All cars more than three years old in the UK must pass a yearly MOT test (unless it was made before 1960). The MOT is a simple test of roadworthiness, and is not to be confused with a vehicle health check.
Simply put an MOT will determine whether your car is safe to drive on the road, it will not reveal any lurking vehicle health issues, such as issues problems with the clutch or the engine.
Many motorists worry about their annual MOT and can be unaware of what will cause their vehicle to fail before the test itself. Despite this concern, approximately 70% of all cars pass their MOTs, so the odds are in your favour, and a lot of the issues flagged in an MOT can be resolved quickly.
With that said, we’ve outlined the most common MOT failures so you are better prepared for when yours comes around!

1. Lights and signalling
Nearly a fifth of all cars which fail their MOT are because of an issue with their lights. Bulbs and lights are an easy fix but catch a lot of people out in their MOT as they can be easily overlooked.
It’s a good idea to switch all your lights on and walk around your car to check they’re in working order.
Things to check:
Front
Rear
Brake
Fog
Indicator
Registration plate lights
Rear reflectors.
It’s also worth checking the condition of the lights. Often plastic lenses get misty over time, so it might be worth buying a kit to clean your lights ahead of the MOT.
Most bulbs are easily replaceable but should you need some extra support, get in touch with an expert.

2. Suspension
More than one in 10 MOT failures are caused by suspension issues. Motorists are no stranger to potholes and patchy road surfaces and these can take their toll on your vehicle. Suspension issues can be hidden fairly well, so you can be forgiven for missing a leaky shock absorber or even a snapped spring.
Unfortunately checking your suspension isn’t as easy as checking your bulbs, however make sure you pay attention to any noises made by your car during everyday driving – particularly during cornering or when passing over bumpy roads. You can also check to see if it sits level or if it’s slightly higher or lower in one corner.
Generally it’s recommended that you have an annual car service to check for any suspension issues that you might have picked up over the last 12 months.

3. Brakes
One in 10 cars fail their MOT due to brake issues. Most faults will be fairly obvious with major failings presenting themselves in the form of spongy pedals or the car pulling to either the left or right when applying the brakes. If you hear squealing or grinding noises coming from your brakes, it’s usually a sign that the pads are running low. All of these will need immediate attention from a professional to be checked.

4. Tyres
Tyres can be the reason for many MOT failures. They are the only part of the car that is in contact with the floor, taking the brunt of impacts and rough surfaces, so if they aren’t up to scratch, you could have a disaster on your hands.
Tyres should be checked regularly, not just when it’s due an MOT, to ensure they are road legal.
The minimum legal tyre tread depth is 1.6mm, although it is recommended to replace the tyres at no less than 2mm depth. You can use a 20p coin to check the tread.
It’s also a good idea to feel inside the tyre to check for uneven wear, as well as looking for any lumps or cuts which could cause a dangerous blowout.
Replacing tyres is relatively inexpensive but may be a crucial step to passing your MOT.

5. Issues affecting your view of the road
It is vital that you can see the road clearly when driving, however there are an alarming amount of MOT’s that fail as a result of issues affecting the driver’s view of the road.
This includes things blocking the windscreen such as a sat-nav, or cracks and chips in the glass within the driver’s eyeline. It’s also good to check the wipers. They need to be able to clear the windscreen effectively with no loose parts.

Those are the most common MOT failures that you should watch out for, some easy fixes and some that are easily overlooked. Find out if your vehicle is MOT ready and get in touch with Roadwheel today if you need a hand!

Short breaks in the UK are a popular option when it comes to booking a holiday. As many as 13.1 million of us opt to use our vehicles to get away for a UK break, however many motorists admit they do not make basic car safety checks before embarking on a long journey.
Making sure your car is ready for the road is important so we’ve listed below our top 10 checks you can do before setting off.

1. Check your coolant levels
Engine coolant is a mixture of water and anti-freeze that helps to stop your engine overheating.
Most modern cars have a sealed cooling system so they shouldn’t need topping up, unless they’ve sprung a leak. It’s important to check your engine coolant every couple of weeks so you can spot any problems early which could save you a lot of money and hassle.
To check your coolant level, locate your radiator reservoir under the bonnet (if you’re not sure where it is, check your vehicle handbook) and make sure the coolant level is between the min and max lines. If you need to top up, make sure you select the right one for your car.

