Failure!

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Wooscary
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Failure!

Post by Wooscary »

Car failed MOT the other day.

1: Emissions - bah! It's an 18 year old diesel, it's a wonder it doesn't kill children as it passes by.

2: Headlight alignment - how has this changed since last time? Argh!

3: Burst pipe in nearside rear corner - Can't have been high pressure as there was still fluid in the tank?

So, as I was having a busy few days and was also freezing by this time (I watched them do it), so left it there for them to tinker.

Took them a few days, but got a call to say it's done, they've put a copper sleeve on the pipe (I believe this is a fair bodge?), done everything else and it has an MOT. Fifty quid plus the MOT seemed quite reasonable.

Just annoying as I'd have had a go at those bits myself if my week was panning out differently. Oh well. Picking it up tomorrow.
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Philip Chidlow
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Post by Philip Chidlow »

Not a bad result! How did they make it pass emissions OK?
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Post by Wooscary »

It certainly made me smile. :D

They did an oil and filter (which I'd done pretty recently, but it has done 296000 miles, so probably needs them more often!). It's been running around town a lot recently so was probably just filthy.
Mothman

Post by Mothman »

Proper job,

all ok for another year then. Hope its trouble free for you.

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Post by Dollywobbler »

With a diesel, I always recommend an 'Italian tune up' before the test, ie take it for a good foot-down blat to blow all the soot out. Air filter condition is crucial too. Can't really see that an oil and oil filter change would improve anything.

Copper pipe bodging seems fair enough in my book, as long as you don't end up with more copper than rubber. For a start, it'll triple the value of your car in the eyes of pikeys!
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Post by Wooscary »

I'm a fan of the old Italian too, not sure how effective it would be to take it out on to a fast road and then have to battle back in to the city centre though?

I'm happy for it to get fresh oil (annoying that I wouldn't normally dream of paying someone to do it for me!), but I see what you mean. It had a new air filter last week.

Is it worrying that the second I got back when it had failed, first thing I do is go on Ebay to look at other cars just in case, but all the cars I looked at were BXs? :D
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Post by citroen7 »

why does an 18yr old car have to do an emmissions test?over here provided you do not belch out black smoke you pass (that is over a certain age which i forget)
This then begs the question why the difference ?
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Post by Wooscary »

Why indeed. But it did belch out black smoke, so either way...
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Post by MULLEY »

Its not an emissions test that would have been done, its called a smoke test, but i'm guessing that most people just call it an emissions test by default. Italian tune-up is the way to go to clear out all the crap thats in the exhaust system.
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Post by Wooscary »

Yes, it's a kind of brand name for the process I suppose.
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Post by Tim Leech »

Like Ian I always take my cars for a good thrash before MOT time, the ZX failed the MOT first time (it was a petrol) because it had been used for short journeys and the cat wasnt doing its job. One thrash down the A 38 and back in 4th gear and hey presto.

Its quite interesting to see the diesel part exhanges come in that havent done many miles, as soon as the salesman gives it a boot full the smoke is quite spectacular!
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Post by philhod »

With any diesel it is crucial that the engine is at full temperature when the test is done. There is nothing wrong with giving it a good blast first but mainly to have a good temperature.
Millers diesel clean in the tank for at least a week before always makes sure the injectors are at optimum, another cause of poor emmissions.
The other main cause is little use and only very short journeys.
My Picasso recently failed for this reason. I took it round the block a few times, got it really warm then re tested.
Before it read 3.3 (limit is 3.0) After it dropped to 2.4, well inside.
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Post by Wooscary »

Mine was reading 4.4 and it was toasty! Oh dear.
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Post by toddao »

Glad it's got MOT now anyway. What was 'the burst pipe' in 'nearside rear corner?' - brake, suspension? Or just a return? And how did they repair it with a copper sleeve?
When the headlights are out of adjustment here I have a spanner handy and set them up using the gauges at the TÜV testing station.
How did they sort the emissions then?

The main thing is that it's through and wasn't such a cash hit!
Todd


this yellow writing is really hard to read
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Post by scooters »

Dollywobbler wrote:With a diesel, I always recommend an 'Italian tune up' before the test, ie take it for a good foot-down blat to blow all the soot out. Air filter condition is crucial too. Can't really see that an oil and oil filter change would improve anything.

Copper pipe bodging seems fair enough in my book, as long as you don't end up with more copper than rubber. For a start, it'll triple the value of your car in the eyes of pikeys!

Lol ...Italian tune up!!

Did that to th wifes 1996 subaru legacy quad cam last weekend..m74 nice long hill, car was a bit rough after 3 months of town driving. press the power button and floor it up the hill leaving the tailgating audi for dust. Now running beautifully....works for petrol cars as well!

:D :D
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