Hi guys,

 

Few questions about my upcoming MOT.

 

First of all, my tyres have plenty of tread left but the tyre walls are showing a lot of signs of stress (they weren't great when I bought the car anyway but I've had other priorities on a limited budget as regular forum users will recall!)  and there's a few shallow cracks, and on one of them theres a small (4mm wide by 1mm deep) chunk taken out of the tyre wall. Are these likely to cause me problems on my MOT?

 

Secondly, the front number plate on the car was cracked in one corner when I bought it. It doesn't in any way affect the reading of the plate as the cracks don't go near the letters but I've heard that cracks anywhere, no matter how small, are an MOT fail. Do I need to get it changed?

 

Finally, the last year's MOT certificate (under the previous owner) notes that the handbrake basically has to be pulled up as high as it'll go. It's still the same. Can I fail for not having fixed this since the last MOT or will it just be another advisory?

 

Cheers

 

Alex

 

 

p.s. Can someone link me to actual orange indicator bulbs? Mine are apparenlty 'discoloured' but when I go on fleabay they're all aftermarket ones or a newer type. I just want a standard traditional bulb that lights up orange.

 

The indicator bulbs are amber 581 bulbs. They have offset pins. http://www.halfords.com/motoring-travel/bulbs-wiper-blades-batteries/bulbs/halfords-hbu581-21w-car-bulbs-x-2

 

 

 

Loads of 'em on ebay too. Just search for '581 bulb'.

Tyres and registration plate likely to be advisories, you can't probe a cut in a tyre for cords unless it is 25mm long or 10% of the tyre width, whichever is greater.

 

If the parking brake lever pulls right up to it's stop, it's a fail for lack of reserve travel, also on a Fabia the gaitor can shift round when there's a lot of travel which can impede the release of the lever, that's a fail.

Your local autoparts store will have these bulbs. Never seen point buying things like this of ebay.

Incase theres delay in delivery or they send wrong bulb.

As for tyres if your on a budget and not bothered about brand. Why not go to a partworn tyre place.

You can get 4tyres for 15quid a tyre. Saves worrying about it for mot.

If your brakes are good but handbrake needs adjusting thats diy job.several links about.

Hope it sails through

Tyres will be iffy, see what MOT tester says, number-plate OK, change any suspect amber bulbs.

Hand-brake should be corrected, maybe just some slack taken-up with the adjuster at the rear of the hand-brake lever. 

My skoda dealer put in a new amber bulb as one was faded, to get through MOT..