When you received your MOT certificate you may have noticed the VOSA MOT logo plastered over it.

But what is a VOSA, and what does it take to become an approved VOSA MOT tester?

VOSA MOT

VOSA MOT – No walk in the park

1. First up… to be a VOSA MOT tester is no walk in the park, there are a host of requirements; and you really need to know your stuff.

2. To begin with, there is a requirement to have been in the game as a skilled mechanic for at least four years, full time and experienced in the vehicles you intend to test.

3. To be a VOSA MOT tester it’s also important to have an unrestricted driving license in line with the classes of vehicle you want to test.

4.Next up… someone needs to sponsor you and not just anyone, it needs to be an Authorised Examiner of a vehicle testing station that believes you have what it takes to do the job justice.

5. Oh… to be a VOSA MOT tester you can’t be a lawbreaker. Convictions for criminal offences linked to the Vehicle Testing Scheme or the motor trade, or involving acts of violence or intimidation
are a big no, no.

6. VOSA also specifies that for classes III, IV, V or VII, you must pass the NTT assessment exam or an assessment of a similar vehicle qualification.

Ok so that’s all good and well, and maybe it sound like a touch of “mumbo jumbo” but what is VOSA or more importantly, what do they do?

What does VOSA do?

VOSA basically helps to improve road safety by ensuring drivers, vehicle operators and MOT garages understand and comply with roadworthiness standards.

Ok so that sounds nice and simple. But they also provide a range of vehicle licensing, testing and enforcement services, and during 2014 merged with the Driving Standards Agency to become the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency.

VOSA Responsibilities

Just like any Standards Agency VOSA have a number of responsibilities:

Addressing the annual testing of lorries, buses and trailers through authorised testing facilities (ATFs) and goods vehicle testing stations (GVTS)

Conducting routine and targeted checks on vehicles, drivers and operators ensuring compliance with road safety legislation and environmental standards

Overseeing the VOSA MOT scheme so that over 20,000 authorised garages carry out MOT tests to the correct standards

Supporting the Traffic Commissioners with commercial vehicle license applications permitting them to carry out their independent regulatory function
conducting post-collision investigations

Providing a range of educational and advisory activities to promote VOSA road safety

Regulating, licensing and registration of local bus services defects, highlighting safety concerns and monitoring safety recalls

Monitoring products for manufacturing or design

VOSA is not just for MOT’s

As you can see VOSA handles a little more than just regulating your VOSA MOT. The agency has a host of responsibilities to make sure we have a safe environment to drive in.

So if you’re looking for a registered VOSA MOT tester feel free to get in touch, we’d be happy to help.

To health and vehicle happiness,

Your fearless Mechanic,

Phil

The post What is a VOSA MoT? appeared first on Xavier Auto Clinic.

On average 45% of MOT’s fail the first time, yes 45%. But to be fair, most of the MOT London failures we come across are preventable due to simple reasons.

If your car has ever failed a MOT, and you’ve wondered if there was anything you could have done to avoid it, I have a little MOT London gem for you, which requires not so much mechanical sense, but common sense.

An MOT in London doesn’t have to cost you an “arm and a leg”, they can be super low to retain on renewals and often there are a few handy things you can do to make this happen.

First of all when it comes to your London MOT, there are a number of things you can fix yourself, but some of the more technical faults will require the help of a professional mechanic. Either way, dealing with these MOT issues pre-test can be considerably cheaper.

MOT London Checklist

MOT London Checklist

Are your headlights fully working?

Now when I say headlights, I actually meant to say all your lights. So check the front and rear headlights including the dips, indicators and hazards. I found that the best way to do this, is to have someone sit in your car switching the lights on and off, while you walk round the vehicle to check the lights are working properly.

“One in five fail MOT’s due to a bust light bulb, so walk around and check your car’s front and back indicators and headlights”

If while doing the test you notice that a bulb is out, you can simply head down to your local auto store or Halfords, replacing the bulb(s) for a few bob. Job done.

MOT London: Check your suspension

A fully comprehensive, suspension car check can be Très difficile – I get that. But to see if your shock absorbers are on their way out, or worse still, completely gone, try applying your body weight to each corner of your vehicle and then releasing it or letting go. If your shock absorbers are in good condition, the car will settle back quickly. If not, you may have a problem.

MOT London: Check handbrake tension

Tension or lack of it, in the handbrake may be something you pick up during the daily use of your car.

So if your brakes are feeling unresponsive or loose, or you feel a lack of resistance when you are pulling the handbrake and you are unable to set the handbrake at the applicable level, you may have a problem. Fixing these issues can be slightly tricky so on this occasion you may need a mechanic to fix it for you.

