You may be worried about passing your annual emissions inspection but in this article, you will learn how to prepare your car to pass the yearly inspection.

It’s a safety test that should be carried out every year, which means that you’re checking your car to make sure it’s legally safe to drive on UK roads. You will also need to check your tires are in good condition, brakes, and headlights to make sure they work properly. There are preventive measures that you can make so that your vehicle passes the emissions inspection. In MOTs for older cars, they use a dynamo-metre test to measure how much gas comes out of the tailpipe so you’ll need to make that the tailpipe gases are low and less pollutant. Here are parts of the car that you need to check:

Engine Oil

If you want to make sure that your car is in good condition, you should change the oil and filter before you have your car inspected. If it gets dirty during the inspection, then changing and filtering will ensure that no harmful vapours are sucked into and burned by the PCV system. And you’ll want to have clean oil, so right before an inspection is when it’s the best time to get it done!

Sparks Plugs

Cooling System

You would want to check the cooling system for your car. If it’s low, the engine will get hot and pollute more as time goes on. You should realize that the engine gauge doesn’t have to be overheating for the engine to still be running very hot. Check to make sure the coolant is full and clean; also turn up your AC unit so it can suck in more air. The test takes place when cars are stationary so make sure fans are spinning at their max capacity. If the cooling fans are not sucking sufficient air, the engine will run much hotter and your vehicle will fail the test.

Air Filter

The next best thing to do is make sure you have a clean air filter. If your car’s air filter isn’t in good shape, it could block the flow of fresh air, causing the engine to run lean and cause too much pollution. This also causes the engine to run hotter and the gases of the exhaust to get hotter which emits more NOx, which is a measured pollutant that can fail your test.

Engine Light

Modern cars don’t have to be tested on a dynamometer for safety and performance. They just plug into the computer, which can tell if there are any problems that need fixing. Cars from 1996 onwards are all inspected this way and so when your car has a check engine light on, you should fix it before you take it in for inspection. If the check engine lights on, it means there is a trouble code located in the computer and it will fail the test when inspected during your MOT. The number of codes in just one car can be overwhelming – there are over 2 000 different trouble codes!

Fuel Injection Cleaner

Here are 13 things to check before your motor vehicle’s MOT:

1) Check the MOT history

Before getting your car MOT, it’s worth checking the history of the MOTs that have been carried out on your vehicle.

If you don’t know the history of your MOT tests, go to the government website to check the MOT history of your vehicle. You can check to see if the vehicle has passed or failed and when the next MOT is due, where each test was completed, the mileage at the time of the tests, what parts failed the test and if they were minor or major problems.

If your car has had one or more previous MOTs, and they were unsuccessful, you can check to see what common problems to check before it goes off for its MOT.

2) Make sure it’s been serviced by a registered garage

Every time you get your car or truck’s MOT, it should be serviced by a registered garage. This ensures that your vehicle is in professional hands who know what they are doing, as well as gives you peace of mind that the garage meets all the safety standards. A garage must be VAT registered! If they’re not registered, they should not be giving your car an MOT. You can search for which garages are approved in your local area online.

3) Always make sure that you have a valid insurance policy.

Always make sure that you have a valid insurance policy. It’s important to make sure that the insurance policy is still in place before you have your car or truck’s MOT. If your car isn’t insured, and you’re caught driving without one, then you will be fined as well as lose your driving license for a period of time.

4) Check the registration number

You should make sure that the registration number is on the front and back of your vehicle and the spacing, font and format of the plate comply with the legal requirements.

5) Check the fuel and engine oil

It’s worth checking the fuel and engine oil levels before you have your vehicle’s MOT. If there isn’t enough fuel or engine oil, then you’ll need to top up your tanks before going back to the garage as both are used to test the emission levels.

6) Check the brakelights

Brakelights are one of the most important safety features of your vehicle. If a car doesn’t have working brake lights, you might be breaking the law. Brakelights should work properly and clearly when the engine is running or when it’s parked. They should be bright enough so that anyone can see them from any distance and in all weather conditions.

