It’s that time of the year, and your vehicle’s warrant of fitness is due! You start dreading sitting in your vehicle in the queue at the testing station while your car gets its WOF inspection.
It could sometimes take a couple of hours from the time you arrive until you can get on with your life. In the back of your mind, you are also a little worried. What if your car fails its warrant due to a non-working bulb or a damaged tyre?
Then you must go and get the item repaired and come back to wait again!
Vorsprung Automobil has put together a small checklist to help you prepare your vehicle and hopefully avoid going back for a recheck after a minor repair that caused a warranty failure.
Don’t be worried, you won’t have to crawl under your car or risk getting oil on your new All Birds shoes; it is just a couple of simple “pre-checks”!
Let’s start by sitting in your vehicle behind the steering wheel. It will be best to have your engine running at idling speed to avoid draining the battery:
Lights and instruments
- Ask another person to help you or park in front of a window and look at the reflection. Check your headlight’s dipped beams and high beams, park lights, fog lights (If fitted), indicators, stop lights (most cars will have 3), and reverse lights.
- Check your horn, make sure it is loud and sounds like it always does.
- Activate your front windscreen washers. Check that the spray pattern is consistent and is spraying on the windscreen.
- The wipers should clear the water without leaving smudges or missing patches.
- Check your dashboard or instrument cluster for any written warnings or illuminated warning lamps. If you have a red brake light, an ABS warning, or an airbag warning, the car will fail its inspection.
You can now switch off the engine after all the lights are off.
Entrances and exits
- Check that your bonnet and boot open and close without restriction or excessive force.
- While in the boot, ensure that it is clear and that the spare wheel is accessible.
- Check that all your doors open from the outside and that the inside door handles are functioning correctly. Do all the doors move freely and without horrible noises?
- Ensure none of the glazing is damaged or restricting your view.
- Ensure the windscreen is free from any large cracks or stone chips.
Outside the vehicle
- Walk around the car and check if any of the headlights, taillights, fog lights, or indicator lights have excessive moisture inside or are cracked/damaged in any way.
- Check your tyre sidewalls for any cuts or damage. Check your tread depths by looking at the tread depth indicators.
- Check your tyre pressures at a fuel station. There will typically be a sticker on your vehicle’s fuel flap with your recommended tyre pressures. If one of the pressures is significantly lower than the others, it could mean a puncture with a slow leak.
Seats and seatbelts
- Pull out all the seatbelts and inspect. There should not be any tears, rips, or cuts. The seatbelts should also be clean and free of mould.
- Before you arrive, ensure that all the seatbelts and buckles are accessible for WOF inspection.
- To save time for you and the vehicle inspector, remove child seats and set the back seats upright.
I hope this list helps you check some basic items on the WOF inspection. It sounds like a few items to check, but the check will take you less time than having a failure on a small item and having to go back for a recheck.
If any of the checks did not pass your check or you need any assistance, call Vorsprung Automobil on 09 394 4533
