mot exhaust emmissions fail

[SGA33]

Hi i have just got back from the garage with fail sheet for my other halfs 1.8 ecotec zafira.They tryed all day to get it though the emmissions test but it was too high all the time.They said that it needs a new cat but as i cant afford a new one i was told by a friend to do an oil change and throw as much injector/petrol treatment into it and hopefully it will pass.

Has anyone used a good treatment and no any way of getting it passed?

Cheers
Andrew.

[Balley]

am in a similar situation with my corsa, your oil would have to be bad though to make the emission fail!

[mowgli]

backhandering the tester???

[mowgli]

give it a full service & take it for a roadtrip before the test to really get things hot

[AlexW]

I presumed you ragged it on the way there?

If its out by miles then you have no hope but a new cat. If its not far out you might get away with some petrol additive.

Newer cars like that have epic strict emissions tests compared to novas lol

[eightvalver]

hhhmm(cough)

Slacken the manifold nuts..... Use to work in the olden days

[SGA33]

The tester was my mate but it was tested at a main dealers :(.
Saying that the misses does drive it slowly everywhere and it doesnt get flogged, so a good service and a quick test drive up the tank roads hopefully will sort it out.

Cheers.

[Jack]

Could be worth cleaning the lambda sensor too, sometimes that can scrag the emissions. Half a lemon should do it :d

[brucer]

have you got the emmisions read out? i deal with cars like this on a weekly basis at the garage i work at.

if the co is too high (normally less than 1.00 for the cat at fault) but lambda and hc are fine then its the cat, as some people have said get it hot. not just on a run to the test station as it will cool down, you will have to rev it around 4k for a fair few minutes depending on how far its out. the cat needs to "light up" or so to speak. if the co is above 1.00 and the hc is high, then your looking at other problems. mainly overfueling. could be engine coolant temp sensor etc.

if you are dead set on changing the cat then you will have to change the lambda sensor too as the manufacturers wont warrant the cat. so take that into consideration aswell.

if all else fails then plug it into a diagnostic machinea and check for faults in live data etc. im sure your friend would be competant at that at a dealer.

if you need any more help pm me.

bruce

[SGA33]

Cheers for the advice,the car passed its test today after a full service and runnin so hot it was scary.lol.All i now need to do now is figure out how to put all the air filter housing back in place as it was the only way to get it though the test.

Thanks