Quick Golf question

[RZ1]

Quick question, need to replace an exhaust on a mate’s golf and trying to get quotes online, but not sure if it will have a cat. It’s v reg 2000 Golf GT TDI.
How can i find out without having a look underneath?

[PaulB81]

I thought that all cars have to have cats since waaay before 2000? (i may however be totally wrong)

[mcflurry]

AFAIK you don't "need" a cat. However if you can't pass the emmisions tests relating to the year of manufacture for your car then it's a fail.

[carl_w]

Do diesels have cats? I thought that they only had to pass a visible smoke test prior to a certain year.

[300bhp/ton]

carl_w said:

Do diesels have cats? I thought that they only had to pass a visible smoke test prior to a certain year.

Welcome to the UK

Where have you been living these past 20+ years or so?

[carl_w]

Never had a diesel old enough to MOT

[alfa pint]

Cats were introduced on all new cars in 1992.

Are you replacing the whole exhaust, or just part of it? The cat section is in the middle usually, one of the narrower expanded sections.

[barky]

petrol cars have had cats since 1990-ish ... this golf could well have a diesel oxidation catalyst though??

[300bhp/ton]

alfa pint said:

Cats were introduced on all new cars in 1992.

Are you replacing the whole exhaust, or just part of it? The cat section is in the middle usually, one of the narrower expanded sections.

Actually. Emission regs changed in 92/3 for petrol only cars. There is no mandate that says you must have a cat fitted, only that it should pass the type approval and MoT emission tests. If you can pass without a cat then fine.

Diesel emissions where also changed, but I don't know what year exactly. Same story if you can pass without a cat then fine. Early TD5 Land Rovers met the emission standards without a cat.

No idea about the Golf. Best idea is to crawl under and take a look.

[RZ1]

Think i may need to have a look underneath when i get home then, was hoping it would be a simple question.

[carl_w]

The metered smoke test has been conducted in EU countries for many years. During this test, a
calibrated smoke meter is used to assess the density of the smoke from compression ignition (diesel) engined vehicles. The engine will be accelerated up to governed speed and the smoke density measured.
Engines that emit very little smoke and achieve a meter reading of 1.5m-1 or less will pass the
test after the first acceleration. However, if the test is not passed on the first acceleration a
further two accelerations will be carried out. The average of the three acceleration readings
will be calculated and if the reading is at or below 2.5m-1 for non-turbocharged engines
or 3.0m-1 for turbocharged engines, the vehicle will pass this element of the test.