What is the difference between MOT & Servicing?

MOTs & Servicing - they’re not always popular subjects. Quite often people find it a nuisance and try to bury their heads in the sand when car maintenance is brought up.

However, MOTs are a legal requirement, and this means that your car must at least see the inside of a garage once a year – more on that later.

It is the responsibility of all vehicle owners to ensure that their vehicle is maintained regularly. This includes finding a reputable garage to have work done on your car, which isn’t as difficult as you may first think.

But what is the difference between MOT & Servicing? You may ponder, as you lay awake at night, staring into the void.

This is a question, which can easily be answered.

MOT Test

After your car is over three years old you are required, by the law, to book in for an annual MOT Test.

The whole MOT process is rigorously regulated and so you are only able to book your vehicle in for a test at an approved MOT test centre.

The history of the MOT Test is fairly long - with the law being created in the early 1960’s in a bid to try and crack down on the amount of traffic accidents that were caused by faulty vehicle parts.

What is checked during a MOT Test?

Throughout an MOT test, many components of your car are checked and tested to certify that they are in working order - and not expected to cause any accidents.

When carrying out the test, the technician is not allowed to take the car apart to carry out the tests. Everything must stay intact.

The main parts of the car tested are:

• Lighting Equipment
• Steering (including suspension)
• Car Tyres
• Brakes
• Seat Belts
• Windscreen Wipers
• Windscreen
• Horn
• Driver's view of the road
• Exhaust system
• Exhaust emissions
• All the mirrors
• The Fuel system
• Registration plates and Vehicle Identification Number

Where to find a MOT Test Centre

MOT test centres are regulated and for a garage to be able to carry out MOT Tests, they must reach certain standards.

Currently, it is said that there are roughly 23,000 approved test centres throughout the UK.

If a garage has met the required standards and is permitted to perform MOT tests then it will have a blue MOT sign as proof.

You can search through all garages capable of carrying out the MOT test on the .gov website.

Vehicle Preparation for the MOT Test

This is where servicing comes in. Unlike MOTs, a service is not a legal requirement. However, it can be very important to help spot early issues with your car. It can also be required to keep your warranty active.

It is advisable that you book your car in for a service at least every 6,000 miles.

By booking in on a regular basis for a service you are helping to maintain the parts of the vehicle that are needed to pass the MOT Test.

If you can’t afford regular servicing, there are some quick and easy things you can do yourself to prepare your car for its MOT test.

By doing the following checks yourself, you are help to not waste the mechanics time or your own.

• Make sure your tyres are in good condition and have a tread depth of at least 1.6mm
• Make sure that the seatbelts work as they are supposed to and are not excessively worn
• Check that all the lights are working, fit new bulbs if not
• Make sure that the body work is not overly damaged.
• Make sure that the car is generally clean on both the interior as well as the exterior

Even the most safety conscious driver should book their car in for a vehicle service at least once a year.

As a general rule, most establishments that offer to service your car have three types to choose from. These are (in order of the number of checks carried out):

• Oil Service
• Interim Service
• Full Service

Depending on your vehicle and how much you use it, it is worth checking what is involved in each kind of car service.

Especially if you are concerned about money, because although it can never hurt to have everything checked in detail, there is often quite a big price difference between the service types.

Oil Service

The most basic service is the oil service. The general checks that you can expect with an oil service are to your lights, exhaust and tyres.

As you would imagine from the name, your old oil will be replaced with new and your old oil filter exchanged for a new one as well.

Interim Service

If you drive a lot throughout the year, you might consider booking your vehicle in for an Interim Service every six months (or in between your annual Full Service).

One step up from an Oil Service, the average Interim will include somewhere in the region of 25-35 safety checks on your car - components such as brake fluid, handbrake travel, steering and suspension will be examined.

Full Service

The most comprehensive service a dealer offers is usually the Full Service. Recommended by garages as an annual checkup, the Full Service will go through almost everything in a car, checking the levels and testing the condition.

With well over 50 checks, a Full Service will ensure that your car performs to optimum levels for the year following your service.

Not only do these service options act as fantastic preventative measures that help to keep your car safe, but when you have booked your car in for a service the mechanics that carry out the work might spot things which could affect your MOT.

If small issues are found, these can be fixed before they turn into big problems that cost you far more money.