2. Check your dipstick for oil
The oil in your engine is one of your vehicle’s most important elements. It keeps all the engine’s internal parts moving as they should, and stops them from wearing out too quickly.
If the oil level in your engine drops too low it’ll stop it from working efficiently causing it to seize up, and could eventually lead to significant engine damage if not addressed.
To check your engine oil, locate your dipstick underneath the bonnet and make sure the oil level is between the two min and max markers at the end of the dipstick. The dipstick is usually easy enough to locate and can be identified by the ring pull (often yellow/orange in colour) coming out of the engine. Top the engine oil up if need be, but be sure to use the correct type of oil recommended in the vehicle’s handbook.
Oil should be drained and refilled annually as part of the MOT. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still check your levels at regular intervals throughout the year to avoid your engine running low.

3. Pack your car jack and locking wheel nut key
It’s important to make sure you have both of these items before setting off on a long trip. It could be the difference between being stranded and carrying on with your journey. If you pick up a tyre puncture on your journey, you’ll need a jack in order to stop and put the spare on.
You’ll also need the locking wheel nut key to hand to remove the wheel. Without this, you nor a recovery vehicle will be able to take the wheel off so make sure you have it with you and store it somewhere safe and accessible!

4. Check your tyre pressures
It’s important to make sure your tyres are inflated to the recommended pressure. Tyres that are underinflated can overheat and cause damage to the tyre, and overinflated tyres can lead to poor vehicle handling and increase the risk of a blowout.
Tyres that are set to the incorrect tyre pressure will also need to be replaced more regularly as the tread will wear more quickly and unevenly. Under-inflated tyres will also increase fuel consumption as they have an increased rolling resistance and more fuel will be required to maintain the same speed.
The correct tyre pressures for your vehicle can be found in the vehicle handbook.

5. Check your tyre tread for wear
When braking, your car relies on the tread on your tyres to grip the road and come to a stop in the shortest possible distance. Braking distance increases as tyre tread wears out so it’s important that you check them regularly to ensure you still have adequate tread on your tyres.
The legal minimum depth of the tread on your tyres is 1.6mm, across the central ¾ of the tread around the complete circumference of the tyre.
For safety, we strongly recommend that you replace your tyres before the legal limit is reached. Many vehicle manufacturers recommend replacing at 3mm. In wet weather, travelling at 50 mph with 1.6mm of tread, it takes an extra car length (8 metres) to stop than if your tread was 3mm.
It is also a legal requirement to ensure that tyres of different construction types are not mixed on the same axle (the two main tyre types are radial and cross-ply). Please ask Roadwheel to check your tyres if you are unsure.
Mixing brands and patterns of the same construction type is permissible depending on the vehicle type and manufacturers recommendation. Check your vehicle’s handbook, or ask Roadwheel to look this up for you.
Failing to replace your tyres before they reach this minimum limit could result in a hefty fine and penalty points on your licence.

6. Check for damage and unusual wear and tear
Tyres can get cuts and lumps caused by various things such as potholes or an impact with the kerb. If you notice any damage on your tyres, or your vehicle has been involved in an emergency manoeuvre like sudden heavy braking, you must have them checked as quickly as possible by a tyre specialist such as Roadwheel, as this sort of damage can lead to sudden tyre failure.

7. Refill your screenwash bottle
The screenwash reservoir should be topped up regularly, especially before a big journey. This is essential for removing dirt, muck and insects from the windscreen and ensuring you have clear visibility.
The premixed screenwash at petrol stations have cleaning agents that can cut through dirt, as well as coolant meaning it won’t freeze and expand in the pipes and washer bottle during winter.

8. Ensure all your lights are working properly
Another important check to consider is testing all of your car’s lights to ensure that they’re in working order. This includes car headlights, brake lights, reverse light, indicators and internal cabin lights.

9. Check wiper blades
You can’t trust the weather, especially when holidaying in the UK, so a good effective set of windscreen wipers are a must to ensure you can see the road clearly. Wipers are probably the least hardy part of your car and will inevitably become damaged over time. Check the blades for any splits in the rubber edge, which could prevent the wiper from clearing water or leave streaks in the line of view. It’s easy to neglect this part of the car, but wipers are essential to clear anything on the windscreen.

10. Switch on the air con
Car air conditioning needs regular maintenance to ensure it is functioning as effectively as possible and travelling without functioning air con can make a journey unpleasant. Generally you will lose between 5-10% of your air conditioning gas each year until it reaches a point where you will notice a fall in performance. You may simply need an air con re-gas which we can do here at Roadwheel while you wait.

We do free tyre and safety checks on all vehicles here at Roadwheel so if you’ve got any questions or queries, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Often, tyre damage can go unnoticed, however, tyre damage can be really dangerous so it’s important to check them regularly. Tyres keep your vehicle in contact with the road so any damage that has occurred can cause serious issues. Read below to find out how to spot tyre damage:

Tyre cuts
Cuts on your tyres can be caused by objects in the road’s surface such as pot holes or debris on the roads which can damage the surface of the tyre. In unlucky situations, tyre cuts can instantly cause tyre failure. However, this isn’t usually the case. Most cuts occur on the tyre sidewalls. If you discover any cuts on your tyres, you should get the tyre examined by a professional.

