[Cottontop]

B-Max 1.5TDCi MOT failure - Emissions

Hi all,

Car went in for its MOT today and failed due to emissions. They have put a fuel treatment in and want me to drive it on the motorway and bring it back tomorrow. Fortunately it was being done near work (25 miles from home, most of it is on motorway).

Can anyone advise what the process is should it fail tomorrow on the retest ? It was being done at an arnold clark near my work, as part of a serve plan thats due to finish after the test. Normally id get it tested at my local garage near home, can I get it retested there ??

Any other tips to try and scrape through the retest would be great. The car only really does motorway miles so i'm surprised at the outcome.

Thanks !!

 

[Gremlin]

I think re-tests have to be done at the same garage, else you have to pay for (and get) a new full test.
make it Arnold Clarks problem, you have a service plan, and that should mean its passes an mot.

modern cars shouldn't need to scrape though on emissions tests. get them to fix the root problem.

ps, my guess is an exhaust sensor.

 

[Cottontop]

I just don't trust them unfortunately. They tried to charge 80 quid for the fuel additive, and when I queried it they said it was too include a run on the motorway, given that I travel 20 miles each way to work on the motorway I could do that!
They've said that the additive sorts of 90% of fords with this issue otherwise they might suggest a change of air and fuel filter. That in itself is laughable as they don't change the air filter on the service plan I have (I do it myself).

I'd never thought about an exhaust sensor being faulty and may well take it to my local garage next week paying for a new mot for them to look at it. This mot is free under the service plan so I've not lost out and the not express on 9th July. The emission figure was 0.8 against a plate value of 0.54.

 

[Gremlin]

been doing a little reading on diesel additives, and one suggestion is the old one of 'accelerate hard uphill,' and get fairly high revs, to blow the cobwebs/soot out
perhaps this is what they do on the 'motorway run'

 

[Cottontop]

Drove back in 4th gear tonight, will do something similar tomorrow as well as getting them to retest it as soon as I get there... The car was stood for 5.5 hours before being tested today...

 

[Gremlin]

I think its the hard acceleration under load that helps, rather than a constant 3,500 rev motorway journey

 

[Cottontop]

Fortunately on retest the cast passed the emissions test.....

 

[Cottontop]

Car!!