MOT emissions fail.

cdbe said:
Your old Scudo is probably the same age as my old 2004 Berlingo Hdi - bumbled around town but never failed, not because it was particularly clean but because the test limit was 3 times higher - I always uses to chuck that printout away when it passed but I wonder now what sort of readings I was getting?
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You're right, same year - '54 plate. Mostly town sub 30 MPH driving, so poss not good for keeping things cleaner internally, though I try to get a bottle or two of Redex injector cleaner in the tank each year. Do notice how noxious the emissions on these old oil burners are when you stand next to it with engine running. Not pleasant, especially when compared to a modern diesel that seems to leave no trace of it's emissions. Suppose the only good thing is most of the worst of the older polluters have now been scrapped.
 
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DiyNutJob said:
Anyway back to the injector cleaners. I don't think they work given that the less than savoury testers are pushing them.
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I think they work, to what extent and whether some are better than others I don't know as I've never used them in isolation. My wife's car (same engine, age and plated limit of 1.0 - I'm lumbered with two of them!) failed in December with a reading of 1.20, I threw the book at it - oil and filter, air filter, extensive Italian tune up and a bottle of magic potion - at the retest two days later it achieved exactly 1.0 - I don't know how much each thing contributed to the reduction but even if the additive only made 1% of the reduction it was worth it - if it had failed again it was potentially scrap.

The testing centre I use is a local coach company who offer tests to the public to use their spare capacity; they did suggest an additive, but don't sell them, they didn't offer a pass in return for a bribe, and don't even charge full price for an MOT (£35).

Obviously in the future this is an ongoing cause of worry for me, tyres, brakes etc are fine and easy to fix whereas identifying and repairing a mechanical issue that is causing high emissions is not. I would like to find the fabled "dodgy MOT place" and have spent a lot of time asking blokes in pubs but none have come up with the goods - maybe you could provide details of your man?
Otherwise I've got my eye on a rough place up the road, you know the sort, littered with stripped cars and a queue of taxis outside - I might give it a try next year, I wonder what the drill is, maybe a brown envelope with £50 on the seat, and how they do it - the computer has to record a test - maybe they reverse up an old Micra and stick the probe up that exhaust?
 
I can only suggest a second opinion, in other words a different tester. I would be concerned if your car only passes after a magic potion.

My strategy over the years has been that I change tester as soon as an issue is raised by any of them. The logic is that if it's a genuine problem, two testers should come to the same conclusion. Raising a problem isn't a problem. My previous tester found a problem on my first test with him. He demonstrated the problem. So I gave him more business for a few years. As soon as his son shown interest in creating additional business, such as sanding the headlight lens, I moved again. I am currently with a no pass no pay tester. I watch them diligently. As soon as anything funny happens, I will be off again.
 
Having filled up a fuel filter with Forte diesel clean, I can confirm that it does work.....I could see the emissions coming down as the test continued.
I also find MOT testers very accommodating and completely reasonable, with no axe to grind. If there are any issues they ask me to inspect with them which I am very happy to do.
If I ask them to be particularly vigilant about some area, they do that too.
A good relationship with any garage or individual reaps dividends.
John
 
ReganAndCarter said:
You're right, same year - '54 plate. Mostly town sub 30 MPH driving, so poss not good for keeping things cleaner internally, though I try to get a bottle or two of Redex injector cleaner in the tank each year. Do notice how noxious the emissions on these old oil burners are when you stand next to it with engine running. Not pleasant, especially when compared to a modern diesel that seems to leave no trace of it's emissions. Suppose the only good thing is most of the worst of the older polluters have now been scrapped.
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Yup. That's why cats, DPFs, and AdBlue became mandatory!
 
ReganAndCarter said:
Mine does have a cat and EGR, but that's about it. Air quality must be much improved now these these types of vehicle are a tiny minority.
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It certainly has improved, but there are still plenty of Euro 4 (and earlier) diesels around. The DPF gets rid of the black smoke and most of the particulates, which has made a big improvement, but NOx emissions are still a problem. Even the earlier Euro 6 cars with AdBlue were only really compliant in the very narrow range of emissions that they check in the type approval test. Outside of that relatively narrow corridor, they could still be pretty filthy! Plus all the older cars with blanked-off EGR valves are actually puking even more of it out, than when they were new!
 
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