioning properly
- There are functioning external lights.
- Each lock operates, and the doors close securely.
- No structural issues exist, such as significant corrosion.
- The steering and brakes function well.
- The tyres are intact and have sufficient wear.
- The vehicle’s emissions are within permitted ranges.
It’s important to remember that the MOT test only provides a general assessment of your automobile’s condition on that particular day. You should do routine inspections to ensure your car is safe to drive. Additionally, the test will confirm that your engine and gearbox are secure and won’t necessarily reveal any problems with how effectively they’re functioning. The mere fact that an automobile has a current MOT test certificate does not imply that it is faultless.
Types of MOT failures and successes
When you get your vehicle inspected, one of five things might happen:
- Pass
- Advisory
- Minor faults
- Major faults
- Dangerous faults
A pass is self-explanatory; your automobile gets certified safe, and nothing more has to get done until the next MOT in a year. Your automobile is still safe to drive even if it detects a minor defect or advisory. The former indicates a potential issue; perhaps a tire’s tread is approaching the permitted limit. Minor issues, such as one of your three brake lights being faulty, should get rectified as soon as possible.
Major flaws are, well, more serious; you can’t lawfully drive your car till the problem gets solved or if your current MOT hasn’t run out unless you’re traveling to a mechanic to get it fixed.
A significant flaw indicates that the vehicle might endanger the safety of its occupants or others. Nevertheless, a serious flaw might get overlooked for something as seemingly unimportant – and inexpensive to remedy – as a broken wiper blade.
More significant flaws are dangerous ones. Even if the current MOT hasn’t run out or you’re traveling to a garage for repair, if your automobile fails one of these items during the MOT test, it cannot drive on the road. This would be a complete failure of the brake light.
How much time does an MOT take?
Although the actual MOT test shouldn’t last more than 60 minutes, this does not guarantee that you will complete the procedure in that time. The majority of garages will ask you to leave the car there in the morning and pick it up later that day.
If it fails and your previous MOT test certificate is no longer valid, you may only drive your car immediately to a repair facility; if you do otherwise, you run the danger of getting into trouble and having the insurance on the vehicle canceled.
How to look up a vehicle’s MOT history?
When seeking to purchase a used automobile, examining the MOT history may be quite helpful because it provides a wealth of information on the vehicle’s condition and maintenance history.
Utilizing the Government MOT History Checker will allow you to view the MOT Stockport history. The MOT history of the vehicle you’re interested in purchasing will get displayed when you input its registration number into the search field. This will allow you to view any significant repairs as well as any small issues that still need fixing.
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