Am ashamed to admit it but
Am ashamed to admit it but
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LadyLuck

Original Poster:

156 posts

183 months

Monday 11th July 2011
quotequote all
I've never organised my car's MOT. My Dad always just did it before I got married & then my ex automatically just did it & I've never actually had to! :hangs head in shame:

So it's that time again - things to do / not do? Any recs or avoidances? God I am pathetic sometimes! banghead

nobodyknows

12,336 posts

198 months

Monday 11th July 2011
quotequote all
Wear your shortest skirt & your lowest top & you should be fine wink

iva cosworth

44,044 posts

192 months

Monday 11th July 2011
quotequote all
Book it in at local MOT station ,and then ask for advice if it fails before having stuff

replaced that may not be needed smile

fwaggie

1,644 posts

229 months

Monday 11th July 2011
quotequote all
I hope the MOT station is less than 21 miles away biggrin

FreeLitres

6,128 posts

206 months

Monday 11th July 2011
quotequote all
Check the easy things before it goes in -

All lights and indicators are working (even numberplate ones)
Tyres have enough tread
Washer fluid
etc.

I always give mine a good wash and clean before it goes in for MOT. I imagine that if you take a really dirty car, they will assume you dont look after it! hehe

LadyLuck

Original Poster:

156 posts

183 months

Monday 11th July 2011
quotequote all
FreeLitres said:
I always give mine a good wash and clean before it goes in for MOT. I imagine that if you take a really dirty car, they will assume you dont look after it! hehe
Bum. Mine's a skip. Usually ferrying 5 year olds around so the back is really not a pretty sight! hehe

Jayho

2,413 posts

199 months

Monday 11th July 2011
quotequote all
FreeLitres said:
Check the easy things before it goes in -

All lights and indicators are working (even numberplate ones)
Tyres have enough tread
Washer fluid
etc.
Take it for a hoon beforehand aswell? Think it helps pass the emissions? Correct me if I'm wrong.

RemainAllHoof

80,056 posts

311 months

Monday 11th July 2011
quotequote all
Location? I recommend TVRfix.com. I usually end up passing with loads of advisories (because they are not because they're relaxed!); the point is, a lesser garage would see me as an open cheque book...

FreeLitres

6,128 posts

206 months

Monday 11th July 2011
quotequote all
Jayho said:
Take it for a hoon beforehand aswell? Think it helps pass the emissions? Correct me if I'm wrong.
Goood call - I think you are right. I take mine to an MOT station near work, so it always goes in warm anyway.

Superficial

753 posts

203 months

Monday 11th July 2011
quotequote all
Book appointment.
Drive car to appointment.

It's not rocket science.

LadyLuck

Original Poster:

156 posts

183 months

Monday 11th July 2011
quotequote all
Turnips said:
Flapping bodywork and broken mirrors would be an obvious fail... Check tyres and lights. Not much else to check if you ain't mechanically savvy.
Seriously will it fail for that? I did ask a policeman if it was illegal to drive like that & he said no I'd be fine but will that be a fail?

FreeLitres

6,128 posts

206 months

Monday 11th July 2011
quotequote all
RemainAllHoof said:
Location?
^^^^How could I forget?! - MOST IMPORTANT!

I took Wifeys car to a well known highstreet garage for an MOT and they "identified" over £400s worth of faults that need fixing. I didn't believe them so straight after I took it to our usual friendly garage and it sailed through the MOT no problems. Cheeky buggers.

So, if you take it somewhere that (for example) sells exhausts, they tend to find that your exhaust needs changing!

fwaggie

1,644 posts

229 months

Monday 11th July 2011
quotequote all
Oh god yes, find out your nearest council MOT station (these are used to MOT council vehicles but by law have to be open to the public as well).

As they just do MOTs and nothing else, they won't "invent" faults to get you to pay to "fix" them.

(I went to an "We only do MOTs" place (not a council one) for an MOT in January. They said my engine looked like it could do with an oil change and they could do that for £xxx whilst I waited... MOT only - my arse!)

LadyLuck

Original Poster:

156 posts

183 months

Monday 11th July 2011
quotequote all
Fab, thank you!

LadyLuck

Original Poster:

156 posts

183 months

Monday 11th July 2011
quotequote all
Erm... :scratchin:

Daaaaaaaaaad!!!!!!! Bum. Why didn't I keep talking to him till AFTER the MOT! hehe

BadgerBenji

3,534 posts

247 months

Monday 11th July 2011
quotequote all
LadyLuck said:
FreeLitres said:
I always give mine a good wash and clean before it goes in for MOT. I imagine that if you take a really dirty car, they will assume you dont look after it! hehe
Bum. Mine's a skip. Usually ferrying 5 year olds around so the back is really not a pretty sight! hehe
Oddly there isn't a box to tick on the vt40 when testing is the car shiny, and from underneath most are not, so save yourself the hassle with the sponge it makes no difference come test time.

magpie215

5,024 posts

218 months

Monday 11th July 2011
quotequote all
BadgerBenji said:
Oddly there isn't a box to tick on the vt40 when testing is the car shiny, and from underneath most are not, so save yourself the hassle with the sponge it makes no difference come test time.
You really think so? I think first impression goes a long way come MOT time.

car 1 complete st tip inside and out looks totally uncared for owner only rectifies faults when advised/failed at MOT time someone who obviously is not interested in there car.

car 2 pristine well presented for MOT in a clean condition belts clipped in seat cover on drivers seat old mot on passenger seat obviously owned by someone who takes pride in his car.

which one is the tester going to pay more attention to?

zaphod42

59,413 posts

184 months

Monday 11th July 2011
quotequote all
Check for a council run mot station. They might be by the book, but they don't do repairs so no incentives to find anything wrong, if you catch my drift...

pixieporsche

5,995 posts

244 months

Monday 11th July 2011
quotequote all
I only take my cars to a place that just does MOTs for a few reasons.

1. I don't take anything down to the test station until I'm pretty much sure that it'll pass the test in the first place.
2. I can't be dealing with bullstters!
3. If I do need to do anything I'll be doing it myself and if you take it to a repair place them seem to want to do the work before the retest and not the you take it home do work and take back to retest.

Never really understood why people don't maintain their own cars but each to their own.

lazy_b

392 posts

265 months

Monday 11th July 2011
quotequote all
fwaggie said:
Oh god yes, find out your nearest council MOT station (these are used to MOT council vehicles but by law have to be open to the public as well).

As they just do MOTs and nothing else, they won't "invent" faults to get you to pay to "fix" them.

(I went to an "We only do MOTs" place (not a council one) for an MOT in January. They said my engine looked like it could do with an oil change and they could do that for £xxx whilst I waited... MOT only - my arse!)
This ^^

My local council MOT station does MOTs for the local taxis (slightly stricter rules) as well as private vehicles. Everything is done exactly by the book; they don't invent faults to bump up revenue, but equally they won't hesitate to fail a vehicle which really needs to be fixed before being allowed out on the road. There's also a viewing lounge with free hot drinks if you want to watch the test being conducted (just as well since it's a bit far away from anywhere interesting...)
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