MOT Madness The three simple fixes you can do at home to give your car its best chance of making it through the MOT, first time. 1. TYRES Tyres are often the most neglected element of our automotive upkeep – but the difference between decent treads and uncared-for tyres could be a matter of life and death. One of the foremost indicators that your tyre is ready to be changed is when it loses its tread depth. Maintaining this is important because loss of depth reduces grip and traction on the roads, and eventually compromises safety while driving. Keeping a tab on the tread wear indicator, which is built into the tyre, is a good way to measure the tread depth. Also be wary of cracks appearing on the sidewall as the oils and chemicals in the rubber compound degrade. Over time, the rubber loses its tightness and splits begin to appear. At worst, this could result in a blowout, which is a
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highly dangerous scenario. Finally check for lumps of rubber separated from the tyre. These generally occur when wheels bump kerbs. A small tear is driveable, but anything bigger, particularly when the gauze is visible underneath, means an immediate change is required. The good news for those requiring new tyres is that there are a range of tyre price comparison websites, including mobile tyre-fitting services where your car needs to not even leave the driveway. 2. WIPERS AND JETS When you think about it, your wiper blades go through quite a bit. There’s rain, snow, mud, grit, not to mention full-on, head-on wind resistance, and a whole lot more besides. For basic maintenance, you should clean off your wiper blades every couple of months. Removing residual dirt will keep the rubber in better shape for longer, eliminating the need for regular replacement. If the wiper blade does need to be changed,
most automotive centres will do this for you and at no extra cost. Keep a check as well on blocked washer jets. These can be cleaned out by delving under the bonnet, releasing the supply pipe and washing through. If access is tricky, you may be able to move any organic matter stuck in the pipe by removing the jets and soaking them in a bowl of vinegar. 3. LIGHTS Where headlamps and brake lights are concerned, these are another easy check and easy fix scenario, and will offer you perhaps the biggest saving of all. Bulbs can be purchased online for a fraction of the cost that might be charged at the MOT centre, and in most cases the light unit can be taken apart and the new lamp installed. In bigger vehicles you may find the unit less accessible, although online tutorials are always available to guide amateur mechanics through the task!
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