MOT Exhaust emissions fail - New Lambda - is this fair?

samcat_2

MOT just failed on exhaust emissions... apparently, according to the garage, standards are higher now and alot of MOTs are failing because of it.

I have been quoted for a new Lambda at £53 and Labour at £43

Have also been quoted £16 for 2 non-brand wiper blades.

EasilyAggravated

depends what car it is, give us some more info

chirpy007

Get the blades from Wilkinsons at a fraction of the price

samcat_2

EasilyAggravated wrote:

depends what car it is, give us some more info

10 year old BMW328i SE
The Garage seem to be honest and reasonable,... but as this Lambda is a completely new thing for me... thought I'd best check

EasilyAggravated

the lambda sensor is located in the exhaust, it constantly checks the exhaust emmisions and alters the fuel mixture.

the £53 for the sensor seems about right but the £43 for labour is a bit steep considering its only a 5 minute job to change. i paid a mechanic £20 to fit a new suspension leg to my car. that would have taken him a lot longer.

samcat_2

Thanks EA :T ... I'll question them about the amount of time it takes to fit the sensor

Moneymaker

EasilyAggravated wrote:

the £53 for the sensor seems about right but the £43 for labour is a bit steep considering its only a 5 minute job to change

Depends. My son has spent 2 hours so far trying to get the lambda sensor out of his Cavalier GSi manifold. It's seized in really solid. He managed to get it to move a fraction by heating the pipe with a blowtorch but he's going to have to buy a proper hex ring spanner. The bi-hex simply won't touch it. This presupposes that he can get in with a spanner. It looks as if he might have to remove the manifold!

So far it hasn't been a 5 minute job!

EasilyAggravated

Moneymaker wrote:

Depends. My son has spent 2 hours so far trying to get the lambda sensor out of his Cavalier GSi manifold. It's seized in really solid. He managed to get it to move a fraction by heating the pipe with a blowtorch but he's going to have to buy a proper hex ring spanner. The bi-hex simply won't touch it. This presupposes that he can get in with a spanner. It looks as if he might have to remove the manifold!

So far it hasn't been a 5 minute job!

if its seized then he needs something stronger than a blow torch. tell him to be careful he doesnt snap it because if that happens then its a new exhaust he'll need. its not a job i would do myself thats for sure. it requires some serious heat to loosen it.

blue_haddock

Price doesn't seem too bad for the sensor or the fitting - the chap who says he paid £20 to change a suspension leg was almost certainly a cash backhander.

Remember he needs to get the car up on the ramps, remove the old sensor connect the new sensor to the wiring then reattach the sensor into the exhaust and then check everything over prior to dropping the car off the ramps.

EasilyAggravated

blue_haddock wrote:

Price doesn't seem too bad for the sensor or the fitting - the chap who says he paid £20 to change a suspension leg was almost certainly a cash backhander.

Remember he needs to get the car up on the ramps, remove the old sensor connect the new sensor to the wiring then reattach the sensor into the exhaust and then check everything over prior to dropping the car off the ramps.

was far from being a cash backhander and i find it insulting that you could accuse people of doing such things without knowing them.
just for your information, the job went through his books. and as i supplied the suspension leg, he only charged me for fitting it.

donnalove

check around and don't always except the price garage has quoted you if that is where you had your mot.

also it may not be the lambda sensor, my car (escort) failed its mot in april, a freind of hubby's(hubby does work in motor trade but not mechanical side) told him it is normally the lambda sensor when emmissions fail, so hubby got a new 1 and fitted it, we took it back for retest and it still failed this time higher than the first time.we took it to hubby's freind who put it on a tester and it turned out the cat had failed and we had to have a new cat(but mine was under warrenty)

if your cars been on the tester and that showed it was the lambda sensor then fine. the price quoted for changing it does sound a bit steep(it took my hubby less than half hour to fit)the price for the lambda sensor is average.