7) Check the wheels and tyres

When you check your tyre condition, you’ll need to look out for cracks, lumps or bulges. You can check this yourself by inserting a 20p coin into the tread of the tyre, if you can’t see the rim of the coin the tyre has a fair amount of tread depth remaining. If you can see the rim of the coin then there is a high chance that you need to change the tyre. If you don’t want to risk getting into an accident or damaging your vehicle, simply take it to a local garage for a free tyre check.

8) Check the headlights and indicators

9) Check the seatbelts and seats

Make sure the seat moves backwards and forwards smoothly and your car’s seatbelts need to work fully when you go through your MOT. Make sure your seatbelts are properly adjusted and in good condition – check them for damage and looseness. Your seatbelts need to be in full working order. Look at them, do they properly engage when you need them to? If you pull on all the belts sharply, do they behave as they should?

10) Check the windscreen

The windscreen must give a clear view of the road ahead. It should not have any chips or cracks larger than 10mm. And it should not obstruct the driver’s vision anywhere larger than 40mm anywhere else within the field of view or else it will fail the MOT.

11) Check the windscreen wipers

Windscreen wipers help to keep the windscreen clear of water and dirt and make driving easier. When they are not working, it is more difficult to see what’s going on around you. If you need your car’s windscreen wipers replaced, get them fixed as soon as possible as they will cause you to fail the MOT.

12) Check the screenwash

You’ll need to check the screenwash fluid is at the right level. This will ensure that your windscreen, windows, and mirrors are regularly cleaned for safety.  An empty wash bottle can cause you to fail your MOT.

13) Check the horn

Press the horn quickly but firmly to see whether it is loud enough for another driver to hear.

Many people view getting their car serviced as a cost that they’d rather put off paying. But it’s important to remember that paying for your car to be serviced regularly is more than likely saving you from bigger unexpected costs further down the line. And you can’t put it off forever.

We could all do with a little reframing of our thinking when it comes to getting our cars serviced. So here are our top 5 reasons why you should stop putting it off and get your next service booked in.

Safety

This is the principal reason. Every time you drive your car when it’s overdue a service you are putting yourself and any loved ones you are driving around at risk. Being unconsciously neglectful of a vehicle results in far more accidents than you might think. So try to see servicing your car as you prioritising your health and safety, as well as that of others. And as we are so often told, you really can’t put a price on your health.

Retain your cars value

When it comes to buying a used car, one of the things people most often look for is a well-maintained vehicle, and a maintenance record to prove it. So a history of regular servicing can be an easy way of making your car an appealing option when the time comes to sell. By servicing your car, you’re helping the vehicle to retain its value and in-turn increasing the resale cost. See each servicing as more money in your pocket further down the line.

Save hidden costs

Whether old or new, the fact of the matter is that cars simply require regular servicing. Failing to do so could lead to bigger and costlier problems in the future that are easily preventable. The price of regular servicing helps to avoid unexpected higher costs when things are permitted to go wrong through neglect. Essentially, you are choosing between smaller regular payments or risking larger one-off costs that catch you by surprise. So it’s certainly advisable to check for any lurking, underlying issues your car may have and see them off before they become a bigger deal.

Environmentally Friendly

Vehicles that aren’t serviced regularly have an increased likelihood of emitting more harmful emissions. Whereas a well-maintained car is more likely to run efficiently, subsequently reducing fuel consumption. Not only does that lower your running costs, but reduces your negative output on the environment.

Keep your car longer

Finally, regular servicing means you’re far more likely to keep your car running in quality condition for longer. By keeping the car in good condition, you’ll be adding years onto its running life.

Not only is maintaining fleet quality important for increasing the usable lifespan of key business assets, but it also supports your duty of care by ensuring that employees and anyone else who may be nearby your vehicles is kept safe.

Doing this is so important that the UK government have outlined guidance for ensuring the ongoing roadworthiness of HGVs, including trucks. This guidance is invaluable to those responsible and becomes increasingly applicable as the age of the vehicle increases.

