5 Surprising Issues That Won?t Make Your Car Flunk an MOT Test

Posted by Superior Cars on November 15th, 2018

The British transport department is infamous for its strictness during an MOT test. Small things like a blown bulb or a dirty registration plate can fail your car in an MOT test. But, surprisingly, sometimes a crack in the windshield can pass with just an advisory notice for repairs.

Since 20th May 2018, rules governing an MOT test have been updated. Now, instead of just a pass or fail, your car gets categorised according to the severity of a problem. There are three categories, Dangerous, Major, and Minor. You can also get an advisory tag after an MOT Northampton or elsewhere in the UK. Both Minor and Advisory will pass your car provided you take care of that issue as soon as possible.

These changes brought a lot of breathing room for car owners. Let’s take a look at 5 issues with which, surprisingly, you can still clear an MOT test.

Leak in the exhaust – A minor leak or corrosion in your car’s exhaust will issue an advisory note, asking you to repair it as soon as possible, and pass an MOT. Unless there is a significant leak in the system or a severe drop in its emission quality, your car will be considered safe for use.

However, any major leak of exhaust gases, parts of catalytic converter missing or malfunctioning, issue with DPF will come under a Dangerous or Major category.

Coolant leak – Another surprising fact is regarding coolant leaks; leakage of fluid doesn’t necessarily deem your car unsafe to drive. According to DVSA, a vehicle will fail an MOT only if a fluid leak creates a puddle larger than 75 mm in diameter within 5 minutes of parking the car. This same measurement also applies for multiple holes in different fluid reservoirs losing liquid in the same rate collectively. Anything less than that will not affect your MOT results.

Crack in the windscreen – AnMOT will check for any damage in your car’s windshield. However, you can get away with it if the chip or crack is relatively small.

Fissures smaller than 10 mm in diameter on the driver’s side and lesser than 40 mm in diameter on the rest of windshield will attract advisory notices.

Damage to the body – A tester will only check your car’s body for excessive corrosion, sharp edges sticking out, or extensive damage to a specific area of the vehicle. As long as the doors open and close securely from inside and outside, seats and seatbelts are in good shape; other damages will be exempted. Damage to your car’s wings or bumpers will not fail the test unless they are extensive and run an on-road safety risk.

Worn out tyres – There are strict rules regarding tyre tread depth, with the minimal legal limit being 1.6 mm. However, you will pass an MOT if all 4 of your car tyres have more than 1.6 mm of tread.

With the new rules, proper tyre pressure also comes under scrutiny during a test. You can manually check it before going for an MOT, or, you can head over to a garage which offers inspection and repair manufacturer-specific services for premium vehicles, services such as an Audi MOT in Northampton.

It is best to take your car to professional service garages like Superior Cars for a complete inspection and if required, repair before taking an MOT test.

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