The quickest way to find your nearest MOT test station

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PRE MOT CHECKS

Avoid a Failure	Reasons For Failure	Council MOT Centres
Handbrake	Footbrake	Steering Wheel
Windscreen/Mirrors	Seat Belts	Doors
Electrical	Brakes	Shock Absorbers
Steering Mechanism	Braking System	Wheels/Tyres
Bodywork	Steering/Suspension	Exhaust System
Drive Shafts	Fuel/Exhaust	Petrol Emissions
Diesel Emissions	Reg Plates/VIN

Avoiding MOT Failure

Wheels & Tyres

TYRE MARKINGS GUIDE
When replacing your tyres its important to make sure that you purchase the right one. Brand names aside there still a criteria to meet. So how do you know what to buy? Of course when you take your car to a tyre fitter he can tell you but if you wish to do some research first and compare prices etc then you need to know what to look for.

On the side of the tyre are some markings which can tell you all you need to know. A handy one is the date of manufacture so that you can see how well your current brand of tyre is wearing and how long they are lasting you - Also you should never use a tyre that is older than 6 years old. Remember a softer tyre can give more grip but wear out faster. Dont get a tyre that can not match the speed of the vehicle and beware buying wider tyres just because you think that they look better. Your wheel rims have a maximum tyre width that you should adhere to. Just hold your mouse over the markings below to find out what they all mean.

Check Tyre Pressures
Simply choose your car from the drop down lists below to find the correct tyre pressures for your vehicle. Remember that incorrect tyre pressures can affect the handling of the car, the stopping distance as well as increasing wear on the tyres and increasing petrol consumption!

Vehicle wheels rims are usually described with a designation of something like '13-5.5J' and this is decoded as follows. The 13 is the diameter of the wheel in inches from edge to edge, measured inside the flange with sizes ranging from 10 inch on the original mini's to 23 inch on 4x4 vehicles. The second number is the width of the rim, again measured in inches between the flanges.The letter, in this case J refers to the shape of the rim. Rim contours are standardized by the Tire and Rim Association, so that tires will fit.