2017 Qashqai Pre-First MOT Advice

[Kashkuli]

Hello,

My J11 Qashqai is due it first MOT soon and I'll book the service at the same time. Does anybody have any suggestions on preventative maintenance or checks I should carry out to reduce the servicing costs beforehand?

Thanks as always!

[gloucester]

Not really - I just go through the "normal" things you should be doing periodically in any case:

Tyre pressures and wear - I had a tyre fail once on a bubble on the inner side that I realistically couldn't have seen without taking it off.
Light bulbs - had a failed numberplate bulb once

At three years other things should be fine still?

[MikeGC]

As Gloucester says, tyres (pressure and tread depth), and bulbs.

Also windscreen wipers, windscreen (chips), water in the windscreen washer bottle, if you have a spare in the car it has to be legal (tread, inflated correctly, etc.)

A few wear and tear bits and bobs that a 2017 car shouldn’t have to worry about - seat belts (not frayed, retracting properly), suspension parts

[DaveBerlin]

Is it not a Must now that everything that is fitted during manufacture has to work like electronics, Warnings, TPMS Valves etc.
Also the “First Aid “ Box needs a check in case some articles are “out of date” and the Warning Triangles should be there.
What I normally do is give the QQ a clean, I do not like Service people working on dirty cars and also it shows the MOT Guy that the QQ is looked after. Here is a little stricter as the TÜV guys as they are called here do not work for the Dealer so it is a little more stricter - Dave

[calnorth]

UK DVSA requirements here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publicati ... -at-an-mot

[Kashkuli]

Thanks all, some very sensible suggestions here, this forum always delivers!

[Geordieman]

I also take good photos of everything inside and out just in case there is anything damaged while they have it or I don't agree with something they want to do. Take a pic of the mileage as well just in case someone does a little trip in it. My brother once got his car back and there were fish and chip papers in the back. I also take a pic with the dip stick on a piece of white paper to show the dark, used colour and then check it when I get the car back to make sure it is clean oil. I also mark anything like the air filter with a felt tip to make sure that gets changed as well. You probably have realised by now that I don't trust them. I have experienced main dealer issues in the past and they certainly charge far too much to not do something that they are supposed to do. Last service they videoed a faulty tyre to show me it needed to be replaced but I had that done at my local tyre garage a lot cheaper. I was also puzzled by how quickly they did the service considering how many items needed doing when they had spent so much time making the video of the tyres!

[Sandgrounder]

My QQ is booked in for its first MOT in a couple of weeks time and it will also have its 3rd service (classed as a minor service).

I checked my wiper blades this morning and noticed one of them has started to split. Will get that sorted just in case.

Not really used my car a great deal over the last couple of months, for obvious reasons. I think maybe 50 miles a month at the moment! Just passed 10,000 miles. Hopefully not much to attend to?

[Geordieman]

Sandgrounder our battery failed because the car wasn't being used due to the virus restrictions. Got a new one off the RAC under warranty. He said there is too much tech on the car for the dodgy batteries that were being fitted. He suggested using the car 3 times a week on a half hour drive to keep it charged up.

[Sandgrounder]

Thanks for that, Geordieman. I had the dreaded FIAMM battery replaced free of charge in September last year by the RAC. Touch wood, all good so far!

Sandgrounder our battery failed because the car wasn't being used due to the virus restrictions. Got a new one off the RAC under warranty. He said there is too much tech on the car for the dodgy batteries that were being fitted. He suggested using the car 3 times a week on a half hour drive to keep it charged up.