The Octava is of for its first MOT this weekend. I don't expect it to fail, but i've never motted a diesel before.
It will be getting a tank full of somebody or other's premium diesel this evening, I will be 'making progress' the long way to and from work and it will get an italian tune-up before the test on saturday morning.
any other hints or suggestions ?
ta
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No advice in particular, but my 1.9TD Xsara scraped through last week after failing initially on the emissions test, even though I gave it a good Italian Tuneup on the way there.
Turned out to be the air filter - it was supposed to be replaced last year but was full of muck, so suspect the garage given the job just ignored it. It was a free service given with the car, but was supposed to have been done in the service book.
So fitting a new air filter might be worthwhile - other than that, it's common sense like checking bulbs and so on. Clean the car beforehand, if I was a mechanic I'd be inclined to fail a mucky car on something where a sparkling car might have got the benefit of the doubt.
If you have a Haynes manual, there's an MOT checklist at the back covering everything you need to know.
Dunno what engine you have, but if the cambelt's coming up to a change, might be worth getting it done before the MOT given the high speeds they run the engine at. Made me wince to listen to mine - it only reaches those speeds with normal driving once every couple of months.
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Think you have it covered, ONly suggestion I have is to walk away while its being done, its a painful experience to hear the poor thing being thrashed for the emmisions test.
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Give the tank a swig of redex diesel treatment before hand. Always leaves the MOT tester astonished as to how my 11 year old pug 306 runs so clean! Never failed an emissions test yet.
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As jesse suggest the air filter is also worth a check. Around this time of the year, mines usually sucks up leaves.
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there's the rub - do I want to sit there while they rev the nads off it under no load ?
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The simple answer would be no. It's like when I let mum drive my car. I'd rather not know how she's driven it ;-)
In this case, I'd prefer to remain ignorant...although some would argue I am in every case...
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Adam
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I do hope your mum isn't going to do my mot test...
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Probably not the best idea Mike. That being said, she's a fantastic cook, cleaner, ironer (is that a word?)...
:-)
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Adam
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Surely there must be a better test than can be done on diesels. Like RF, I hate to hear the poor engine being revved under no load up to the rev limiter.
Wonder how other countries test their diesel?
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I own two diesels , Astra 1.7 TD [L reg] [Izuzu] and a Vectra 2.0DI [R reg] and both fly through their MOT. The secret , is possibly changing the air filter a day or two before the MOT and taking them for a long spin just before testing time. The Astra has 179 k on the clock and is still going strong .Of course , regular oil and filter changes are a must in any case.
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Errrmm, can anyone say for definite what the situation is ( liability-wise ) if an MOT test wrecks your engine, espec if it can be shown it has been serviced to spec and on time ?
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Desparate Land Rover drivers (i.e. farmers who simply don't maintain them) just add 30% parafin to the fuel. The 2.25 diesel passes the test producing about 20hp!
If you have a much-loved high mileage diesel, you can take it to a Bosch/Lucas specialist, and give them a fiver to turn down the max speed stop on the fuel pump. You can limit the engine to 2500 rpm, and anything will pass....then reverse the procedure. Risks of Cam belt failure are reduced tremendously too.
Finally, make sure its tested with a warmed engine, as soon as you deliver car to the garage.
Tim
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My Land Rover has done 120000 miles and has just sailed through the emission test.
I always use Shell diesel, and before the test I give it a good run.
In my opinion farmers maintain their vehicals as well as any other people, and I have never heard of any farmers who put paraffin in to pass the MOT.
In very cold weather farmers may put paraffin in their tractors to stop them waxing, but putting paraffin in road going vehicals would be illegal, and we would not do this would we?
Incidently it is mechanics who bodge and don't maintain their cars, IMHO.
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In my opinion farmers maintain their vehicals as well as any other people,
Not some of the ones I've worked on!!
The case that springs to mind is the Ford Cortina that came in for a front tyre which had a slow puncture. As I took the wheel off, I had a quick look at the brakes and suspension behind it. As I took hold of the track rod, to check the track rod end, it parted company!! The joint was so worn it just came apart, leaving just the stubby ball on the upright! Lethal!
Needless to say, I put a new track rod end on, and had a quick look round the rest of the suspension and steering before it went out.
number_cruncher
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It's just your hard luck i'm afraid. The garage has no liability whatsoever for any engines that go bang.
He should check that the oil is up to operating temperature before starting the test though.If he doesn't then maybe some compensation might be in order if the worst happens.
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There is a warning notice saying they are going to thrash your engine, thats it might be wrecked if not properly maintained, and offering you the chance to turn round and go home.
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Is there anything to stop me putting a mechanical stop on the accelerator cable/pedal, to cut the maximum revs achievable? Is it illegal? Wouldn't it arouse suspicion if the engine only gets up to, say, 3,000 rpm?
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Is there anything to stop me putting a mechanical stop on the accelerator cable/pedal, to cut the maximum revs achievable? Is it illegal? Wouldn't it arouse suspicion if the engine only gets up to, say, 3,000 rpm?
I don't know what you're worried about. Providing the vehicle has been properly maintained, and has had cambelt changes at the recommended intervals, then there *should* be no problem in letting the tester rev the engine. MOT diesel tests are carried out every day of the week. How often do you hear mention of people's engines going pop?
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there is nothing to stop you limiting the engine speed by limiting pedal travel or by cable length .as I stated in a previous thread at 3000rpm in top gear and car speed = over 70mph therefore you are only limiting speed to the legal limit,as long as it isnt loose even a block under the pedal would do ,the examiner must not touch it or alter engine speed they may not like it but have to accept it
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Hi there
I know this wont help you but.
When i take my cars for a MOT i put aircraft fuel in the car .This does not even register on the emissions leaving the mechanic thinking his machine is broken ,ultimately you leave with certificate while he strips his machine down
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Ha ha. I like that!
The best advice I can pass on is a few days before the MOT, take the car for a good blow out. Not easy in this age of speed cameras and road humps (won't open that subject up now...)
A friend bought a a Peugeot 305 diesel from auction in the late 1980's and on the way home commented on the amount of smoke it was emitting. He was naturally annoyed to put it politely that he had appeared to have bought a duffer. So he proceded to thrash it and after a few good thrashings it seemed to clear and was then smoke free.
The engine in these was the venerable XUD unit, not sure how this policy of thrashing the engine would work with an HDi with its cat and everything.
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Isn't aircraft fuel parrafin?
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JohnD. Think you will find its a more refined version/grade.
Would agree with DD. If motor is well looked after see no reason why you have to worry..I often take my diesel engine to governer point. then ease off. OK not where any cameras around..But then consider van drivers do it all the time.Rare to see one broken down!
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Steve
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Since I regularly perform the role of the 'boy' for my Mot tests when told to rev it hard I ensure that it only goes to 4k (red line starts at 4250 on XUD Turbo BX. Not an issue, the test gear does not apparently measure (display?) rpm anyway for diesel test or am I wrong? I guess that it could measure rpm from pulsing of exhaust gases, but I have never seen a connection to engine to measure rpm. (anyway what could they connect to on an old diesel anyway?
pmh (was peter)
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(anyway what could they connect to on an old diesel anyway?
Pre electonic diesel engine control, a clamp-on sensor which detected the deflection of the high pressure injector pipe as the pressure pulse passes was used to allow electronic speed indication for test purposes.
number_cruncher
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