Car MOTs roll around once a year – but it doesn’t have to be a worrisome event. It can be helpful to take a few steps beforehand ahead of the test to give your car the best possible chance of passing.

There may be talks of decreasing the frequency of MOTs, as well as delayed requirements for those with new vehicles, but for now, you can check when your MOT is due by searching your vehicle details online. Here are a few things you may want to box off before the big day.

Brakes
Firstly, you can see to your brakes by checking the level of brake fluid and topping up if required. Not sure how to do this? Simply park on a flat surface, so the measurement is accurate, then remove the brake reservoir cap and slowly add brake fluid into the reservoir. There should be maximum fill markers to prevent you from overfilling. Screw the cap back on and you’re all done.
You can also test the brakes themselves. If you’re happy to do so, apply a silicon-based grease on the back of the brake pads.

Mirrors
It comes as no surprise that mirrors are a big part of passing your MOT so that you can see clearly while out on the road. At a minimum, your obligatory mirrors need to be in good condition – this refers to one interior and one offside mirror.

Lights
You might need to enable the help of a friend for this one. To pass your MOT, your lights need to be intact. This includes the following lights:
• Headlights
• Tail lights
• Indicators
• Hazard lights
• Sidelights
• Brake lights
• Rear fog lights
Test each of these lights one by one and ask your friend to confirm whether any need replacing before your MOT. You can get this done easily by a professional, or if you feel confident, you may be able to do this yourself.

Wheels
Another fundamental part of functioning vehicles – each of your four wheels should be securely attached to the car. No bolts should be missing. The wheel bearings will be taken into account too.
The mechanic will also assess the quality of the wheels themselves, looking at the rims and assessing whether there’s any damage. Damage may include little cracks that could create issues further down the line.

Emissions
If your car is powered by fuel, you will have the emissions tested. The threshold that needs to be met varies from vehicle to vehicle. It’s worth bearing in mind that due to the changing expectations for efficiency, newer cars will have stricter standards to meet. This part of the test is done using a piece of equipment that connects to the exhaust.