[Closed] Any tips for having an MOT done...

Brilliant !

Will this be today, mols ? Pleeease ?

😉

go to a friendly garage you or others trust?

(where? - I'm sure somebody will know a decent garage)

What kind of a wreck is your car that you think it'd do anything other than pass?
If you think it's going to fail, you shouldn't be driving it anyway, especially at the warp speeds and crazy overtaking you do.

Take it to a local authority run garage.

They can do MOTs, but not repairs, so no incentive for them to rip you off.

^ This. The local council usually has a depot that does the servicing on their vehicles and MOT tests. They can MOT test for the public but not do repairs, so they tend to be strictly by the book and fair as they have no interest in it either way.

basically an mot means that your car is just road worthy. if it doesnt pass at any garage (unless they are bobbing beggers) then you need to get it sorted.

you can always look at a haynes manual and give the car a look over yourself on some of the easier MOT points.libraries sometimes have a variety of haynes manuals.

Yeah I tried the local authority, but of course this being me it's last minute, and they were full 🙁

It looks ok obviously, but the other car looked fine and the nit picking sod failed it. Fairly sure I was ripped off that time (different garage).

I can recommend one, but he's in East London 😉

What iamroughrider says. Check the easy stuff yourself. Lights working, wipers, screenwash etc. Then you are not going to get caught out on something silly.

edit .

Are you still working around Farnborough Molly? I've been using the Halfords Autocentre in Sandhurst for a couple of years now, they're an honest and decent bunch and haven't tried to rip me off yet (that I've noticed!). They quite often have online deals too so you can get the MOT done half price.

look on the good garage scheme website for the local garage reviews
http://www.goodgaragescheme.com/

^ This. The local council usually has a depot that does the servicing on their vehicles and MOT tests. They can MOT test for the public but not do repairs, so they tend to be strictly by the book and fair as they have no interest in it either way.

Lights and tyres are two of the most common failure areas.

No reason not to check these before you take the car in.

[url= http://www.motinfo.gov.uk/htdocs/index.htm ]Read this lot [/url] and do a comprehensive check.

Basic check lights belts and for anything loose leaking or rusty.

^ That

^ This

Yup, check the easy things, don't worry about anything you can't check yourself as there's no point (and don't assume that just because you don't know about it, it's not a legit problem). Get a recommendation for a local- I've got a place I trust, and I will never let them go!

I always do a wee bit of credential establishing if I don't know the guys, maybe "casually" mention some work I've just done myself or similiar, no idea if it really works tbh but I took my dad's car into the famously crooked garage he insists on using and it's literally the only time in 10 years they haven't insisted he needs new wipers 😆

Common suggestion is to find somewhere that doesn't really do car spannering- a van place, or an MOT specialist. If they won't work on your car then they've got no motivation to "find" some spurious fault. Though on the other hand if there is a minor fault that another garage could fix there and then, they won't do that either 😉

Are you still working around Farnborough Molly?

No, but will bear it in mind when I next do ta 🙂

I have booked it in to the Halfords place in Newport cos it was only £27.50.

NW - can you fail on wipers? They are a bit cruddy. The thing I'm worried about is a smidge of corrosion on the outside of the front disks (last 5mm or so of the face) from when it was sat for a while in the rain. A reasonable tester would surely pass it, but a dodgy guy will try and rip me off for new discs. If I tell them up-front that I won't be paying them for any work, they might get the hump...!

2 things, not Halfords and avoid places offering heavily discounted price. The price is fixed by the government, anything below the full price (£54?) is out of the garage profit, therefore they may be looking for ways to make this up. Make of that what you want.

Oh.. didn't know that 🙁

If the the brakes test ok then the corrosion is an advise only discs have to be in a horrific state to fail

£54 is not a set price it's the max price

Yeah, but they have to be insecure, not working, or not clearing the windscreen effectively. ie stuff you'd probably fix anyway if you're not mental. Outside of discs ought to be fine if it's just surface or minor rust, if it doesn't scrub off in use then it's not on the braking surface anyway.

re Halfords, sure cheap MOTs can ring the alarm bells but unless you're a conspiracy theorist it's hard to believe that Halfords are nationally crooked but have never had a whistleblower.

