MOT problems every year

[ochten]

Went today to the local MOT. Every year are the emissionstesting the big problems. With the standard cats are the emissions (idle running) well over the limit. Only with 2500 RPM (alternative in Holland) just within the limits. If the engine is running to long idle, forget it alltogether. I first have to drive fast on the mainway, do some quick testing afterwards to stay within the limits. Sometimes are the values of the left exhaust to high then the other one.

Has everybody this problem with the yearly MOT?

Or are my Cats gone? The lambda's are working I think.

[Basil Brush]

Mine always struggles to get through the emissions test. I only put the cats in for the test so I know they are in good condition.

[swisstoni]

Best bet is to get it done when you get your yearly service done. I have gone down the other route of getting my local MOT place to do it, and whilst they got it done eventually I had to hold their hand every inch of the way.

MOTing a Tuscan is like reverse-engineering an alien spacecraft to the average MOT garage.

[m3coupe]

swisstoni said:

Best bet is to get it done when you get your yearly service done. I have gone down the other route of getting my local MOT place to do it, and whilst they got it done eventually I had to hold their hand every inch of the way.

MOTing a Tuscan is like reverse-engineering an alien spacecraft to the average MOT garage.

With you on that one! Took a garage I used 3 calls to me and 45 minutes to get into the bonnet then charged me £200 for the pleasure with the only work done some fuel additive and putting a T piece in the washer fluid pipes!

[drivingfroggy]

Initially had problems with my emissions, turned out that they were so good, the machine was switching to the next test automatically and the mechanic didn't notice. Took a few attempts with both of us watching the machine to figure it out. Before that though, my lambdas were fried and they just pumped in all the petrol in the world.

[Dutch_Cerbera]

ochten said:

Went today to the local MOT. Every year are the emissionstesting the big problems. With the standard cats are the emissions (idle running) well over the limit. Only with 2500 RPM (alternative in Holland) just within the limits. If the engine is running to long idle, forget it alltogether. I first have to drive fast on the mainway, do some quick testing afterwards to stay within the limits. Sometimes are the values of the left exhaust to high then the other one.

Has everybody this problem with the yearly MOT?

Or are my Cats gone? The lambda's are working I think.

If i am not mistaken, they actually test the mixture of the gas comming from the exhaust.
This can be too poor or too rich.
In case there is too much air in the gas, it might be that the connections of the different exhaust pipes are not completly stuck, i had this.
Was very very small but still they were there.

[AlanQ]

The best bet if you can, is to find a garage that lets you stay with the car whilst they do the MOT so you can "help" them a bit. For the emissions this year I had to gradually increase the revs whilst the mechanic kept hitting print on his machine. We then went through the printouts until we found one with the right numbers land he binned the rest.