One of the common posts on the Classic Hymers Technical Facebook group is about MOT woes. Usually it's a photo of a long list of MOT defects that have resulted in failure.
So here is my advice on how to minimise potential MOT pain.
So here is my advice on how to minimise potential MOT pain.
I will start by being blunt (again!) - if your van fails it's MOT for any of the following reasons, then you are silly and have only yourself to blame. These are any lights not working, wipers or washers not working and horn not working. Seatbelts working and not chewed by the dog. These are the easy things to check, so at the very least all these things should be checked before your MOT. I know it sounds simple, but you will be amazed at who doesn't.
Next after this is tyres - there is really no excuse to fail an MOT on tyres when any branch of any of national tyre place companies will check your tyres for free.
Next after this is tyres - there is really no excuse to fail an MOT on tyres when any branch of any of national tyre place companies will check your tyres for free.
So that's the easy stuff out of the way - but what about the hidden stuff that the average owner can't check?
My suggestion is as follows. Take your van to a garage you trust - hopefully you have one for your service work, and ask them to do a pre MOT inspection. If they refuse, then take it to a garage that will. But it is important that the garage is not also the MOT garage - they must be independent of each other. That doesn't mean to say that they don't know each other, just that they are independent. The main customers of MOT garages are other garages - they are in the trade together, so there is mutual respect.
It is well worth paying for this service because the inspecting garage will inspect everything that the MOT garage will inspect, but most importantly they will rectify as well. This means that the actual MOT should go without a hitch and just be a formality.
There is another huge benefit to this method, and that is that over the years you will get an excellent MOT record - all MOT history is now available online, and there is nothing worse to a prospective purchaser than a long list of MOT failures and advisories, especially for simple items like lights and CV boots - all it does is scream out - careless owner, couldn't be bothered.
You would be having to pay for the rectification of these faults anyway - so why let the MOT tester find them and enter them into the MOT computer system for all to see, forever. Far better to fix the faults before the MOT, and then, the test should just be a formality. This also removes the suspicion that a failure is being made to generate work for the garage. They are far less likely to try this when they know the van has been pre-mot'd by another garage.
However there are 2 parts of the test that might not be covered by this method, because the inspecting garage will most likely not possess two important pieces of equipment that the MOT garage has - these are the brake tester and the exhaust gas analyser.
But you should not worry too much about these - your brakes have to be really poor to fail the MOT, and a quick test drive to test your brakes should be all that is necessary. Do an emergency stop up some quiet road - you will know if there is anything wrong, and the van should stop in a straight line and not pull to either side. The handbrake will have been checked by the inspection garage - you don't need a machine to test a handbrake.
It is well worth paying for this service because the inspecting garage will inspect everything that the MOT garage will inspect, but most importantly they will rectify as well. This means that the actual MOT should go without a hitch and just be a formality.
There is another huge benefit to this method, and that is that over the years you will get an excellent MOT record - all MOT history is now available online, and there is nothing worse to a prospective purchaser than a long list of MOT failures and advisories, especially for simple items like lights and CV boots - all it does is scream out - careless owner, couldn't be bothered.
You would be having to pay for the rectification of these faults anyway - so why let the MOT tester find them and enter them into the MOT computer system for all to see, forever. Far better to fix the faults before the MOT, and then, the test should just be a formality. This also removes the suspicion that a failure is being made to generate work for the garage. They are far less likely to try this when they know the van has been pre-mot'd by another garage.
However there are 2 parts of the test that might not be covered by this method, because the inspecting garage will most likely not possess two important pieces of equipment that the MOT garage has - these are the brake tester and the exhaust gas analyser.
But you should not worry too much about these - your brakes have to be really poor to fail the MOT, and a quick test drive to test your brakes should be all that is necessary. Do an emergency stop up some quiet road - you will know if there is anything wrong, and the van should stop in a straight line and not pull to either side. The handbrake will have been checked by the inspection garage - you don't need a machine to test a handbrake.
The exhaust test can be particularly stressful on an old diesel classic. There are two or three things you can do to give yourself the best chance. First - get the inspection mechanic to look at it himself and give his opinion. He is in the trade, and he knows his stuff. Second - make sure the engine is properly warmed up before the test. If possible, take it yourself and keep it ticking over for as long as possible before the test. Warm engines put out much less smoke. Thirdly, if you are really worried about the exhaust test, there are several diesel additives you can run through beforehand - again, your mechanic should be able to advise you. But generally speaking - if it passed last year, it should pass this year.
What I do is I combine my annual service at my trusted garage, with the MOT. The van goes up on the ramp, is fully inspected, brakes checked and adjusted, oil and fluids checked plus everything else on the MOT list. And then I pick it up and drive it to the same MOT centre I have used for the last few years, and it flies through, year after year. And anybody can go online with my reg, and all they will see is PASS PASS PASS.
That alone is well worth the extra money. Classics are not like modern cars - they are 20 to 40 years old, and the maintenance and inspection requirements are quite different to modern cars.
Of course I am not saying this is the only method for all owners - many owners do their own mechanical work - so this doesn't apply to you. But if you always use a garage for your maintenance work, and don't know much about maintenance and inspection, then using one garage for inspection, and another for the MOT itself, makes very good sense all round.
This is how the commercial truck world works - they never send a truck straight from the road to its MOT. It goes for service and inspection, and only then does it go for the MOT, where passing is usually just a formality, and it's straight back on the road again - time is money!
That alone is well worth the extra money. Classics are not like modern cars - they are 20 to 40 years old, and the maintenance and inspection requirements are quite different to modern cars.
Of course I am not saying this is the only method for all owners - many owners do their own mechanical work - so this doesn't apply to you. But if you always use a garage for your maintenance work, and don't know much about maintenance and inspection, then using one garage for inspection, and another for the MOT itself, makes very good sense all round.
This is how the commercial truck world works - they never send a truck straight from the road to its MOT. It goes for service and inspection, and only then does it go for the MOT, where passing is usually just a formality, and it's straight back on the road again - time is money!