On the other car it was 'excessive fluctuation' which was in fact 'the faintest hint of fluctuation only detectable at about 5mph.. 👿

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An mot computer slot costs very little it's the labour and equipment your paying for, you can charge what you want but some places use very cheap mot £10 ish as a way of getting you through the door then failing on head light adjustment or something to bring the bill up.
In my 20 + years in the trade the worst people are the receptionists who call you up and because they are commission based, the testers advises become " you need x4 tyres " not the tyres are cracking but not showing cords and will pass but with an advise.

Thanks folks. Will keep you posted.. you're going to have to wait til about half past two 🙂

Oh, the other thing, it's had advisories for the last 3 years or so on cracked suspension bushings...

I've had to pass 100x worse that's an advise all day ( unless warped or poor effort / imbalance )obviously

Halfords Autocentre - £500 for supply and fit of rear discs & pads for a Clio. Needless to say I went elsewhere.

richmtb - Member
Lights and tyres are two of the most common failure areas.

No reason not to check these [s]before you take the car in[/s] whenever you drive the car.

Fixed that for you!

Not to mention if you fail these simple things, the tester is more likely to be looking for other things - Think of it as an attitude test!

Well aware of the state of my tyres and their pressure 🙂

I've only taken the Focus (which is maintained wit the bare minimum of effort/expense) to halfords or kwikfit.

I've only taken the MG (which is fastideously checked before taking it in) to specialists.

The focus has cost me £75 in testing fees, a number plate light (which they amitted was still dim after they replaced it but couldn't find any other fault so passed it) and a fuel filler cap in 3 years.

The MG has cost me £400 in 'Really? You're going to fail it for that?' type jobs in the same time.

Next time the MG is going to kwikfit.

Next time the MG is going to kwikfit.

Should be safe enough there, no fitter is going to want to work on an MG.

@legend
It wasn't a clio 197/200 was it? As rear discs and pads alone are £250 so that Explains a bit if the £500 although it's still steep.

Interesting thread.

Does anyone know of a list of things you can check yourself before the test? Like others have said; wipers/lights etc, but more of a comprehensive list.

Thanks

Check wipers, bulbs & tyres +1

I stupidly got stung for £30 for a set of wiper blades and £6 to replace (supply & fit) side light bulb on Wednesday. It was my own fault for not checking them, but sometimes life gets in the way and I couldn't easily get down to the garage with my own bought wipers and bulb before a retest.

There's a certain stupidity in getting a Kia serviced and MOT'd at a Mercedes garage, but that's a whole other issue for another day 👿

The nearest garage to me is a Jaguar dealership. Found out recently that my neighbour takes his Honda there, I had no idea they did MOTs.

"Would you like free coffee and wifi sir?"
"No thanks, I'll just sit in these cars for a while"

"Would you like free coffee and wifi sir?"
"No thanks, I'll just sit in these cars for a while"
" Well, please don't leave any stains on the seats then"

I was going to say "don't leave it to the last minute, do it a couple oif weeks before it's due" but then I saw this:

Yeah I tried the local authority, but of course this being me it's last minute, and they were full

too late. if it fails on the last day you'll have to leave it there for repair, or arrange for it to be trailered away...

john_drummer - Member

too late. if it fails on the last day you'll have to leave it there for repair, or arrange for it to be trailered away...

Nope, you can legally drive an MOT-less car to and from a testing centre. It can get very complicated if it goes out of tax or insurance though, and also remember that you can still be charged with driving an unroadworthy vehicle (not all MOT fails are automatically unroadworthy, not all MOT-passes are roadworthy)

https://www.askthe.police.uk/content/Q600.htm

I'm a believer in making it look right too... It's kind of faith-based this, but the only fail I've ever had was on the motorbike. It had a bunch of non-MOT issues as a result of a minor falling-over, and general encrusted winter filth. It also had the same 2 fails it always had- an illegal HID headlight, and an exhaust measured on the richter scale.

Took it in to the same tester that did it every year before and after, he failed those 2. Every other time, when I took it in polished and shiny, he said "That sounds ****ing brilliant" and "That's a good idea that headlight, normal motorbike lights are shit"

So I reckon, if it looks bad it's more likely to be treated like it's bad.

"too late. if it fails on the last day you'll have to leave it there for repair, or arrange for it to be trailered away... "

errr.... says who ?

