MOT Failure - Emissions

justworriedabit

PieMistress said:

Thanks, I wasn't sure on the legalities if I was stopped by the police but my understanding from my fretting/googling/online advice is if it's to/from a MOT appointment it should be ok as wasn't classed as a dangerous fail . Fingers crossed 3rd time lucky. 

Exactly as per your highlighted bit. Good luck.

AdrianC

PieMistress said:

I wasn't sure on the legalities if I was stopped by the police but my understanding from my fretting/googling/online advice is if it's to/from a MOT appointment it should be ok as wasn't classed as a dangerous fail

Like I said - a fail does not cancel the previous certificate. Only time does that.

You're just as legal driving back from the test as you were to it... Of course, it may be that the car was illegally unroadworthy on the way to the test... And that applies to a fault flagged "dangerous" just the same as to any other.

PieMistress

Thanks for all the advice and tips. I took it for an hour's drive today so fingers crossed it's okay for Monday.

HansOndabush

You need to do the hours drive right before the MoT; i.e. rev the nuts off it and take it straight to the test centre and make sure it doesn't sit around before being tested.

Billy_B_North

PieMistress said:

Hi, so my diesel ford focus has failed twice on emissions. I still have 2 weeks left on the MOT. The guidance online is all a bit vague.  The garage have recommended taking it for a decent length drive with high revs after using some Redex (or similar).  Even though the MOT has failed is it still okay to do this? It will go back in next week for another test after it has been for a drive?  With lockdown the car just hasn't been on any long drives like usual and the annual mileage is about 1/3 what it would be.  Not sure what to do as I am sure it will just fail on emissions again if I don't do anything? Thanks in advance for any advice.

The garage’s advice is spot-on. Take it out for a good, long drive (50 miles-plus) and once it’s up to temperature, give the engine a proper work-out, using all of the throttle travel and running it up to the red-line through the gears.
To use the common phrase, you need to take it out and give it a proper thrashing. Hard acceleration, high revs, working the engine hard.

[Deleted User]

KimJongUn88 said:

Why would you not do what your garage recommends and then come on here asking for advise form a load of unqualified strangers?

I think OP asked a fair question. My car once failed its MOT, but then the same garage did the necessary work to get it to pass. I knew it would fail, which is why I'd taken it in a month early. I picked the car up, garage said, its safe now but we didn't record the pass cos that would make you lose a month of mot, come back in a month and we'll record the pass. My stance was, that's great, but it means I'd be driving illegally for a month, because they've recorded the fail. I got it sorted, insisting, much to their obvious annoyance, that they record the pass if it's passed.

Point is, not every garage is good. It never hurts to get other opinions if in doubt. 

oldagetraveller1

A good thrashing is needed, something like this!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mv0onXhyLlE&ab_channel=BBCStudios

PieMistress

HansOndabush said:

You need to do the hours drive right before the MoT; i.e. rev the nuts off it and take it straight to the test centre and make sure it doesn't sit around before being tested.

Thanks I didn't realise that - I took it for an hour or so drive on Saturday then dropped it back off to the garage for them to do another emissions test on Monday . The problem is to get to the garage to take it out again is about a 40 mins cycle ride and the forecast for Mon/Tues is horrendous.  Urgh!!  He did say on Friday if I couldn't get there over the weekend then one of his Mechanics could take it out ? The MOT is valid until the 15th April, so if it fails again then I can cycle back over when the weather improves towards the end of the week and take it out for another drive and then straight back to the garage for another test.  The garage did put some Redex in it. 

Really appreciate all of these wise words everyone

oh_really

At the point of test, the engine needs to be at full operating temp else there are possibilities of poor readings being taken.

PieMistress

oh_really said:

At the point of test, the engine needs to be at full operating temp else there are possibilities of poor readings being taken.

Looking at the first failure emissions report it said the engine temp was 83C - does that sound about right?