Failed MOT on emissions

[Spen]

Just had my FD mot'd and it has failed on CO emissions, it got 4.41, limit is 3.50. HC were 631.
Anyone have any ideas how I can get it down?
Its completly stock and has had a rebuild just under 5k ago.
The car has been stood the best part of a year and only started up now and again and not really taken on a run untill the past week where it has been run every day and redlined a couple of times. I told the MOT tester this and he thinks the exhaust may be blocked up a bit and recommends me to give it a thrashing over the weekend and take it back to him monday morning.
Could that cure the problem? What else would I need to look at lamda sensor,cat?

Any advice would be much appreciated

[Marky B]

Could be a cat problem, check the air pump is working an check the clutch on the pulley for it is free moving (obviously with the engine off lol). also check all the plugs too an from it. Then check the air pump relay which is located in the front relay box.

Well they're the first things I'd check anyway :driving

Good luck

Mark

[Rene7FD]

Also, when the test was done, was the cat properly hot?
When a cat is not hot is doesn't do much. So before taking it back to him, heat up the cat thoroughly by doing at least a 10 minute drive, and then test before the cat has a chance to cool down.

[Rixio]

Im pretty sure if its a pre95 it doesnt need to pass emissions anyway!

[alban1973]

if your car has a cat on it then the figure should be .5% if it is totally standard, if no cat is fitted then your 3.5% will be ok. as long as the car is well serviced, new plugs, all the filters new i would check you lambda sensor you could try giving it a clean, or just get anotherone....try that first.

[Devil's Refugee]

Depending on where you go for your MoT, some performance workshops have a convoluted pipe set up where they remove the centre section, connect up a system of cats to bring down the emissions, do the test, then replace your original items.

[DC-TYPER]

we have a problem at my place with the gdi engine(mitsibushi) in the old volvo s40's. they get coked up and fail on emmisions. we solve this by driving it at high revs for a while. clears it up a bit

[RE:Worx]

turn your idle up to 1000-1100 rpm, this makes the air pump more efficient and they normally pass then.

Geff

[vxer]

turn your idle up to 1000-1100 rpm, this makes the air pump more efficient and they normally pass then.

Geff

They have to do idle and fast idle test at the MOT place anyway...

Just for the record, even if you have an imported, pre 95 car it still has to go through MOT emissions testing, its just that you get the non cat test instead of the cat test.

Ta, Paul.

edit: 3.5 Co2 is the non-cat limit

[Initial-D]

Somebody was saying to me that the emissions tests are changing in October, anybody heard about this?

[Rixio]

They have to do idle and fast idle test at the MOT place anyway...

Just for the record, even if you have an imported, pre 95 car it still has to go through MOT emissions testing, its just that you get the non cat test instead of the cat test.

Ta, Paul.

edit: 3.5 Co2 is the non-cat limit

Pip told me that they dont even test pre95 fd's!!!

[vxer]

Pip told me that they dont even test pre95 fd's!!!

Not true. All cars must go through emissions testing in the UK, its just that some (i.e imported pre 95 cars) get the more leanient non-cat test.

However, the non-cat bounds are very leanient: i passed easily with no cats whatsoever, and running the very rich apexi PFC base map.

Ta, Paul.

[johnf]

Spen - email me

johnfrench@blueyonder.co.uk

[probedb]

Hmm, that is a bit odd. Mine is stock apart from exhaust/intakes and had an MOT this week; CO was 0.00%, HC was 30ppm!!

[kev-yorks]

Hmm, that is a bit odd. Mine is stock apart from exhaust/intakes and had an MOT this week; CO was 0.00%, HC was 30ppm!!
Fuel consumption must be good your running on frest air!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kevin

[neil97rs]

i had real problems with my p reg 97 on emissions

took it to rx Heaven and they have a new cat in the workshop they fitted that took it to a local MOT station it passed put my exhaust back on HEY PRESTO one mot


( not technically legal would have failed a road side emmissions )

[Mave]

Fuel consumption must be good your running on frest air!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Kevin
??? doesn't it just mean its not running rich, ie all the fuel goes to CO2 rather than CO?

[Ricco_04]

I used to get 0% co and 26 HC's on mine :D