Pre-MOT Check

D

DayleW

Member
Hi All,

My P6 is coming up for its MOT at the end of the month and I was wondering if anybody could give me a few pointers as to what to check over before it goes in for its test.

Thanks in advance,
Dayle
 
Hi Dayle.
Have you got ramps and a good trolley jack?
Have you got any old MOT's with the checklist?
The basic checks are...
Do all lights work,also when you switch them on all together,ie side,head,brake and indicate,do they all still work ok?
Horn,washers and wipers and wiper blade condition,hazzards,any fog lights fitted.
All seatbelt anchorages and buckles firm,all seats secure,all doors open from inside and outside.
No chips or cracks in the sweep of the wipers and in front of driver.
Do the brakes all work,stops straight,"steering feels ok" and the handbrake work well.
You can get a free brake check at most tyre places on the rollers.
All tyres within legal limits,also the spare if you have one.
Is the exh secure and not blowing.
Shake the wheels and see if there is movement indicating a bearing or ball joint worn.
Get under it and have a good poke about along the floors and sill area for rust,any rust within 12" of a suspension securing point and it will fail!
If you can take the wheels off,have a good look at under the arches,the front brake hoses for cracks,and the condition of the pads.
Also you can get your car in for an MOT up to 1 month before it expires,you will then get 13months if it passes,and if it fails, although technically its not legal,you have time to fix it! :wink:
Most garages will give you 7-14 days to fix it and bring it back for a free retest of the failed items.
Theres no point in taking it when it will fail on 2-3 simple things,and beware garages who fail cars just to get some work out of it at silly prices!!!
The better you know your car the better for your pocket!
BTW??
What area of the UK are you in??
Apart from that little lot,try and find a good old established garage with an experienced older MOT man who knows classic cars!
Good luck and have fun checking your car out!
 
Hi Pilkie,

Thanks for the list :). I do have a trolley jack but no ramps as yet (although I am keeping my eyes out for a cheap second hand pair). I have already checked some of those points and have had to get some replacement tyres today. They are now balanced and fitted. When indicating, it stops flashing or flashes very slowly if the engine is not being revved up. Would this fail?
I'll get under it tomorrow to check for rust, I have noticed some bubbles in the paintwork creeping in. I dont get under it often enough as I have bad knees.

I'm near Cambridge.

:)
 
Hi Dayle.

Check you fan belt is tight enough,and your headlights glow a bit brighter when you rev from tickover!
Check your tickover is at about 6-700rpm.
Indicators should flash 60-120 times per minute,most will slow down on tickover as the power output im minimal,,but also look at the brightness of each bulb,if you have a dim one it could be a faulty earth,or just a dirty socket where it fits.
As for external rust,as long as there are no sharp edges caused by holes it will be fine.
Make sure you jack it up at a very solid point not just on the floorpan or sills!
Maybe there is a local member who can pop over and have a good look under it for you to save your knees!
 
I did not know about the place in Ely. I'll be sure to check out his services. Thank you very much! :D

I'll let you know tomorrow how I get on with the indicator flash rate.
 
Hi Dayle,

If the indicators are stopping or repeating very slowly it would fail. Also check that the battery is fully charged as this can affect the repeat rate.
Best wishes,
Hector
 
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