How to Prepare Your Car for Its MOT

Walk round the outside first

Switch on the ignition and test every light: headlights on dip and main beam, sidelights, indicators, brake lights, fog lights, reverse light and the number plate lights. Ask someone to stand behind while you press the brake pedal, or reverse towards a shop window and look for the glow.

Look at your number plates. They must be clean, securely fixed and easy to read, with the correct spacing and characters. Cracked, faded or peeling plates are worth replacing before the test.

Do the light check at dusk if you can. Daylight washes out a dim bulb, and a lamp that looks fine at noon may be weak at night. Pay attention to whether both sides match, because a pair of headlights with different brightness often means one bulb is on its way out.

Tyres, wipers and washers

Check each tyre for cuts, bulges and obvious damage to the sidewall, and look at the tread across the full width. The legal minimum for cars is 1.6mm across the central three quarters, but a cheap tread gauge or a careful look will tell you if you are near it. Do not forget the spare if it is fitted, and check the pressures while you are there.

Test the wipers on the windscreen. Blades that smear, judder or have torn rubber should be replaced. Top up the washer fluid and check the jets actually reach the glass, because an empty reservoir or blocked jet can be a fail.

• Look for chips or cracks in the driver's line of sight on the windscreen
• Make sure the horn works
• Check that mirrors are secure and not cracked
• Test the handbrake holds on a gentle slope

Inside the car

Warning lights on the dashboard matter. Engine management, ABS, airbag and power steering lights can all cause problems at the test, so if one stays on after starting, get it looked at before booking. Fault finding will tell you what the car is complaining about.

Check every seatbelt latches properly and retracts, and make sure the seats are secure. Clear the boot, back seat and footwells of loose items so the tester can reach what they need, and remove anything that blocks the view.

A quick look at the driver's seat position and the seatbelt warning light is also worth a minute. If the belt warning stays lit with everyone buckled, or a belt locks up and will not pull out smoothly, mention it when you book so it can be looked at beforehand.

Fluids, fuel and the basics

Make sure there is enough fuel in the tank for the emissions test, since the tester may need to run the engine for a while. Check the engine oil level on the dipstick with the car on level ground and top up if needed. Low oil can affect the emissions reading and, more importantly, the engine.

Glance under the car where you have been parked for any fresh drips. A leak of oil, brake fluid or coolant is worth having looked at rather than hoping it goes unnoticed.

Check the coolant and brake fluid reservoirs while the bonnet is up. You are not expected to diagnose anything, but a brake fluid level well below the minimum mark suggests worn pads or a leak, and either one should be looked at by a garage rather than topped up and forgotten.

Let a garage take a look first

Some things you simply cannot judge on a driveway: brake efficiency, worn suspension joints, corroded brake pipes, or play in steering components. A pre-MOT inspection puts the car on a ramp and checks these before the official test.

At Banks of the Tyne we also offer MOT preparation, and MOT repairs if something does fail. Whether a particular repair is possible depends on what is found once the car is inspected, and we will explain the options at the estimate.

Bring your keys, including any locking wheel nut key, so nothing delays the test. If the car has been making an unusual noise, tell whoever is booking it in, since a short description such as a knock over bumps or a grinding when braking helps the tester know where to look.

Frequently asked questions