I've always just tried to find one recommended by sensible friends and colleagues (i.e. I ignored the one who thought the local garage were "marvellous chaps" for picking up the car and bringing it back "for free", yet strangely always found lots of costly work to do).

I also tend to get it MOT'd and serviced at the same time, logic being that if they're being paid to do some work on it already (i.e. the service) there would be less temptation to find unnecessary work to do from the MOT. Possibly some flawed logic in that.

"However, you might be stopped by police and prosecuted if your vehicle is unroadworthy.

If the vehicle fails the test and the certificate has expired, you can only drive it to:
a pre-arranged appointment at a garage to have the repairs done
a pre-arranged MOT test appointment
"

from the mot gov site.

so fails at the council test centre - you phone a garage to have the work done - you drive to the garage to get the work done , you then book your retest and can drive it back to be retested.

The key is it has to be a garage or a test centre - saying im driving it to my house to be fixed doesnt fly.

there is also the situation when the vehicle is deemed dangerous - snapped chassis or holes in the braking system etc where the tester can refuse to let it leave and ensure its trailered out.

harrisp - Member
@legend
It wasn't a clio 197/200 was it? As rear discs and pads alone are £250 so that Explains a bit if the £500 although it's still steep.

Nope, 182. Parts were around £110 (for genuine Renault) in the end, with not much on top for fitting.

I think you can still drive it home, surely? You are legally allowed to do your own work of course.

It's a real shame that there is so much distrust of garages. I'm about to take over the family garage that's been established for 42 years and we are constantly getting people coming in complaining about unnecessary work that other garages have under taken without consulting the customer, dodgy MOT failiers etc.

It just gives us all a bad name, the best bet is to go by referrals find one and stick to them. All garages need to make a profit but some (Franchises particularly) seem to try to maximise it on a customers first visit and don't care if they see them again. I would much rather a loyal long standing customer base that comes back again and again. If you're in or around Bookham,Surrey you are welcome here.

As above though, there are a number of things you can check yourself prior to the test, bulbs, tyres, wipers, pads and discs, dampers are free from fluid, dash warning lights. Present it in the best condition you can and let the expert ensure it's safe. If you really think they are trying to pull a fast one you ahve the right to appeal. We have had a number of occasions when VOSA have bought us a car to test that has failed elsewhere but we have passed.

S&H Motors in Poole for anyone down there. As honest as they come.

House share with an MOT tester 😀
Unsurprisingly mine passed yesterday.......

I did have that problem once, MOT station wouldn't let me drive it away, said it was dangerous. Suspension & brake issues. last day of expiring certificate. some time between 1999 & 2002

ever since I've had my MOT done about 2 weeks before due. And every time it's passed... (different cars, same garage, although not the one that wouldn't let me drive it away. I'm not bloody going there again)

Thanks folks. Will keep you posted.. you're going to have to wait til about half past two

Any news yet? I know it's a bit early, but I have my fingers crossed for you both.

Cafe Nero in Newport doesn't have power points or even wifi!

I can recommend a place in Aldershot, but that probably doesn't help much with your current predicament.

Rule #1 of MOT - make the car look presentable. First impressions are important.

This means a thorough clean, inside and out, and a wax/polish.

Sorry if it's been mentioned allready.

Get to your local main fire station workshop. They will take in standard cars too for mot as it's part of being an mot station. Obviously, they won't do any work and therefore don't take the mick with work needed.

Alternatively, the local council will have an mot station, same story.

The results are in.

Anyone want to guess what happened? Dodgy ECUs are not a potential fail, so that's something at least.

They took out your engine and replaced it with a worn-out one? Did you check the engine number before taking it in?

Front and rear sidelight bulb and and a tyre worn on the inner edge?

Guess what mine failed on 🙁

rusty suspension parts?

"Rule #1 of MOT - make the car look presentable. First impressions are important.

This means a thorough clean, inside and out, and a wax/polish.
"

never had a car fail on anything i didnt know about & ive never waxed/polished a car in my life.

It can get very complicated if it goes out of tax or insurance though

Starting with a SORN car, with no MOT or insurance.

Insurance is dependant on nothing, so get that first.

Drive it to the MOT

Pass, or fail and drive home, fix and repeat as nececary untill it passes.

Tax it.

No more complicated than doing it any other time of the year. The only conditions are the car has to be roadworthy and insured.

