MOT, I'm gutted

[M80]

MOT today, the 1st day to preserve the anniversary date.
In preparation I've been round the Viano checking for anything that might be an issue.

On arrival Rick my usual chap said "look at the VIN plate emissions, you don't want to keep this for long as it's not easy to pass at that". It specifies 0.1 "Bl00dy ridiculous" is his view.

0.39 was the best we could achieve. He then spends the next 10 minutes revving the ballcocks off it to get the oil temp up to 60 degrees, "it won't make any difference" he declares. It didn't.

So for those Greenies my Viano is a dirty polluter and it should be scrapped.
I was reluctant to move up from the 646 engine to the 651 due to its well documented gremlins, but those emission's for the 646 would be seen as attractive.

This sort of kick in the gonads really does destroy the will to try and meet legislative demands.

 

[curious]

0.1? This is the value in the little box on the VIN plate?
Your presumably being held to that value because it's the lower of that and either 1.5 (after Jul 08) or 0.7 (after Jan 14).

It's virtually expecting the air out to be cleaner than the air in.

You got me in a panic with mine and I've since checked. Mine's a OM646 (2007) and 2.1 in the VIN box. It achieved 0.61 at it's MOT in August, which is half as much again as your value.

You're being forced off the road whereas I'm allowed to continue. As you say, it makes life very difficult to keep on the right side of the legislation.

 

[curious]

What if the VIN plate 'fell off'? Is the emission value held centrally on the MOT systems?

 

[M80]

I have just read that if the tester can't find the VIN plate with the scrappage designing emissions spec the value used for the test should be 0.7

If that is the simple 'work' around I wonder if taxis still have theirs.

 

[Rory]

Mine has a 0.9 in a double square boxes in the bottom left corner of the VIN plate - I don't know if that's for emissions as the guides say it's usually on the right in single box.

For my age of car the default value is 3.0, and the indie I use tests it at that, although oddly the MOT before last he used the post 2008 default of 1.5 and it only just passed that.

 

[Gazwould]

All is not lost , this alone halved the smoke opacity mean mot test on my 18 year old derv .

 

[d215yq]

As a last resort can you try it on sunflower oil? Mine went from 2.4 (limit =2.5) to 0.2 (with an extra 20k miles inbetween) by just putting 90% sunflower oil in the week before test. The year after I took it in for a "pre-MOT" where the garage pre check and then take it to an MOT for you rather than you take it yourself (the system is different here)...no subnflower oil and it was back up to 2.0 and that was after they had put 20 quid of special "stop smoke" stuff in the tank when it failed the preliminary test...

Sure, on a CDi the sunflower oil might damage it but if you are needing to scrap it anyway due to this problem why not run it as low as possible, chuck in 10L sunflower oil, hopefully get a pass and then fill up immeidately with diesel?..., you'd be unlucky to blow it up in such a short time. Also on mine if you remove the air filter for the test that helps so maybe does the same on yours?

 

[joderest]

don't know if any help, on my ML270, for another reason i fitted an oil catch can into the line between emissions filter and turbo, it stopped an oil leak, however, by product was it reduced the emissions at the last MOT, down quite a bit from year before when the catch can was not fitted.
I feel your pain.

 

[Rory]

Are you sure the 0.1 figure is correct? I just looked at wife's EU6 2015 VW Tiguan and that's got 0.5 on the VIN plate.

What happened on previous MOTs - they've been doing this test for a few years now?

 

[M80]

Tbh the thought of scrapping a healthy 2014 motor I bought in September for many, many ,000's doesn't compute.

The 0.1 in a double square box is correct, it being reasonable or even a design to fail spec is a pointless consideration as it's set in legislative stone.

I've used Millers at increasing quantities since purchase. The last dose was approx 25% more than recommended. The engine starts easily and runs smoothly. It had it's last regen on Thursday and not been used much since.
Imo replacing injectors, cleaning DPF and EGR aren't likely to bring this down to 0.1. And I would imagine that a cleaner DPF would only allow more cr*p through anyway.
Then the thought of spending oodles of dosh and expending great effort, in the 'hope' it will work, doesn't compute either.

I returned to the MOT station for a chat.
He needs to see a VIN plate or report it. If I cover the 0.1 he has no right to remove the covering and wouldn't be concerned, but too late this time and he wouldn't remember next year.
He suggests that if I disguise the 0.1 in some way to get it tested elsewhere.

Is there a VIN plate anywhere else beside the passenger B pillar?

 

[M80]

I have last years MOT, but no smoke test. It was a pass.
The only other MOT I have is from Jan 2018, that's prior to the more stringent limit. That was at 0.51
It may be I've found the reason for the seller selling.

 

[joderest]

Hi
Just curiosity, my ML270 has its yearly "PITA" inspection early next month. Just had a look and found a little sticker on the drivers side door frame, in a little box it states "0.8".
Does that mean my old lump can push out 8 times more than your vehicle and pass emissions ?
Does not seem fair really, i think, but not sure it was recorded at 0.39 last year.

 

[mioba]

Perhaps a run on a premium fuel and some fuel injector cleaner?

Good luck with it.

 

[M80]

Perhaps a run on a premium fuel and some fuel injector cleaner?

Good luck with it.

It's had the injector cleaner, the Millers.
I am open to using other cleaner/s, and other cleaning solutions.

A problem is that I had the MOT a month early to take advantage of the grace period. Really to beat the snow that is usual here in January.

The emissions failure is a 'major' and so now I am illegal to be on the road. I'm not sure what powers the police might have, but imagine the insurance would see it as a get out.

It is difficult to respect this as reasonable, rather just fear the consequences of environmentalists shouting I should buy a new motor and scrap my evil Viano.

 

[mioba]

I use redex in my cars once a year. not sure if it makes any difference.

take it for a thrashing then drive direct into your retest.

Perhaps also fresh air filters.

No mot = no road tax = no insurance. all linked so you will and have hit these cascading brick walls

 

[ajlsl600]

Sorry to read it. Bloxxx grim reading.. And why I am looking at mot/zero rd tax motors. Found a nice 64 minx for 4 k. Thinkin on that. The number of belchin old diesels here in France makes me wonder how they do CT.

 

[Blobcat]

Sorry to read it. Bloxxx grim reading.. And why I am looking at mot/zero rd tax motors. Found a nice 64 minx for 4 k. Thinkin on that. The number of belchin old diesels here in France makes me wonder how they do CT.

The French way... agree to all the rules, complain bitterly when others don’t follow them, then completely ignore them themselves...

 

[Rory]

The emissions failure is a 'major' and so now I am illegal to be on the road.

The current MOT remains valid until expiry. However the vehicle may be considered unroadworthy but highly unlikely to be an issue that would be acted on by plod.

 

[ajlsl600]

The French way... agree to all the rules, complain bitterly when others don’t follow them, then completely ignore them themselves...

I feel related!!!!! That's wot brits don't get about brexit. And we have a number of French friends. Of all EU member states the records show the French by a country mile! Followed by Germans are the worst for ignoring EU regulation/law that they don't like. Brits mistake not staying in and doing same!!!! The frech in particular make barely any effort to hide it. Marcon makes me laugh, up on telly telling brits they can't cherry pick the EU rules, whist his lot do Exactly that...

 

[Bubble]

Cover the 0.1 number with a small piece of black insulation tape and then take it to a different MOT station, where it will be tested to the higher default limit.

Some just scratch it out with a screw driver......