MOT London: Buy your own car parts

When your MOT London is up for renewal, it’s possible to make crazy savings on car parts by sourcing them yourself.

Now perhaps this isn’t for the faint hearted or those of you short on time, but if before getting your vehicle repaired you don’t mind doing the legwork, ask your garage for one quote fitting for labour, and another quote detailing the cost of parts separately.

Ok so here’s the fun part…

Once you have your list of car parts, double check to make sure you have taken the exact… (did I say exact), car parts information including name, model, type and size, and then see what you can do to pick up these car parts for less.

If you’re serious and interested in trying this out, I recommend eBay for reasonably priced and at times cheap car parts, and online options like Amazon’s Car and Motorbike section, also independent suppliers can have really competitive prices.

So for those of you looking to save some money on your MOT in London, I hope this all helps.

But if you don’t have the time and you would like some assistance feel free to get in touch, we would love to help.

To health and vehicle happiness,

Your fearless mechanic,

Phil.

The post MOT London? Do pre checks to beat common fails appeared first on Xavier Auto Clinic.

I mean over the last few weeks, I must have seen at least 5 police check points at the side of the road on a ‘Check MOT and Insurance’ mission. And with Christmas on the way, no doubt their presence in the line of duty is going to increase.

Now the other day… I was driving through Bayswater, happily spending some time with my mother, when I noticed some police cones and about 7 police officers standing at a police check MOT point – you know… just pulling cars over. And yep you guessed it, I got pulled over!

Mother: “Son, why are the police pulling you over?” Now for some funny reason my mother questioning me, in a split second brought me back to those days when I would have stared at her with that, “Oh ish, I’ve been caught” look in my eyes…

Check MOT!

It was crazy… my heart started beating like I was already guilty of something! The thing was, this time I had nothing to hide.☺

Phil “What seems to be the problem officer?” Police “Well, we are doing insurance and MOT checks today so I would like to take your details.” (It went something like that).

Cutting a long story short, of course all of my stuff was up to date and fine. But at the end of the day, the fact remains, the police are on a mission to catch anyone out that is breaking the law. The need to check MOT is key. The problem is, unfortunately there’s a shed load of car drivers getting caught and fined, and in most cases this can all be prevented.

The Facts

London police are warning motorists that they face a fixed penalty fine if they fail to check MOT and renew their certificate on time. Now… the penalty for driving without an MOT starts at around £100, and ok the fine is not too severe if dealt with swiftly. But although no points are issued on your driver’s licence, if you fail to check your MOT a fine can be imposed by the court, up to a maximum of £1000.

I admit… when I was a young wiper snapper, I had a tendency to forget a few things like where I parked my car – let alone remembering to check MOT and pay. Now I’m not trying to break your balls, but recently I’ve had a few people in the clinic with overdue MOT’s. Worse still (no names), but I had one customer that had not checked his MOT, and that had an MOT certificate which had actually run out months beforehand. NO Bueno!

I like to think we are all law abiding drivers (well in most cases), and I thought that writing this blog would be a great opportunity to urge the tribe to take note of their vehicle’s Check MOT expiry date – and better still, to do something about it on time when it needs renewing.

To help Mr & Ms Forgetful…

here is a link to the GOV.UK – check MOT status report –  that will give you all the information you need on your MOT.

To be fair, at the auto clinic we normally send out a text to update our customers on when their MOT check is up for renewal. But for those of you out there that are not customers, I also recommend perhaps using the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) text service, which will send a message to your mobile phone when your check MOT is due.

At the end of the day, it’s every motorist’s responsibility to keep their vehicle insured, taxed and MOT’d, and as owners it’s our duty to be keenly aware of the rules and regulations regarding a Ministry of Transport (MOT) examination.

Yes, I appreciated that MOT check reminders are not automatically issued like vehicle tax and insurance, but sorry people… to forget is no defense. And the chances are, with the police out in force, that if you snooze on this one you may be slapped with a “dirty” fine.

WHEN IS MY MOT DUE?

Check MOT

MOT’s simply exist to ensure your vehicle meets the legal level of safety and emission standards.

Although the MOT test is thorough, the challenge, or should I say the confusion comes, as to when the MOT test is actually required. Partially this is due to the different rules regarding newly purchased vehicles, which has different rules to vehicles that are more than three years old.

To make it simple, if your vehicle is more than three years old and doesn’t have a valid MOT certificate it could be un-roadworthy and dangerous, to you, other road users and anyone else using your vehicle.

Does a valid MOT make my vehicle road worthy?

Having a valid MOT test certificate does not necessarily mean that your vehicle is road worthy. If you have faulty brakes, dodgy/defective steering, or illegal tyres as a driver you could end up with seriously high fines, not to mention points on your licence. The question, is it worth it?

