Preparing For The MOT Test – Is It Time To Scrap Your Car?
26th Apr, 2017
None of us really look forward to our car’s MOT test. And it’s no wonder – according to the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, one in every three cars fails it. It seems like a worrying statistic, but then again that can mean anything from a catastrophic brake failure to simply needing a quick tyre change. This week on the blog at Scrap Car Network, we’ll run you through some easy ways to avoid failing your car’s MOT.
Simple Fixes For Your Car
One thing to note about MOTs; quite a lot of failures are due to easily avoidable stuff. It’s good news, as it means that in certain scenarios, you can just tackle the offending issue quickly – sometimes even the same day – then after a quick retest you can get your pass, and you’re all good to go again! Your headlights, brake lights, hazards and indicators are all examples of the sort of stuff that can mean a fail if they’re not working properly. To be honest though, you don’t even need a mechanic to do the repair; most of the time, all you need to do is change the bulb. For this reason, it’s worth briefly testing this stuff before you take your car in for its MOT, just to make sure.
Your tyres are another thing to watch out for. The legal minimum tread depth is 1.6mm, so it could mean a fail – and possibly a fine – if it’s any less. You can stick a 20p coin into the tread grooves to double-check. The coin is wider than the legal limit, which means that if you can see the outer edge of it then your tread is too small, and you need to change your tyres. While you’re down there, it might be worth having a quick nosey to make sure the pressure is correct, and they’re not worn or damaged.
Sometimes though, there’s stuff you can’t fix…
How Do You Know When To Scrap Your Car?
Occasionally, your beloved car might come back with a fail due to something more complex, like corrosion, engine issues, steering problems or braking faults. In that case, you might find that the cost required to get it back on its (metaphorical) feet is more than it would be to replace it entirely. In that case, scrapping your car generally makes sense.
For when the time comes, you can always count on Scrap Car Network. All our traders are Authorised Treatment Facilities, which means we are officially endorsed for our standards of safety, professionalism and quality service. We also take a lot of care to make sure that all our paperwork is in order too. You can click here to read more about why we’re the people to choose, or get right to our homepage to enter in your car reg and postcode and get started with scrapping your car today!
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