Tyre bulges
These usually occur as a result of your tyre impacting heavily on a solid object such as the kerb. This may not be noticeable straight away but later you may notice that the tyre is bulging where the impact occurred. The bulge will become a weak spot on the tyre and is best to get this checked as soon as possible.

Irregular tyre wear
Tyre wear occurs naturally and the speed that your tyres wear down is due to your driving style and how often you drive. Tyres under 1.6mm are below the legal limit and need to be changed. However, tyres that are under 3mm can wear down rapidly and lose grip.
If your tyres are over or under inflated, they can be subject to irregular wear, which means that your tyre may need to be replaced more quickly than necessary. If your tyres are over-inflated the tyres will wear down more in the centre. As a result, the contact patch between the tyre and the road is reduced. Under-inflated tyres also cause uneven wear but in this case to the edges of the tyre. This means that the fuel economy of your vehicle is reduced and you will have to fill up more often.

Punctures
Punctures are one of the most common types of tyre damage. When sharp objects from the road’s surface pierce the tyre, this causes air to leak out. The clearest sign of a puncture is a deflated tyre as air has leaked out through the hole in the tyre. Tyres that use technology, such as Continental’s ContiSeal™, puntures up to 5mm are sealed giving you extended mileage and mileage to safely reach a garage. Continental’s self-supporting Runflats as they allow the driver to continue driving for up to 50 miles (at a maximum speed of 50mph).

If you have any concerns about your tyres, drop in to Roadwheel for a free tyre safety check.

Your car’s exhaust system is a series of tubes and chambers designed to move gas away from the engine and reduce the noise that it makes.
Your car exhaust emissions system is crucial for your car to operate safely. There are six gases produced by the basic function of your car’s engine: nitrogen gas, carbon dioxide, water vapor, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and hydrocarbons. The exhaust system collects these noxious gases, removes the hazardous elements of these gases before safely distributing them out of the car and into the outside atmosphere.

If your car exhaust system fails, these dangerous fumes could enter the vehicle cabin, polluting the air that you and your passengers breathe, causing damage to your health. Failure of your exhaust system can also lead to the harmful elements of the fumes not being filtered out before being released into the atmosphere, exposing the surrounding air and those breathing it to these gases.

Current regulations state that the police can warrant the removal of any vehicle from the roads on the suspicion that it is producing excessive amounts of pollutant gases from the exhaust.

A healthy car exhaust system, alongside rerouting engine fumes, will also provide:

– Optimum fuel efficiency
– Improved engine performance
– Noise control and quieter running

Below we have listed the most common exhaust problems and how you can spot these:

Rust
There’s no enemy quite as dangerous for the exhaust system as rust. Taking short trips frequently lets water vapor collect in the exhaust system, but it never gets hot enough to burn off. Gradually this condensation will turn to rust and corrode your exhaust from the inside out.
For rust and corrosion, you’ll be able to see external rust immediately. However, it isn’t always as serious as it first appears, as it may only be on the surface. However, if the component has rusted through or is rusted from the inside (due to internal condensation build-up) it may be a cause for concern. Use a screwdriver to gently prod rusty areas; if the structural integrity feels weak or a hole is formed, it is a sure sign that you’ll need an exhaust replacement, at least for this section,

Faulty oxygen sensor
Despite many of today’s cars having numerous oxygen sensors, a malfunction in just one can be enough to confuse the computer. If your oxygen sensor becomes faulty, the engine’s computer can’t create the correctly balanced air-fuel mixture. This could lead to a mixture that’s low on air and high on gas, a blend that’s hotter than intended and may cause a clog in your catalytic converter.

Exhaust leaks
Rough road conditions are difficult for many vehicles to handle. If you regularly drive on rough roads, your exhaust system may not last as long as it normally would. The bumps, holes, and shaking that happen while you drive in these conditions can lead to weak areas, like joints, to crack and leak poisonous fumes into the passenger cabin. That is a serious issue that you need to get repaired immediately.

Clogged muffler
Another problem that arises from frequent rough road conditions is a clogged muffler. While driving on bumpy roads, small internal parts can come loose, leading to a clogged muffler.

Broken hangers
Hangers are the handy little parts that are meant to protect your exhaust system from banging around when you hit a bump. However, they aren’t invincible. Once the hanger breaks and falls off, all the exhaust pipes become free to move around. Their movement may lead to dents, cracks and, in some cases, entire pieces of the exhaust system to break off.

