Ways To Save Money On Your MOT
Some of the best ways to save you money on your MOT are to do some of the basic check yourself.
Generally identifying mechanical issues before an MOT can reduce the cost by 10-15%.
If you can identify what areas of your car require work, you may save the MOT centre time and therefore incur a reduced cost for the MOT service.
In my own recent MOT service I told my local garage about some of the issues I have had.
I noticed my steering had become more unresponsive.
My local garage found it was an issue with the steering column.
As I identified the issue my garage sorted the issue first before the MOT.
Instead of failing my MOT and having to bring my ford back in at a later day for the work the garage were able to get the parts and the fitting done on the day of my MOT.
Below are some of the key tests to find some common issues To check all your suspension apply weight to each corner of the car and release, if the suspension raises and lowers with a smooth movement it is working well.
To check steering, you will need to do some stationary checks.
Check the full range of steering, check for unresponsiveness or any wobbles with the steering wheel.
These can all be issues with the steering column.
The Exhaust system is one of the most common issues with car MOT.
Due to the increase regulation on exhaust fumes a system that looks fine to the eye may fail a MOT.
Some of the tests you can do at home is to check for any leaks within the exhaust pipes or converter.
Though very difficult to check make sure all the mountings for the exhaust system are not hanging loose.
This may require a high curb or a car jack.
The fuel system can also be checked making sure all connection from the fuel tank to the engine are secure and no pipes or connections are leaking.
One of the common issues with the fuel system is the fuel cap.
You must make sure it is able to fully seal the tank.
My ford failed its MOT due to a cracked O-ring on the fuel cap.
This part cost me £3.
99 from the garage but was on sale in Halford for £1.
99.
Doing some of these test yourself can save you money of the parts and fitting at the garage.
Brakes are another issue you may have when getting a MOT service.
Though this is very hard to check without the professional equipment, you should be able to detect issues with your vehicles brakes.
If you believe there has been a decrease or deterioration in the performance of your vehicles brakes you should tell your MOT service provider straight way.
This could be a simple issue, resolved by the bleeding of the brake pipes or could be a serious issue with the braking plates or calipers.
Generally identifying mechanical issues before an MOT can reduce the cost by 10-15%.
If you can identify what areas of your car require work, you may save the MOT centre time and therefore incur a reduced cost for the MOT service.
In my own recent MOT service I told my local garage about some of the issues I have had.
I noticed my steering had become more unresponsive.
My local garage found it was an issue with the steering column.
As I identified the issue my garage sorted the issue first before the MOT.
Instead of failing my MOT and having to bring my ford back in at a later day for the work the garage were able to get the parts and the fitting done on the day of my MOT.
Below are some of the key tests to find some common issues To check all your suspension apply weight to each corner of the car and release, if the suspension raises and lowers with a smooth movement it is working well.
To check steering, you will need to do some stationary checks.
Check the full range of steering, check for unresponsiveness or any wobbles with the steering wheel.
These can all be issues with the steering column.
The Exhaust system is one of the most common issues with car MOT.
Due to the increase regulation on exhaust fumes a system that looks fine to the eye may fail a MOT.
Some of the tests you can do at home is to check for any leaks within the exhaust pipes or converter.
Though very difficult to check make sure all the mountings for the exhaust system are not hanging loose.
This may require a high curb or a car jack.
The fuel system can also be checked making sure all connection from the fuel tank to the engine are secure and no pipes or connections are leaking.
One of the common issues with the fuel system is the fuel cap.
You must make sure it is able to fully seal the tank.
My ford failed its MOT due to a cracked O-ring on the fuel cap.
This part cost me £3.
99 from the garage but was on sale in Halford for £1.
99.
Doing some of these test yourself can save you money of the parts and fitting at the garage.
Brakes are another issue you may have when getting a MOT service.
Though this is very hard to check without the professional equipment, you should be able to detect issues with your vehicles brakes.
If you believe there has been a decrease or deterioration in the performance of your vehicles brakes you should tell your MOT service provider straight way.
This could be a simple issue, resolved by the bleeding of the brake pipes or could be a serious issue with the braking plates or calipers.
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