Daily Walkaround Checks

When operating large, potentially dangers machinery like a truck, it is the driver’s responsibility to ensure a general level of awareness and assessment on a use-by-use basis. Practically, this means that any individual using a truck in your fleet should undertake a walk around check before that vehicle is used.

It is recommended that the driver undertakes this check before a vehicle is used on the road each day.

Ongoing Driver Monitoring

Of course, ensuring road safety is not as simple as once a day walk-around of the vehicle. Drivers should also remain aware of the roadworthiness of their vehicle whilst it is in use. This means being alert to any indication of an issue such as unusual noises, vibrations, warning lights and anything else that seems out of the ordinary.

If any cause for concern appears, then the driver should pull over where safe and assess their vehicle. They may also need to make other necessary arrangements for support if required.

Defect Report

If the driver spots an issue with their vehicle, whether before or during use, then there needs to be a clear and simple process for them to follow.

The process followed may differ depending on the structure of the business. In all cases, the defect, symptom or safety concern must be recorded and reported to a suitably qualified and authorised individual. To limit confusion and to keep potentially unsafe vehicles off the road, the defect reporting process should highlight where further action should be taken.

Regular Safety Inspections

Besides walk-around inspections and consistent awareness by the driver, regular specialist safety checks should also be undertaken.

The UK government guidelines highlight the importance of an initial ‘first use’ inspection to ensure that the vehicle is roadworthy before it is introduced to your fleet. For example, if your business invested in a new fleet of hook loaders, a specialist should undertake a detailed inspection of each vehicle before they are deemed to be roadworthy and ready for use by your drivers.

In addition to this, the responsible individual should ensure that ongoing, consistent inspections are scheduled regularly. How often these are executed depends widely on the nature of the vehicle and how it is used, but should be aligned with a mileage or time milestones (or a combination of the two).

Any suitably qualified individual who is responsible for inspecting vehicles should either report to or be personally authorised to remove a vehicle for use if there is any cause for concern.

Keeping your fleet roadworthy is beneficial both from a financial and ethical point of view. By following the guidelines outlined by the UK government on fleet maintenance, you put yourself in the best position to spot any potential issues and remedy them before they become more serious.

Brake fluid

Open your car’s bonnet and access your master cylinder when the engine is cool. You will find the min and max markings on the cylinder, make sure that the liquid is between the two markings. You can fill the brake fluid yourself but make sure that you purchase the right one for your model.

Mirrors

Check all your rearview mirrors before heading for the MOT test as it can put a red cross on the form. The mirror that provides a rearview along with the offside vehicles, a mirror that provides the view of nearside vehicles, and an interior mirror that provides the back view. Check for the cracks and any fades on the mirror that can affect your view.

Warning lights

Make sure all your car’s warning lights are working fine. If the MOT picks up any damaged warning lights, you will fail the test. You can visit a garage to get this checked before you move to the MOT garage. Take the help of a professional if you have not done it before.

Tyres

Ensure that your car tyres have enough grip and tread. If you are still using old tyres on your car, the MOT will mark your car unsafe for the roads. You can face a fine and three penalty points for every tyre. You can check the tread of the type with a coin, and if you can see the coin after inserting, it is unsafe for driving.

Main lights

Make sure all your main front and rear lights are working fine. Check the positions of all the lamps and whether they are lost or out of their positions. Even though it is not necessary for the lamps to be in their place, it will help you clear your MOT as it shows you maintain event he smallest things in your car.

Horn

Another thing that can become a problem in the MOT test is your horn. Make sure that the horn is not too loud or too soft. Fix the switch if it does not work on all occasions.

Check all oils

MOT will also test your emission levels. Make sure that you have all your oils renewed recently. Make sure the filters in your engine work fine and does not clog due to old oil.

Get your vehicle cleaned

It is obvious to say that you should be maintaining your vehicle all year round. Keeping it clean and checking all the parts time to time is a part of maintaining your car’s performance. Keep up your car’s performance, especially when you are using it every day.