Vibrations
Strange vibrations coming from your steering wheel or gas pedal are pretty good signs that your exhaust system is in need of repair. If it’s bad enough, your whole car may be shaking. These vibrations pose a real threat to not only your car’s health but also your own because they can alter your ability to control the vehicle with precision.

Increased engine noise
Listen out for unusual sounds coming from your exhaust system. A noisy exhaust or an exhaust that is making strange sounds is a sure way to detect a problem as well as indicate potential damage.
The silencer is the part of the exhaust that usually needs attention first due to its tendency to become corroded by acidic moisture. If you have a problem with your silencer, you’ll be able to hear it as your exhaust will begin to make a loud roaring noise.
Other noises to listen out for include hissing, chugging, loud metallic vibrations and rattling, with each of these noises being linked to a different issue. Hissing noises typically indicate a crack in the exhaust manifold, exhaust pipe or a leaking gasket, while the presence of a chugging noise coming from your exhaust could mean a blockage in the exhaust system.

Exhaust smoke
Your exhaust might not be the problem. Should your exhaust begin to produce smoke, this typically isn’t a sign of a problem with the exhaust but rather an issue with the engine.
Black exhaust smoke means that your engine is burning fuel too quickly, if this occurs check your air filter, fuel injectors and the fuel pressure regulator. On the other hand, if you see white smoke coming from the exhaust, it may be nothing to worry about as it could simply be a build-up of condensation in the exhaust system.
However, if the exhaust continuously emits white smoke, this suggests your engine is burning coolant and you may have a problem with your cylinder head or have a cracked head gasket. You’ll be able to spot if coolant is leaking into your engine oil as it will appear discoloured and creamy.

If you have any concerns about your exhaust, drop in to Roadwheel or give us a call and we’d be more than happy to have a look.

We supply and fit exhausts and catalytic converters from the three major replacement manufacturers (Timax, Walker and Bosal). We can also supply stainless steel systems to order. We carry approximately 500 exhaust parts and the popular catalytic converters in stock, but we can obtain virtually any part within one hour.

It is our policy to supply only the parts that a customer requires and we are happy to separate and fit individual components as necessary. All parts carry a minimum 2 year warranty.

Car batteries are the lifeforce of your vehicle. It’s what powers your car and keeps it moving, so it’s important to make sure you look after it as the last thing you want is for your battery to die.

Lights, heaters and wipers put high demands on the car battery. If your driving is mainly dark rush-hour trips, the battery will give out eventually.
Batteries rarely last longer than five years. Replacing one near the end of its life can save a lot of time and inconvenience at the side of the road.

How do I know if I need to replace my battery?

A slow starting engine
Over time, the components inside your battery will wear out and become less effective. When this happens it takes the battery longer to create a charge for the starter and you’ll have to wait a few extra seconds for the engine to turn over. If this starts to become a frequent occurrence, it might be worth checking out your battery.

Dim lights and electrical issues
The battery powers all of the electronics in your car including lights, radio and your dashboard computer. If you’re noticing the electronics in your car are struggling to run at their best performance, it’s possible your battery is losing charge and can’t power everything at once. The more things you plug into your car whilst driving, the faster your battery will die.

A bad smell
If there’s a bad, rotten egg type smell that appears when you open the hood of your car, it might be that your battery has experienced some damage or that it might be leaking gas. Take it in to get checked ASAP if this happens and replace the battery if necessary.

The check engine light is on
The check engine light can mean just about anything and whilst some of us might ignore it, it could be coming on because your battery is running out of power. It’s best to check your manual and get your battery tested by a mechanic.

The battery case has changed shape
Exposure to extreme environments such as extreme heat and cold can cause the battery case to become misshapen and the battery to swell and crack. If your battery is anything but rectangular, chance are it isn’t working properly.

Corrosion on your connectors
If you’re noticing that the metal parts of your battery are covered with a white ashy substance, your battery has a corrosion issue. Corroded terminals (the positive and negative connections at the top of the battery) can lead to voltage issues and trouble starting your vehicle.

Your battery is old
Car batteries typically last 3-5 years. Climate, electronic demands and driving habits all play a role in the lifespan of your battery. It’s a good idea to get them checked every 3 years just to be safe.

Below are a few tips to get the most from your battery:
• Avoid running electrical systems any longer than necessary – turn the heater fan down and switch the heated rear window off once windows are clear.
• If the car stands idle most of the weekend a regular overnight trickle charge is a good idea to give the battery a chance to revive.
• Turn off non-essential electrical loads like lights, rear screen heater and wipers before trying to start the engine.
• Use the starter in short five-second bursts if the engine doesn’t start quickly, leaving thirty seconds between attempts to allow the battery to recover.

Pop in for a free battery check up today, we are always happy to help!