Stay Street Legal: How to Maintain your Car All Year Round in the Best Condition Possible

 

The scramble to find a quick fix to fix unexpected faults may often be a stressful rush brought about by the MOT test, which is an annual test. But the trick to a stress-free pass, a safer car is regular, all-year-long maintenance. It only takes a few DIY checks and following the recommended intervals of service by the manufacturer to ensure that your vehicle will always be MOT Reading ready. 

This is your ultimate blueprint for maintaining your car in optimum condition to achieve a first-time pass. 

The DIY MOT Pre-Check: Your Monthly Routine 

Most of the MOT failures are because to simple and easily repaired items. Allow a couple of minutes every month for these brief inspections, and you are going to find that the likelihood of success should be hugely high. 

Light: problems with visibility (Most frequent Failures) 

•  Check All Lights: Have a friend take a walk around the car as you regulate the headlights (main and dipped lights), side lights, brake lights, side indicators, and fog lights. But remember the number plate lights--one or the other there must be. Lighting failure is very frequent. 

•  Wipers and Washers: check that your wipers are clear and do not leave streaks on the windscreen. Fill up screen wash fluid- again, an empty bottle is a leading cause of minor fail! 

•  Windscreen Condition: Check your windscreen for the presence of chips or cracks. Any swept damage more than 40mm or more than 10mm in the line of vision of the driver (the A-zone) will mean an immediate failure. 

Tyres and Wheels 

•  Tread Depth: Use a 20p coin to test the tread depth. Insert the coin into the major cuts of your tyre. When we cover the outer band of the coin, you have a tread that is below the legal value of 1.6mm. Inspect the whole length of the four tyres. 

•  Pressure: Make sure you check and regulate your tyre pressure as per your vehicle handbook or the sticker that is usually taken care of in the driver's door jamb or in the fuel cap. Proper pressure boosts safety and the economy of fuel. 

•  Condition: Find out whether there are any bulges, tears, or deep cuts at the walls of the tyres. 

Interior and Controls 

•  Horn: Give it a quick honk! It should be loud enough to alert other road users. 

•  Seatbelts: Enhance all seatbelts. They should have no damage in them, be fast in their anchors, and, when a sharp pull is to be given, they should go like an emergency stop. 

•  Dashboard Warnings: Your engine management (EML), Airbag, ABS, and Electronic Stability Control (ESC) warning lights should turn on when you switch on the ignition, then turn off after a few seconds when the engine starts. Any nagging indicator lights are an enormous fluke. 

Professional Car Servicing Reading: The Importance. 

Whereas DIY checks are essential, they will not be needed to replace professional and thorough car servicing Reading. Service is an additional service covering the minimum safety checks of the MOT and the mechanical health and life of your car. 

Service Intervals: Wait No More for the MOT. 

The majority of the manufacturers suggest a service every 10,000-12,000 miles or once a year, whichever arrives first. They are usually of three kinds: 

• Interim Service (Biannual or 6,000 Miles): Best with high-mileage drivers. It consists of necessary inspections and changing of the oil and the filter. 

• Full Service (After 12 Months or 12,000 Miles): A more comprehensive inspection that includes a lot of various service points, such as oil and filter change, and inspection of major components. 

• Major Service (after every 24 Months or 24,000 Miles): This is the most thorough of all services, which involves all the Full-Service checks with an additional replacement of such items as spark plugs, brake fluid, and any other parts that are scheduled by the manufacturer. 

Servicing and its MOT Benefits. 

Service checks make professional services: check major wear-and-tear components that often lead to MOT failures, e.g. 

•  Brake Fluid: This is a component that may be replaced when a Major Service is done to ensure efficiency in braking. 

•  Suspension Components: Bushes, shock absorbers, and other parts of the suspension can be identified by the professional mechanic well before they start to wear out or pose a failure point. 

•  Exhaust and Emissions: Consistent servicing will ensure that your engine is running smoothly, and therefore, it is able to pass the required emissions test. 

Your Annual MOT Strategy 

You should have an annual MOT after three years of ownership of your car. There is one month (less a day) before the expiry date that you can undertake your MOT test and retain the same renewal date. 

To ensure that the next MOT Reading is hassle-free: 

•  Save and Combine: Plan on how to have your entire service done a few weeks prior to your MOT. This will enable the garage to repair any significant problems that may be detected during the service before the formal test. 

•  Register Records: store records of invoices for all services and past MOT certificates. This shows an accomplished buyer that the car has been well-maintained. 

•  Clean Up: A dirty interior and too messy boot may, at the tester's own judgment, result in a test refusal. Give your car a clean sweep! 

With these easy and regular maintenance tips and by keeping to your annual car servicing Reading, you will not only be passing your yearly test easily, but you will have the added advantage of having a safer and more reliable car throughout the year.