We are an approved MOT testing station for both private and commercial vehicles. We offer a while you wait or by appointment service with no retest fee. We can offer an immediate estimate for any remedial work required.

You can take your vehicle for its next MOT up to a month before it is due. It is not widely known that the expiry date on your new MOT is 12 months from its expiry date of your old one. This means you can have an MOT that lasts 13 months.

When does my car need an MOT? Originally called the Ministry of Transportation test, an MOT is an annual examination of a vehicle that is three years old or more. The MOT tests both the safety of your vehicle and the level of emissions in the exhaust.

It is your responsibility to ensure that your vehicle is examined by MOT every 12 months. Without an MOT certificate, you cannot renew your road tax. Having a current MOT certificate is also a legal requirement in the UK. Nominated Testers are qualified to assess your vehicle against specific safety criteria and to pass it as acceptable and safe -

ABBEYHILL GARAGE MEETS THESE REQUIREMENTS. The acceptable standards are as recorded in the current Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) Vehicle Inspection Manual.

The MOT assessment is based on the state of the vehicle on the day tested.

Lights - Lights are ckecked as part of the MOT - this will be looking for the correct operation of your lights, their condition and that they are the correct colour.

The test also checks side lights, headlights, stop lights, number plate lights, two rear reflectors and indicator lights. Hazard warning lights will be checked with the ignition on and off.

As well as checking their appearance, we will test that there is an audible or visual signal that can be seen or heard from the driver's seat for the indicators, hazard warning lights and rear fog lamps.

The age of your vehicle determines whether you need certain lights or not. Hazard warning lights and side repeater lights are mandatory on vehicles registered from April 1st 1986. A rear fog light is required on vehicles registered from April 1st 1980 but will not be tested if fitted to an older vehicle.

Steering and Suspension The MOT will check steering and suspension. We start inside the vehicle by checking the condition and movement of the steering wheel and steering column.

The tester will ook under the vehicle and bonnet and check the condition and security of steering and suspension mountings and joints. They will be looking for corrosion and cracking and for any nuts and bolts that are loose or are missing a locking device where required.

Your vehicle will then be jacked up so that the Nominated Tester can check each wheel for excessive wear in steering and suspension joints and mounting.

The Nominated Tester will also make sure that shock absorbers are secure and are providing an acceptable level of dampening effect.

Brakes The brakes are checked from inside and outside the vehicle. Inside checks include making sure brake lights work and that the brake pedal has an anti-slip device in good condition. The brake pedal should not reach the floor and the handbrake should hold onto its ratchet when applied. Outside the vehicle, the test will be checking for brake fluid leaks, as well as damage to the brake pipes and parking brake cables. Brake pads must have at least 1.5 mm of friction material wear left to pass the MOT.

Tyres The Nominated Tester will check your tyres. They will check that treads on the tyres are at least 1.6mm deep across the central three-quarters of the tread width around the whole circumference of the tyre. The test will then check that tyres fitted on the same axle are the same size, type and structure, that there are no serious bulges or cuts on the tyres.

Seatbelts The Nominated Tester will be checking that the seatbelts are mounted securely and that that the locking/release mechanism is working properly. The seatbelts must not be excessively frayed or cut. Your car must have rear seatbelts if it was registered after April 1st 1987. If it was registered before that date then seatbelts are not required to be fitted.

General The general section includes a check on the windscreen. Any chip, crack or sticker contained within the prescribed area larger than 10mm will fail. Any chip crack or sticker within the swept area larger than 40mm will also cause the vehicle to fail. Washers and wipers are checked to make sure that they are in good condition and clear the windscreen. The Nominated Tester will also be checking the function of the vehicle's horn making sure that it is loud enough and emits a constant tone. The test will then move on to the exhaust system to ensure that it is complete and in a good condition.

The Nominated Tester will be checking that there are no major leaks and that the exhaust is not too noisy. Emissions checks are an important part of the MOT. The Nominated Tester will use a meter to check the amount of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons emitted by the car's exhaust. If a catalytic converter is fitted, he/she will also be looking for the air/fuel ratio readings. Diesel engines are checked with different specialist equipment and need to be tested at very high engine speeds. The Tester should check that engine oil level and cam-belt are OK to cope with high test speeds. Finally, the MOT Tester will look at the physical state of the inside and outside of the vehicle. He/She will check the body of the vehicle as well as doors, boot lids, seats, mirrors and fuel caps. In particular, he/she will be looking for excessive corrosion or welding repairs that make the vehicle unsafe. Registration plates must be clean, not faded and securely fixed. They should have numbers and letters that are correct in shape and that can be read from 20 metres.

What do I need to take with me? Once you have booked your vehicle in for its MoT, remember to take your current MoT certificate and a means of paying the current fee.

You can book an MOT up to 28 days in advance of its due date. In fact it is not widely known that the expiry date on your new MOT is 12 months from the expiry of your old one. This means you could have an MOT that last 13 months.

What should I do if the car fails its MOT? If the vehicle fails its MOT, it does not meet legal requirements and must be repaired to comply with MOT Test standards. The notes on the back of the report which your Nominated Tester gives you will help you.

ABBEYHILL GARAGE GIVE YOU A FREE MOT RE-TEST