New MOT rules - bad news for some!

System

can you not bolt on and off a cat for the mot?
I did that for a while with my old mini - dpf delete will be a pain with a remap, I was so close to buying a densel with dpf recently and decided to go petrol instead, lucky escape I think!

Retrogamer

It would be more complicated with mines because my exhaust from the turbo back is a bigger bore than the standard system.
The cat is on the downpipe direct to the turbo as well and you need to drop the subframe to get it off so it can be annoying..

There's a few possible solutions so i'll get something sorted soon.

cepheus

The government has long dragged their heels on this, making a mockery of the very stringent type approval limits, and compromising air quality. I have no doubt this was ideological and deliberate since many Tory Ministers love the idea of renegade small businesses making a fast buck, and hate regulations which benefit wider society. No doubt their sub-urban and rural constituents would be pro-driving and less concerned about air pollution than those who live in the inner cities.

I notice Robert Goodwill replaced Stephen Hammond as roads minister back in October although this should have been in the pipeline for some time.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-rules-for-mot-to-test-for-diesel-particulate-filter

Legal requirements and the MoT test

From February 2014 the inspection of the exhaust system carried out during the MoT test will include a check for the presence of a DPF. A missing DPF, where one was fitted when the vehicle was built, will result in an MoT failure.

A vehicle might still pass the MoT visible smoke emissions test, which is primarily intended to identify vehicles that are in a very poor state of repair, whilst emitting illegal and harmful levels of fine exhaust particulate.

It is an offence under the Road vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations (Regulation 61a(3)) 1 to use a vehicle which has been modified in such a way that it no longer complies with the air pollutant emissions standards it was designed to meet. Removal of a DPF will almost invariably contravene these requirements, making the vehicle illegal for road use. The potential penalties for failing to comply. with Regulation 61a are fines of up to £1,000 for a car or £2,500 for a light goods vehicle.

Air pollution causes an estimated 29,000 early deaths in the UK, and has annual health costs of roughly £15 billion.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/263018/diesel-particulate-filters-guidance.pdf

cepheus

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.php?p=64143061&postcount=45


I agree it's difficult to determine if the DPF has been removed or even if should have one in some cases. The OBD should have been designed to sense pressure across the DPF.

Nodding_Donkey

Well if you follow my Disco it smells of chips

None of those nasty doozil smells here.

Lum

Retrogamer wrote: »

Arghhh...all the proposals i read online said DPF delete = fail for a diesel. No problem i thought as no mention of the cat. I seen the notification for MOT testers today and the cat being removed on a diesel will be a reason for failure as well.

A performance downpipe on my car with a cat on it isn't cheap

If it passes emissions and has something that looks like a cat then you'll be fine.

Here's the exhaust on my car, can you tell what both of those exhaust boxes do?

Retrogamer

Lum wrote: »

If it passes emissions and has something that looks like a cat then you'll be fine.

Here's the exhaust on my car, can you tell what both of those exhaust boxes do?

Looks like a well made performance exhaust system that's got 2 silencers in it. Mid and rear.

Mines only has one box on it at the moment and it's a straight through silencer on the backbox.

I think i've found the solution for my diesel now. Weld some cat heat shields to the exhaust, near the downpipe so on a visual inspection for the MOT it appears the cat is present.

Lum

Retrogamer wrote: »

Looks like a well made performance exhaust system that's got 2 silencers in it. Mid and rear.

You're correct, but how can you be certain that that first one isn't a cat?

Not that it matters with that car. It's from 1993 but has no type approval and no data on any UK system to show what it's supposed to have. It's also totally legit

Retrogamer

Lum wrote: »

You're correct, but how can you be certain that that first one isn't a cat?

The cat is usually much closer to the engine so it heats up easier and normally will have a lambda sensor attached to it, or after it as well (if it's a petrol engined car)

Lum wrote: »

Not that it matters with that car. It's from 1993 but has no type approval and no data on any UK system to show what it's supposed to have. It's also totally legit

Is it a jap import?

Lum

Retrogamer wrote: »

The cat is usually much closer to the engine so it heats up easier and normally will have a lambda sensor attached to it, or after it as well (if it's a petrol engined car)

And yet that silencer is in the same place the cat would be.

The lambda sensor is up in the engine bay, on the turbo elbow. I was amazed to find a lambda that wasn't a PITA to replace.

Is it a jap import?

Yup. Came in on the 10 year old exemption to type approval. Wonder what'll happen if we start absorbing more EU rules? Will it get grandfathered in or will it suddenly become illegal?