Mot Failure Emissions - Readings Are Way Out (To Quote The Garage)

[Hheppy 9 1 Cars]

A sad day, Garage rang to say everything else is fine, but the emissions are miles out.

 

my car is a 1992 K reg 1.9 pre CAT and power steering.

 

Only changes since last MOT are that I have fitted a standard exhaust system on it having got sick of the Magnex big bore job.

 

Any comments and expertise very welcome, I appreciate I am asking a lot and my technical knowledge is low

 

Thank you in advance.

 

Andrew

[chipstick 382 1 Cars]

Has it been sat around?

 

An Italian tune up may sort it.

[Hheppy 9 1 Cars]

No, I ve been using it quite a bit this year, since March anyway, it was sat for 3 weeks (until mid June) but have used it since then and no problem at all.

 

excuse my ignorance, what is an Italian tune up?

 

cheers

[jackherer 543]

What test are they using? As it's a K reg they will probably give it a cat test unless you specifically prove to them it is a pre cat model and it will fail that every time.

[Tom Fenton 1,542]

Agree with the above re: cat emissions test.

 

Do you have the emissions test printout with the figures the car has obtained?

 

Italian tune up is another way of saying take it for a damn good beating round the lanes to give it a good clear out. Sometimes can help little used cars but if they are testing yours as per a CAT car then it won't pass that test no matter how much you thrash it round.

[Hheppy 9 1 Cars]

It is a pre cat model and has passed previous MOT's with a dirty great 3 inch big bore monstrosity attached to it, presumably if they then switch to the pre cat type of test it should pass.

 

I got the feeling they were trying to tell me that it should have a cat and they were going to check!

 

How do I go about proving otherwise.

 

cheers.

[Hheppy 9 1 Cars]

Hi,

 

I haven't got the printout, I am at work and they rang me to tell me, said they would do some checking, I am not sure if he has tested as a cat, but that sounds very likely to me.

 

It had a good run on the way to the garage this morning, about 10 miles, I told them to check with the garage that did it last year, am hoping that they re check it based on pre cat testing and it passes as I say, the only change is back to a standard exhaust, now it was rebuilt by LAD some years ago, but they are happy for the standard pipework to go back on, I checked before I had that done.

 

I will try and find out from him on what basis they carried out the test, Cat or non - Cat

 

cheers

[Hheppy 9 1 Cars]

Yes, he was testing as Cat, so now has tested as non Cat and no problems - Happy Days!!

 

Might go for an Italian Tune on the strength of it tonight before all the roads in Yorkshire are closed for the Tour De France Grande depart this week!!

 

thanks for all the suggestions, really appreciate it.

 

Andrew

[scbond 15 1 Cars]

If any testing garage tests a pre-cat car as a cat car then it's time to start taking it elsewhere. I had the criteria sheet for emissions tests a few years ago and it's just a flow diagram starting with the age of the car.

[Ryan 99]

It's a bit difficult when the car is right on the cut-off point though because you end up dealing with build date vs registration date, plus you could often buy a cat car some months before the change, and there are some exceptions for certain models made 1992-96. It's an easy enough mistake, and I wouldn't stop using a garge as long as they admitted it was a mistake and re-tested it.

[Hheppy 9 1 Cars]

Yes I have a 92 K plate and it is registered in August so that is what caused the issue. It was MOT'd last year with a full magnex system on, but I swapped it for a standard system as I couldn't stand the noise, that certainly had no cat on it so was a point I made quite clearly.

 

All sorted out now so happy again!!!