BWD 🙂

My money is on it being found to have insufficient power for overtaking.

The car notifies you when a bulb's gone, btw.

The car notifies you when a bulb's gone, btw.

the bulb that lights up to notify you that a bulb has blown, has blown?

[i]the bulb that lights up to notify you that a bulb has blown, has blown? [/i]

there's a buzzer for that.

thisisnotaspoon - Member

Pass, or fail and drive home, fix and repeat as nececary untill it passes.

Tax it.

No more complicated than doing it any other time of the year. The only conditions are the car has to be roadworthy and insured.

The reason it's complicated- 1) Lots of insurers will ask for your certificate of insurance or make it a condition of offering cover and 2) Driving without tax is an offence; the special discretion that applies for driving without MOT to a test centre doesn't apply to tax.

Anyway. It passed 😆

Whoop!

Mine next week. Fingers crossed.

Re Happyrider...Bookham used to be my old stomping ground where I dabbled in the motor trade for a while...I'm intrigued as to where you are?
Did my City and Guilds at what used to be F.W Mays up at Effingham traffic lights by the way(a long time ago!!)

Sounds before my time 🙂 we are the garage between dagenham motors and dobbies behind the murco petrol station.

About to be second generation 🙂 (sort of, I'm the son in law)

[i]Rule #1 of MOT [/i]

Is to book it in 4 weeks in advance of the MOT due date.

Ah yes..think that used to be known as Shirley Garage...used to know some of the lads that worked in there,moved on by now I should think.
Anyway,best of luck with it,I got out of motors and into bikes...best thing I ever did!

b r - Member

Is to book it in 4 weeks in advance of the MOT due date.

Hah, clearly you've never owned a spiteful vehicle. Anyone who has will know that this is folly, you need to sneak up on an MOT, let it think that this is all just routine servicing, then while it's asleep, shove it through the test before it notices and has a chance to suddenly develop a jagged rusty hole, or have a wheel fall off, or all the bulbs catch fire.

That's the one, still called Shirley Garage, Boo, his brother Phil, Ray etc are still around if you know them?

Our car goes to justmots.eu (a great concept, surely most areas have an equivalent)
Over 10 years, I think I've had one fail for an unmatched headlight lamp (they will change them if to hand) and worn pads (they were) which obv I took home to fix that afternoon.

The year before kwikfit had failed me and attempted to sell me £800 of front wishbones which I got fixed elsewhere for £200)

My camper takes a class 4 IV mot but needs a Class VII mot bay so that goes to BT Fleet (who have salaried staff and presumably are not on commission as I have to bend their arm to get work done on my company vehicle, I must have owned it for 5 years and that has always passed aswell. Seems thorough as it always comes back with advisories such as worn brake pedal rubber, hub seal leak, rusty tank straps, irregular brake effort (I.e slightly warped disc)

Rule #1 of MOT - make the car look presentable. First impressions are important.

This means a thorough clean, inside and out, and a wax/polish.

It's not important at all, the amount of times I've seen shiny on top, shit underneath is more often than you can probably imagine. Yes I am a MOT tester by trade, it's a crying shame there is so much ignorance of what is and what can be done. At the end of the day the test is there for yours and others safety, some people if left to their own devices would be travelling round in death traps just to save a few quid with the attitude "it'll be right". Just one last thought if your vehicle fails on tyre tread depth, be pleased we picked it up, as the police would be giving you a fine and three points per tyre, and in some cases if involved in an accident insurers won't pay out due to the vehicle being in a non-roadworthy state.

Small world..say hello to Phil and Boo for me,Phil was at Mays with me and I see his other brother,Steve,around down here in Sussex(he MOT's my cars!)..told you it is a small world!

Cheers
Robin

Benji,

Quick question if you don't mind.

I have a car going for MOT on Wednesday next week 2 weeks before current mot due to expire. One of the tyres is very close to the legal limit on the inside edge however the rest of the tyre is fine.

Will this be an instant failure?

I could put a winter wheel on the 1 suspect corner for the purpose of the test but this wheel is very slightly smaller than the summer tyre on the other side.

We have a new tyre ordered and it will be fitted a week today but this is after the scheduled MOT.

I could put 2 summer wheels at the front and 2 winter wheels at the back if that is Ok?