I say…

Think safety first, have your MOT check done when it should be, and let’s not give any police officer something to grill us over, or put any needless money into the government’s pocket. Happy days!

To health and vehicle happiness,

Your fearless mechanic,

Phil.

The post Check MOT! They’re watching you. appeared first on Xavier Auto Clinic.

We all love a good deal, and currently there are a tons of garages offering cheap MOT specials online for customers. But how do you go about spotting a genuine deal from a scam?

“It’s not the MOT test fee, but repairing the “fails” that usually costs a fortune.”

Companies can only charge up to the official maximum for an MOT. (The maximum test costs are £54.85 for cars or motor caravans and £29.65 for motorbikes. For a full list, see the Gov.uk website).

For example while some garages may promote MOT West London, with specials to win  new clients over and build lasting relationships, (based on good service and a positive first experience), others might have a more short-term objective in mind, and unfortunately your £24.99 MOT deal may just end up costing you thousands in repair costs.

Still, getting your MOT done in a local garage does bring convenience, as you can get all the necessary repairs done in one place – and the re-tests are usually free.

So how do you separate the genuine deals from the phonies and avoid unnecessary repairs?

For example if your looking for and MOT West London, check that the garage is on Good Garage to ensure it’s trustworthy, its great website because the reviews are based on real customer feedback and experience.

Second, conduct a do-it-yourself MOT check of the avoidable fails.

Forty percent of MOT’s fail first time, and far too many are due to a simple avoidable reason. Don’t worry, most of this is common sense not mechanical sense. Some of the fails you can sort yourself, others will need professional help. Either way, sorting out some basic work pre-test will usually end up being cheaper, and either way at least you’ll be prepared.

How To Beat The Most Frequent Fails

Without further ado, here’s my guide to helping you beat the most frequent types of MOT fails.

Lights: Are your lights fully working?

Have someone sit in your car while you walk around checking every light. Front, rear, headlights and dipped, hazards and indicators. If any aren’t working properly, buy a new bulb for a few quid and replace it. It’s easy in most cars although a few manufactures do make it slightly more complex.

Suspensions: Check your suspension.

While a full suspension check is difficult, in order to see if your shock absorbers have gone, quickly apply your weight to each corner of the car and then release. The car should quickly settle back into place – if not you may have a problem.

Brakes – Is there tension on the handbrake?

This is not so easy to do yourself, and it will need a professional mechanic to fix. If your brakes feel loose and unresponsive, or the handbrake slides up without resistance and can’t be reached at a certain level, it’s likely you have a issue with your brakes that will need attention.

Tyre’s: Check your tyre pressure.

To check your tyre pressure, look up what pressure they should be and fill ’em up at the petrol station. Check your tyre tread, which is the depth of grooves for road grip. The legal minimum is 1.6mm for a car tyre (enough to let surface water slip through).To measure, use the quick 20p tyre test detailed on the Tyre Safe website. Pop a 20p coin on its edge into the main grooves of the tyre tread. If the outer rim of the coin is hidden, your tyres should be legal. If you can see it, well its probably new tyre time.

Windscreen: Is your windscreen damaged?

Damage to the driver’s central view should be no larger than 10mm, and within the whole of the swept area, it should be no larger than 40mm. If it is, it make sense to have it fixed pre-test (often this is included in car insurance policies). Windscreen wipers? Front wipers are checked in the MOT test and need to clear the windscreen in conjunction with the washers.

Exhaust: Is your exhaust leaking?

To check, start the engine (in a well-ventilated place, at normal temperature) and from the rear of the car listen for any unusual noises or abnormal smoke. If you can hear unusual noises this may indicate a leak, which you should have looked at and fix pre-MOT.

License Plate: Can you read your license plate clearly?

Make sure that your license plates are clean and easily legible from 20m away.

Fluids: Are all your car fluids topped up?

Check the brake fluid, windscreen washer and oil reserves.

The rest: An all-over once-over. Make sure that your fuel cap is secure, that your mirrors are in good condition, and that all your seat-belts are fully functional.

Heads Up

New MOT checks were introduced in March 2013 under EU rules which were already in place in Northern Ireland. These include some extra checks on categories already part of the test, including  electronic warning lights, speedometers and electronic handbrake checks.

You can find more info on these individual changes via the DFT website, but for a full list of each check type please see – Gov.uk.

But as always, if you need any help or guidance please feel free to get in touch.

To health and vehicle happiness

Your fearless mechanic

Phil 

The post MOT West London – Should you be scared of cheap? appeared first on Xavier Auto Clinic.