A Comprehensive List Of What’s Included In An MOT

When a vehicle is at least three years old, they has to be tested each year to make sure it’s meeting the safety standards for road traffic and environmental regulations. In this article we’ll examine exactly what an MOT is , and what’s included in every test.

Is an MOT a valid requirement?

A MOT is a thorough examination of a vehicle for safety, roadworthiness and exhaust emissions to make sure that the vehicle is compliant with the legal requirements. MOT tests are conducted according in accordance with DVSA guidelines and are conducted by certified, nominated testers at an DVSA approved MOT test center.

What Does a Ford MOT Check Include?

Lighting, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

Lights

Your vehicle’s rear, front fog, brake reflections, indicator, rear reflectors and the registration plate lights should:

Make sure you are properly positioned and secured.

Be sure to not obscure it.

In good condition e.g. not broken or cracked

It should be a suitable colour (a small blue tint to the front headlights is acceptable insofar as the predominant color is white)

Do not be affected adversely through the use of any other light source

It is possible to illuminate the room with just one operation of the switch.

It is important to align the beams so that the main beam and dip beam are directed towards the left of the horizontal in order not to distract other drivers.

Horn

The horn should be able of emitting an uninterrupted, uniform sound and be sufficient in volume to be heard by a road user.

Battery

The battery should be safe and show no signs of leakage electrolytes.

Electrical Wiring

The wiring in the electrical circuit must be safe and shouldn’t be damaged to the point that there’s a chance for a circuit short getting disconnected.

Vehicles equipped with towbars

If your vehicle is equipped with an towbar, the electrical socket is scrutinized to determine if it is in good working order and that it is operating the towbar’s lighting, parking light indicators, and rear fog lights in a proper manner.

Suspension and Steering

Steering

Your steering wheel needs to be secure and in satisfactory state. The test will involve rotating the wheel in a various directions, then checking each part for damage or wear. If the wheel has an locking mechanism The tester will test to see if it locks only when the engine isn’t operating.

If your vehicle is equipped with the power steering feature, then it needs to contain at minimum the amount of fluid for power steering within 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 that any warning lights have to be functioning in a proper manner. A test of brake performance is also conducted to test the efficiency of your brakes.

Tyres as well as Road Wheels

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

If your vehicle is equipped with run-flat tires the warning light will be examined to make sure it is working properly.

Seatbelts

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

Parts of the Body and Structure as well as General Equipment

Body

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

Registration Plates

Your registration plates should be placed in the rear and front of the vehicle . They should be legible and secure to anyone standing at a distance of 20 meters. They must have properly spaced and formed characters.

The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)

Every vehicle should have its VIN permanently displayed , either on an VIN plate or inscribed on the chassis/body.

Speedometer

You should be equipped with a speedometer that lights properly. Glass cracks aren’t an issue if you are able to see the speed easily.

Emissions, Exhaust, and Fuel

Exhaust System

The exhaust system of your vehicle is inspected to ensure it’s safe and does not have any leaks. Additionally, they will look whether your catalytic converter remains in place in the event that your car was equipped with one.

Emissions

The tester will make sure that your car’s CO and Hydrocarbon emission stay within the legally-required limits employing an analyser probe for gas while the engine is operating. The probe will check for smoke released from the exhaust. They’ll also look for any smoke that is of any color, which could result in an MOT-related failure.

Driver’s views of the Road

Mirrors and Wipers

The rear view mirrors and the wings mirrors should be secured and allow a good view of the rear and side of the driver. Washers and wipers should also be able to clean a large space to provide the driver an unobstructed vision of road.

Windscreen

There shouldn’t be any obstruction or damage to the driver’s view within the region which is the front of the windscreen of it that exceeds 10mm in size. Outside of this zone there should not be any damage greater than 40mm.

What is the length of time an MOT will take?

In general, an MOT test can take anywhere from 45 minutes and one hour.