Vehicle maintenance had become a huge concern in the United Kingdom and to deal with people ignoring their vehicle maintenance, the UK government decided to introduce MOT. This is a test which allows the UK government's body DVSA (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency) to check the conditions of the vehicle and ensure that they are meeting the standards set by the government to ensure that they are safe as well as the vehicle is environment friendly. But one major change which can impact the overall condition of your vehicle, and its MOT is the seasonal change. As weather is a natural factor which changes over time, it also impacts the overall condition of your vehicle. In this blog, we will be covering in detail how constant weather change can impact the condition of the parts of your vehicle and what steps you can take with weather changes to increase the chances of your vehicle passing its MOT.
Winter Season and Battery
Winter can go to quite extreme levels in various parts of the United Kingdom and cause issues to your vehicle. The component of your vehicle which is impacted the most by the cold temperature is the car battery. You will find that the efficiency of your vehicle will be impacted in the winter especially if your vehicle is older. You should know that the working of the battery is not a mandatory check in the MOT test Reading. The tester will only check the overall condition of the battery to make sure that there are no leaks or any kind of damage to the battery.
But imagine that you have gone to get your vehicle tested and the tester starts your vehicle but due to some issues with the battery there is a delayed start, or the vehicle would not start. This will lead to your vehicle directly failing the test. The best thing you can do in such a situation is you should get your vehicle checked from a garage or an auto repair shop before going to get your vehicle tested. This will ensure that the battery is in good working condition and if not, then what repairs are required for that?
Winter Season and Windscreen
You must have also faced the trouble of accumulation of snow or ice on the windscreen as it can be quite tough to remove. Sometimes people also damage their windscreen while cleaning it. There are quite a few problems related to the windscreen and its wipers which could lead to your vehicle failing its MOT. Apart from the damaged windscreen, extreme winters can also lead to your wiper fluid freezing which can damage the cleaning system. Many cases of damaged wipers have also been reported due to the accumulation of ice and snow on the wipers. The best solution for the problem with the wiper liquid is that you should use season-specific wiper liquid which would not freeze up in extreme winter conditions.
Winter Season and Faster Rusting
Rust is one of the biggest enemies of your vehicle as it can damage your vehicle and lead it to fail its MOT. One of the biggest causes of rust in the winter season is the road salt used for snow reduction on roads. This salt can speed up the rusting of the components like the exhaust system and braking system. So, if your vehicle starts rusting in the winter, it will not be able to perform well as the spring approaches making your vehicle fail its MOT. The best way to protect the parts from rusting is to get your car's underside washed from time to time to ensure that the salt does not stay on the parts for a long time.
Winter Season and Tyre Pressure
You should know a little science to understand this point. If there is a change in the temperature, then the air pressure will compress or expand depending on the temperature getting high or low. So, if the outside temperature drops then you will find that the air pressure inside the tyres will compress leading the pressure level dropping from its optimal level. So, if you take your vehicle to the test centre during this time then it might fail as the tyre pressure is not correct. So, to ensure that your vehicle will pass it you should get your car servicing Reading done before its MOT or you can make a few pre MOT checks yourself like checking the tyre pressure regularly and using the TPMS or the Tyre Pressure Monitoring System to check if the tyre pressure is on its optimal level.
Conclusion
For many people who are new vehicle owners in the United Kingdom and don't know the criteria of failing and passing the test, weather can be a big challenge. Taking the help of the above mentioned tips and following them will increase the chances of your vehicle to fight the battle against the harsh winter weather and pass the test without any problem.