Skip to content
kavkaz-club
Home » What Will My MOT Check Include?

What Will My MOT Check Include?

After a vehicle has reached 3 years of age, the vehicle has to be tested each year to ensure it is in compliance with the safety standards for road traffic and environmental regulations. In this post we’ll look at what exactly an MOT test is and what’s included in every test.

Is an MOT a valid requirement?

The MOT test can be described as a thorough examination of a vehicle for safety, roadworthiness and exhaust emissions to make sure that the vehicle is compliant with the legal requirements. Ford MOT tests are performed according following DVSA guidelines and performed by certified nominated testers in an DVSA approved MOT test center.

What is an MOT check? What Does an MOT Check Include?

Lighting, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

Lights

The front and rear lights of your vehicle’s brake, fog indicators, rear reflectors, and registration plate light must:

Make sure you are properly positioned and secured.

Be sure to not obscure it.

In good condition e.g. not damaged or cracked

Make sure it is a color that is acceptable (a small blue tint to the front headlights is acceptable insofar as the predominant color is white)

Be not adversely affected from the action of any other light source

The switch can be illuminated with one click of the switch.

It is important to align the beams so that the main beam and dip beam are directed lower than the horizontal, so as not to frighten other drivers.

Horn

The horn needs to be able to produce an unison note continuously and must be sufficiently loud to be heard by a road user.

Battery

The battery needs to be secured and should not show any indications of leakage electrolytes.

Electrical Wiring

The wiring in the electrical circuit must be protected and should not be damaged to the point in which there’s a danger for a circuit short getting disconnected.

Vehicles equipped with towbars

If your car has an electrical towbar, the socket is examined to make sure it’s in good shape and that it is operating the trailer’s brake light, lights for parking indicators and rear fog light in a proper manner.

Suspension and Steering

Steering

Your steering wheel needs to be secure and in adequate state. It is tested by rotating the wheel in a various directions, then looking at each component for damage or wear. If the wheel has an locking mechanism it will be checked to see if it locks only when the engine isn’t operating.

If your vehicle is equipped with powered steering it should be equipped with the minimum amount of fluid for power steering inside the reservoir.

Suspension

The tester will examine the suspension components as well as shock absorbers for abnormal corrosion, distortion, or fractures.

Brakes

The brakes, pedals and levers will be checked to make sure they’re in good working order and any pertinent warning light must function correctly. A test of brake performance is also conducted to determine the effectiveness of your brakes.

Tyres and road Wheels

For your car to pass the MOT test, your tyres have to have the right capacity and speed for the vehicle you are driving. The tread depth must be at minimum 1.6 and should not have any cuts greater than 25mm, bulges, lumps or tears, as well as contact with the cord, and tread separation. Road wheel must be in good working order with the wheel nuts secured tightly.

If your car has run-flat tires The warning light is checked to verify that it’s working correctly.

Seatbelts

All seatbelts should be of the right length and functioning in a correct manner.

The Body, the Structure, and other General Articles

Body

The tester will perform an examination of the body, chassis engines, seat mountings as well as the bonnet, boot, and doors to make sure they are free of excessive corrosion and don’t have sharp edges that can cause injuries.

Registration Plates

The registration plates you choose to use must be placed in the rear and front of the vehicle . They should be legible and secure for anyone who is at a distance of 20 meters. They must have properly spaced and formed characters.

The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)

Every vehicle has to have their VIN number permanently displayed , either on an VIN plate or inscribed on the chassis/body.

Speedometer

It is essential to have a speedometer that is properly lit. Glass that is cracked shouldn’t be an issue as long as you can see the speed easily.

Emissions, exhaust, fuel and emissions

Exhaust System

The exhaust system of your vehicle will be inspected to make sure that it’s secure and isn’t leaking. Additionally, they will examine whether your catalytic converter is still in place when your car was initially equipped with one.

Emissions

The tester will confirm that your vehicle’s emission of carbon monoxide as well as hydrocarbons are within the legally-required limits employing an analyser probe for gas while the engine is operating. The probe will check for smoke produced by the exhaust. Also, they’ll look for any smoke, of any colour, that could lead to an MOT-related failure.

Driver’s views of the Road

Mirrors and Wipers

The rear view mirrors and the wing mirrors need to be secure and allow a good view of the rear and side of the driver. The washers and the wipers also need to cover a sufficient area to allow the driver an uninterrupted vision of road.

Windscreen

There should not be any obstruction or damage to the driver’s view within the region which is the front of the windscreen which is greater than 10mm. Outside of this zone there should not be any damages that are more than 40mm.

What is the length of time an MOT will Last?

The typical MOT test can take anywhere from 45 minutes and one hour.