July/August 2021

48 AFTERMARKET JULY/AUGUST 2021 MOT www.aftermarketonline.net Status Julian continued: “The equipment status lists are ordered by brand, approval number and then model. This is because some equipment suppliers have updated their equipment, software and/or hardware, but keep the same model numbers. This would mean only the newer approval number could be acceptable for use in the MOT scheme, so please ensure you check the equipment lists by the approval number. “The approval number will start EIN***********. All MOT approved equipment supplied to the market should have the EIN number clearly displayed on it, commonly adjacent to the serial number plate, the equipment will have also been supplied with a certificate of acceptance showing the model, serial number and approval number together with the VTS number to which it was originally registered.” Julian added: “Even if your equipment has been updated by an engineer after you purchased it, to add new features and options which effected the approval status then the engineer should have updated the EIN number label on the equipment and issued you and new certificate of acceptance for your MOT records.” Demand curve Commenting on the impact of the MOT exemption and more, Anthony McAteer, Trading Director at LKQ Euro Car Parts observed: “With last year’s six-month MOT exemption disrupting the typical peak testing season, garages have been riding the wave of a new demand curve over the last few months. But now, demand is at lower levels than we’d usually expect to see, meaning garages should focus on making the most of the cars on their ramp to replace and boost revenues. As we move closer into the summer months, there are two key considerations for garages to ensure they stay on top of the new normal MOT demand curve, and can tap into any opportunities to up-sell and bring in additional work. “Think about what sort of services vehicles might benefit from after sitting idle for so much of the past year. They may have developed faults whether they’re due for a MOT or not. Offering customers simple health checks can create opportunities to carry out basic fixes, such as fluid top-ups, tyre pressure adjustments and light checks, through to solving bigger problems such as flat batteries or corroded brakes. At the same time, garages should prepare for this year’s peak MOT season, which is now expected to fall between July to September as drivers whose tests were deferred in 2020 settle into a new schedule that’s likely to stay in place for the rest of their vehicles’ lifetimes. Getting ahead of demand will be key. “Proactively contacting customers whose MOTs are due can help garages to accurately plan resource, ensuring they have sufficient technician support available, while securing inbound business.” MOT Annual Training On the MOT Annual Training requirements, Anthony commented: “In a typical year, testers have until 30 April to complete and log their mandatory annual training and assessment, to ensure they’re up to date with the latest testing standards and can guarantee outstanding service and driver safety with every MOT. As well as being the right thing to do from a professional point of view, this will help to build trust, and will encourage customers to come back again in future. With the MOT demand curve having been disrupted, and peak season expected to land in September-October for the next few years, technicians may benefit from additional routine refresher courses to help them keep their knowledge and skills up to scratch throughout the year.” Anthony added: “At LKQ Euro Car Parts, we offer IMI- approved MOT training through our AutoEducation Academy – both full annual CPD and routine refresher courses. We also offer MOT bundles, that include a new MOT bay alongside training courses for the team. These can be paid for over time with our Easy Start Scheme.” Easily avoidable The volume of MOT work building up due to the effect of the exemption is large, as Mark Hallam, Marketing Manager, NGK Spark Plugs (UK) observed: “DSVA recently stated that following the issue of MOT exemption during the first lockdown, nearly two million cars may be being driven on UK roads without a certificate. When the vehicles that are due a MOT are eventually tested, many thousands will fail on emissions which will lead to increased demand for the replacement of Lambda sensors. Garages should be prepared to deal with the increase in demand by selecting and fitting NGK’s range of NTK Lambda sensors. A worn or failed sensor can result in drastically reduced control of the fueling system which could result in increased fuel consumption, uneven running, generally poor performance or failure of a MOT emission test.” So, an increasingly common cause of MOT failure is emissions, especially as emissions limits have been tightened over time, in particular for diesel engine vehicles. “The difficulty here,” said Mike Schlup, MD at Kalimex, the UK distributors of JLM Lubricants, “is that it is not easy for the motorist to check their vehicle emissions pre-MOT as this requires specialist equipment not available to the general public. “When it comes to beating the emissions test, Above: Hella lighting There are several aspects of lighting that one should be aware of when it comes to MOTs ”