Help...MOT coming up...I need to lower emissions..

Chally_Rai · Post by **Chally_Rai** » Mon Jul 28, 2008 11:06 am

Hi,

Does anyone know about preparing your car for the MOT emissions test to give it the best chance of passing? Save fluttering my eyelashes!

Mine failed last time....and then 'passed'

but I am not sure I will have the same luck this time.

I have heard about lots of things, like cleaning the engine, lowering 'ignition time' to make the engine burn hotter. Ragging it around before the test...also changing spark plugs? (I've no idea why that would make a difference!)

I am planning to sell it to a mate after it passes, so I can't be buying a catalytic converter, I just don't have the money

So want to give her the best chance I can....

I also have to make the handbrake more effective but will try going to the bible for info on how to do that.

any help would be mucho appriciado

Rach

retro · Post by **retro** » Mon Aug 04, 2008 12:32 am

Have a look at your spark plugs, if they're all in good condition (dry and light brown is good) and it's running well enough and (not smoking or drinking loads of petrol) then I wouldn't bother changing anything.

Take it for a good hard blast down the motorway, especially if it does a lot of stop-start driving around town. Do that right before the test so that when you drop it off everything is well and truly up to operating temperature.

If the rear brakes are in good condition and you just need to tighten the handbrake, there's an adjuster nut behind the handle, underneath the ashtray.

Good luck.

BeezerDiesel · Post by **BeezerDiesel** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 5:42 am

As above, all good advice.

Take it for a quick blast up through the gears too. My little GT spends it's time running around town and every so often gets really lumpy so I blast it though the gears quickly and it revs much more smoothly afterwards.
Sometimes you can really see the soot being blasted out of the exhaust after a few weeks of just running around at low revs.

Chally_Rai · Post by **Chally_Rai** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 5:31 pm

I'm afraid she never made it to the emissions test, due to a dodgy exhaust and leaky fuel pipe. Ahem.

Anyone want a 1ltr polo for Â£80?

Torq-Al · Post by **Torq-Al** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 6:45 pm

Chally_Rai wrote:I'm afraid she never made it to the emissions test, due to a dodgy exhaust and leaky fuel pipe. Ahem.

Anyone want a 1ltr polo for Â£80?

That should be an easy & cheap fix, anything else?

For Â£80, i'd have it! Be there in 15 mins!

Chally_Rai · Post by **Chally_Rai** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 7:16 pm

Nah that wasn't it...it needs new brake hoses, pipes, a couple of discs and pads. And I think the rear wheel bearing needed adjusting.

Are you seriously interested? If you are it's MOT runs out on Monday, I was going to take it to the scrappy for Â£80 I think they give, what I do need to do is change it's wheels back, unless you are interested in the alloys too....lol

If you want to know more about what it failed on let me know and ill give you the list, probably ok for someone who knows mechanics, but I don't really have the time to sort her out, I have way too much else to think about.... I am going travelling abroad.... I was going to sell her not keep her.

Torq-Al · Post by **Torq-Al** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 7:23 pm

I would love to have a little mk3 coupe, however i'd probably get murdered by the 'other half' if I got another project, she already says I spend more on the car than her!

It will be a shame for it to be scrapped, is it not economic for you to fix & sell? Or is it the time & travelling?

Chally_Rai · Post by **Chally_Rai** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 9:03 pm

you can't just get the car's hopes up like that and then let her down!

She actually thought for a second then that she might live again, have you no shame?!?!

It wouldn't be economic enough....I've been quoted 4 hours work at the garage, plus parts (ftom them) would cost quite a bit, they quoted A LOT for parts, I am sure I could get them cheaper but still....I'd have to pay for the labour and something for parts, it is hassle aswell, around work and sorting things out I just don't have the time or energy, had the garage quoted less I'd have done it but with the chance I wouldn't even make any profit from getting her fixed it just woldn't be worth it, if I had the time to get some friends together around the haynes manual and source cheaper parts, and if I actually needed the car, then yeah I think I would give it a go. Tis a shame really

I could have actually ended up learning quite a bit about mechanics! hehe