How Service Intervals and MOT Tests Protect Your Vehicle

Vehicle maintenance is a process that most people only associate with one thing, but actually, there are two separate things involved. Car servicing is really all about keeping a vehicle mechanically fit, while the MOT test is just checking whether it's roadworthy and meets legal safety standards. This blog explains these two things separately and shows why both are necessary. 

Types of Car Service Explained

Firstly, one needs to know that not all services are the same. Normally, a garage will have three car servicing Dundee levels. Learning what each service includes will enable a driver to pick the right one for a car's age and mileage.

Interim Service

Interim service would be the best option for those who drive high-mileage cars and usually do above 20,000 miles per year. Usually, the service is done every six months or every 6,000 miles, whichever comes first. 

Such a limited service highlights the most urgent items like changing oil and the filter, checking the tyre pressure and giving a quick visual of brakes and lights. It can't be viewed as a full-service replacement, but a good way to keep the car in excellent condition between thorough inspections.

Full Service

Full servicing is a very extensive package of checks and replacements. It would be a good idea to do it once a year or every 12,000 miles. Besides oil and filter changing, the mechanic will examine the fuel system, cooling system, spark plugs, drive belts, and suspension parts. Brake fluid is checked for moisture level and gets replaced if it is below the safe level. During the full service, the pollen and air filters are replaced as well.

Major Service

Major service is simply an extension of full service in that it includes those inspections and replacements which mainly concern older vehicles. For instance, the timing belt gets checked and may be changed if, according to the manufacturer's schedule, it is time. Transmission fluid and differential oil might get changed as well, depending on the vehicle specification. 

What the MOT Test Assesses

The MOT test is required for all vehicles that are over three years old and registered in the UK. It is a legal requirement that must be fulfilled every year, and a vehicle without a valid certificate cannot be legally driven on public roads. This test is not a check for the general mechanical condition of the vehicle. It only checks the vehicle's compliance with safety and environmental regulations.

Visibility and Lighting

The inspector verifies that all the external lighting is working properly. This includes headlights on both main and dipped beam, front and rear fog lights, brake lights, indicators and reversing lights. The windscreen wipers have to clear the driver's view effectively. The windscreen, on the other hand, should not have any damage in the area straight in front of the driver.

Steering, Suspension and Brakes

The steering mechanism is inspected to determine whether it has excessive play and if it is worn out. Suspension is checked for the condition of the shock absorbers as well as the strength of the frame. Brakes are evaluated with the help of a rolling road brake tester that measures the efficiency and the balance between the left and right sides separately on each axle. If one side of the axle is found to be very different from the other, then this will cause the vehicle to fail the test.

Exhaust Emissions

The emissions test indicates the level of pollutants in the exhaust of a vehicle. The gasoline cars are tested for carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbon (HC) emissions. Diesel cars are tested with a smoke meter that measures the opacity of the smoke. If a car was registered after 2014, its onboard diagnostics (OBD) system will also be checked for any fault codes related to emissions. An authorised MOT Dundee is a place where the DVSA standardised testing procedure is carried out. The testing centre provides a detailed test result sheet indicating the status of each item tested. It presents the driver with a comprehensive record of the vehicle's condition at the time of testing.

Combining Both for Better Vehicle Care

In fact, booking a service and an MOT simultaneously can be very handy. If one’s service is done just before the MOT test, it will generally identify small problems that might have led to the failure of their vehicle during the test. So, they will be less likely to face a retest with its expenses. A lot of repair shops provide joint options for the booking of both tests, which makes it easier for car owners to plan their schedule.

Conclusion

Knowing the distinction between a car servicing and an MOT test allows car owners to better schedule the upkeep of their car. A service helps in safeguarding the mechanical parts of the car and avoiding its untimely wear and tear. On the other hand, the MOT serves as an annual check to make sure that the car complies with the legal safety standards. Each one is indispensable and performs a separate function in the ownership of a vehicle.

Moreover, maintaining proper service documentation will be a plus for the car’s price when they decide to sell it. Regular servicing at a reputable garage not only illustrates the car’s maintenance record, but it can also give potential buyers the confidence they need.

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