3a)... Check that your windscreen washers are working, that there's water in them and that the jets aren't blocked (the rears do not come into the M.O.T. But check them as well for your own safety).

3b)... Check your wiper blades, make sure they clear the screen, and are not seriously damaged in any way, (the rear wipers do not come into the M.O.T. But it's worth checking them at the same time for your own safety).

3c)... Check the windscreen for cracks and chips etc, because they can fail, also things like stickers and furry dice in fact anything that seriously obstructs the drivers view in the areas checked can also cause a failure to be issued, the screen area covered by the check is called the "swept area" (which is the area cleaned by the wiper blades).

There are two "zones" or areas of checking, the "a - zone" which is directly in front of the drivers view, it is an area of approximately 11.5 Inches or 290 mm wide, and any chips - cracks or damage not contained within a 10 mm diameter circle will fail.

The other area which is called "zone - b", is the rest of the swept area, any cracks - chips or damage not contained within a 40 mm circle will also fail.

To make a rough check of "zone - a", simply sit in the drivers seat and look directly ahead, take a central line in front of you and measure about 6 inches or 150 mm either side of that line, any damage within a 10 mm diameter circle could fail, if you're not sure take advise before going for the test.

Also, check your insurance, you may well be covered under your glass section for any damage you find (though you may have to pay an excess of around £40 to £50), the damage may also be repairable (there are some good repairers around - email me for their names) , if it is repairable many insurance companies will pay the whole cost of a screen repair, and good repairs are acceptable for an M.O.T.

3d)... Check your tyres... They should have a minimum of 1.6Mm (the thickness of a 5p coin) of tread on them, and they should be in good condition on the walls and tread, so check for damage, such as cuts, bulges or splitting or cracking.

While checking your tyres, for your own safety, check the tyre pressures, and while the spare wheel is not part of the M.O.T. If you do carry one it must be legal, so check it on a regular sis as well, (there's nothing more annoying than going for the spare and finding it flat), if you have a puncture get it repaired as soon as possible, don't leave it in your garage or put it back in the spare wheel carrier until it has been repaired, you're bound to forget it.

Tyres on each axle should be the same size ie; both fronts should be the same and both rears should also be the same size, but the front and rears can and on some vehicles are originally different sizes. (Check your handbook to be sure).

3e)... Check all of your lights, including front and rear sidelights - headlights both dip and high/main beam - stop lights - fog lights - hazzard warning lights front and rear - indicator lights front and rear and don't forget both side repeater lights, number plate lights - in fact all lamps that are original equipment should be working.

Make sure that all lenses and lamp glasses are in good condition and that red lenses are red, amber lenses are amber and clear lenses are clear and none are cracked or broken so as to prevent the lamp functioning as designed or required by law to do, check also that the rear reflectors are in tact and working.

3f)... Check to see that you have no seriously damaged bodywork with sharp or dangerous edges that could be injurious to pedestrians, check that bumper end caps are in tact and make sure that doors can be opened from outside and from inside by the proper handles.

3g)... Check that your mirrors are ok, you should have at least two, either both outside or one internal and one external.

3h)... Check that you have a good petrol cap with a good seal, that works properly.

3i)... Check your exhaust if you can, it should have no holes in it, and it should not be blowing or broken in any way.

3j)...*If you haven't had a service for some time, simply changing the spark plugs, the spark plug/ht leads and air filter, can help to get your vehicle through the petrol vehicle exhaust emissions check.

...*On diesels vehicles, an oil and filter change plus the fuel and air filters can make a very significant difference to the smoke meter test.

*...On both the petrol and the diesel vehicles these simple things will almost certainly save you a small fortune in fuel costs as well as helping you through the m.O.T.

3k)... Check your number plates - make sure they're in good condition and can be clearly read - check that they're not insecure and that the letters and numbers are correctly spaced and secure.

3l)... Make sure your horn is working properly.

3m)... Check your seats - that they are secure and operate correctly - your seat belts - that they to operate properly and are not damaged/frayed etc.

3n)... Check your shock absorbers - the way to carry out a simple test is:- at each corner of your vehicle.. Press down firmly in a "bouncing" type movement, and release.. The vehicle should go down then up and then half way down again to a stop - if it bounces more than two times you should get them checked by your favourite garage, but be careful some garages and specialist centres pay their staff commission on everything they sell, so find one that doesn't - it could save you a lot of money.