MOT 4,5 & 7

Every car needs its MOT eventually, three years from it’s registration date and then annually from thereonin. Along with regular servicing, a car’s annual MOT is an essential way to monitor its health, inside and out. It can prevent minor faults becoming large ones and gives you the knowledge that your car is roadworthy. Mike Wilson Motors in Killinghall, Harrogate are VOSA-approved to carry out MOTs, classes 4, 5 & 7, with three ramps and a dedicated testing bay.

• CLASS 4: the standard MOT test for most cars or motor vehicles that have up to 8 passenger seats. This also includes taxis & private hire cars, ambulances, motorhomes, campervans, most vans & smaller commercial vehicles that weight up to 3,000KG.
• CLASS 5: the MOT test for private passenger vehicles, coaches or ambulances with 13 seats or more.
• CLASS 7: the MOT test for larger goods vehicles weighing from 3-3.5 tonnes. It also includes larger vans, lorries, high-tops and trucks.

Diesel Testing

As part of the MOT test your vehicle will be checked for smoke emissions. This helps the environment by minimising pollution & testing the fuel efficiency of your vehicle. It also helps you by checking that the engine is working correctly & reduces wasted fuel.

How Diesel Emissions are Tested

The test has been developed so that it should not damage your engine. The tester will check the maintenance history of your vehicle by asking you some questions. The tester can refuse to test your vehicle if he thinks that the smoke test will damage the engine.

To Reduce the Possibility of Damage & Increase the chances of your vehicle passing you should:

• Keep your vehicle maintained at all times
• Go to the test centre with a fully warmed up engine – it will produce less smoke & is safer to test.
• Have the camshaft drive belt replaced at the recommended intervals
• Do not tamper with the governor settings. They have been set to help ensure the engine runs efficiently.

Check Before the Test

• 19% of MOT failures are due to faulty lights! Have someone walk around your vehicle to check each of the lights while you operate them from the driver’s seat.
• 8% of failures are due to incorrectly inflated tyres, so check the sidewall of the tyre for the correct pressure and inflate or deflate if necessary.

The Test

After checking the oil temperature to ensure the engine is warm, the tester will accelerate the engine from idle until the governor cuts in at a maximum of 6 times. Your engine will not be held at full speed for any length of time. If your engine has been maintained, the test should not cause any damage to your engine.

Lights

• Front, rear, brake, fog, indicator and registration plate lights and rear reflectors must:
• Be correctly positioned and secure
• Not be obscured
• Be in good condition
• Show the correct colour (a bluish tinge to front headlights is acceptable as long as the predominant colour is white)
• Not be adversely affected by the operation of any other light
• Illuminate with a single operation of the switch
• Pairs of lights must emit light of the same colour, size and shape.
• Headlight aim (both dip beam and main beam) should be below the horizontal, so as not to dazzle other drivers.

Battery

• The battery must be secure and not show any signs of leaking electrolyte.

Electrical wiring

• Wiring should be secure and must not be damaged to the point where it is likely to short circuit or become detached.

Vehicles with a tow bar

• Any electrical socket will be tested for its condition and that it correctly operates the trailer parking lights, brake lights, indicators and rear fog lights.

Steering

• The tester will check the strength and condition of the steering wheel by pushing the steering in various directions and inspecting for wear or damage to the steering components.
• If your steering has a locking device, it’ll be tested to ensure it only locks when the engine is not running.
• Vehicles with power steering must have at least the minimum level of power steering fluid in the reservoir.

Suspension

• Suspension components and shock absorbers will be checked for excessive corrosion, distortion and fractures.

Brakes

• The overall condition of the brakes, pedals and levers are inspected, as well as any relevant warning lights.
• A brake performance test will be carried out to test brake efficiency.

Tyres and road wheels

• The tyre must be of an appropriate speed and load rating for the vehicle.
• Tread depth must not be below the legal limit of 1.6mm, and tyres will be examined for cuts in excess of 25mm, lumps, bulges, tears, exposure of the cord and tread separation.
• For vehicles with run-flat tyres, the warning light must operate correctly.
• Road wheels must be in good general condition.

Seat belts and restraint systems

• Each seat belt (including the attachment and adjustment fittings) will be checked for its security and condition.

Body, structure and general items

• A general inspection is made of the body, chassis, engine mountings, seats and doors. All components must be free from excessive corrosion and must not have any sharp edges that might cause injury.

Registration plates

• A registration plate must be fitted at the front and rear. The plates must be secure and clearly legible to someone standing 20 metres away from the car.
• The characters on the plate must be correctly formed and spaced and not likely to be misread.

Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)

• Every vehicle must permanently display a legible VIN, either on a VIN plate secured to the vehicle, or stamped or etched on the body or chassis.

Speedometer

• A speedometer must be fitted, and the tester will check that it can be illuminated. It does not matter if the dial glass is cracked as long as the speed can be read.

Horn

• The horn must emit a continuous uniform note and must be loud enough to be heard by another road user.

Exhaust system

• The exhaust system will be inspected to ensure it is secure and doesn’t leak. If your vehicle was originally fitted with a catalytic converter, it must still be present.

Fuel system

• The fuel system will be checked for leaks and the tank cap must seal properly.

Emissions

• The tester will use a gas analyser probe while the engine is running to test the smoke emitted from the exhaust. Emissions of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons must fall within the legal limit.
• The tester will make a visual check for excessive dense blue or black smoke emitted from the exhaust, which is a cause for MOT failure.

Driver’s view of the road

• Mirrors and wipers
• Rear view mirrors and wing mirrors must be secure and provide adequate views to the rear and side.
• Wipers and washers must sweep a wide enough area to give the driver an adequate view of the road

Windscreen

• In the area of the windscreen directly in front of the driver, there must not be any damage or obstruction to the view larger than 10mm. outside this area (but within the swept area); there must not be any damage or other obstruction larger than 40mm.

At Mike Wilson Motors we use the latest equipment enabling us to test all makes and models of petrol and diesel cars and LCVs to the highest standards. This includes all the equipment necessary to comply with the 2009 diesel emissions regulation. Subject to availability and conditions, we can usually provide you with courtesy car while your car is with us.

At Mike Wilson Motors in Killinghall, Harrogate all our work, including parts and labour, is backed by a 12 month or 12,000 mile warranty, and we are members of the RMI (Retail Motor Industry Federation).

To find out more about our MOT 4,5 & 7 in Killinghall, Harrogate, get in touch online or call us directly on 01423 536353