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Topic: How can I lower my CO for MOT? (Read 2247 times) |
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carmow
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How can I lower my CO for MOT?
« on: Jan 7th, 2008, 5:48pm » |
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Can't believe it, the old girl has failed AGAIN on CO level, I made sure the engine was hot and even bought some of that 'so called' emission reducing additive. MOT runs out on 14th can anyone help... PLEASE !! 
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TiberiuS
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Ex. 1996 2.3 Ultima - RIP P789 KHJ
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Re: How can I lower my CO for MOT?
« Reply #1 on: Jan 7th, 2008, 5:59pm » |
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If you post the emissions results in full (CO, HC, Lambda etc), the levels of the different gasses sometimes point to different faults and someone can help.
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Bruce - '07 Jaguar XKR coupe, '95 Jaguar XJ Sport 4.0, '82 Ford Capri 2.0 Ghia, '15 Honda Civic (sloooooww..)
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solarpanel
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Re: How can I lower my CO for MOT?
« Reply #2 on: Jan 7th, 2008, 6:15pm » |
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is the cat broken
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carmow
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Re: How can I lower my CO for MOT?
« Reply #3 on: Jan 7th, 2008, 6:18pm » |
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emission results as follows:
engine speed (RPM) 2750/3150
CO <=0.30 (actual 0.34) 2nd attemp (actual 0.3
HC <=00200 (actual 00022) Passed
LAMBDA 0.95/1.09 (actual 1.00) Passed
Engine speed (RPM) 0775/0975
CO <=0.50 (actual 0.49) Passed
Its nearly there as you can see just not quite.
this is the retest result as it failed Christmas eve at 0.37 & 0.35
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carmow
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Re: How can I lower my CO for MOT?
« Reply #4 on: Jan 7th, 2008, 6:19pm » |
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2nd reading was 0.38 - sorry
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TiberiuS
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Re: How can I lower my CO for MOT?
« Reply #5 on: Jan 7th, 2008, 6:36pm » |
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Sounds like bad cat to me, I'd probably change the lambdas first but as the lambda is dead on 1.0, the mixture's ok...when my lambdas were dead, it was all the way up at lambda=1.3 and misfiring like a pig 
Get it OBD scanned and see what the lambda reading is like.
this might help you.
Regards, Bruce.
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Bruce - '07 Jaguar XKR coupe, '95 Jaguar XJ Sport 4.0, '82 Ford Capri 2.0 Ghia, '15 Honda Civic (sloooooww..)
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carmow
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Re: How can I lower my CO for MOT?
« Reply #6 on: Jan 7th, 2008, 6:56pm » |
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Thanks for the link Bruce, just the mention of 'bad cat' makes me quake ! I bought the car 11 months ago for £325 at a local auction, i have before the test this year done both wishbones, drop links, front discs, bulbs etc is it worth throwing hundreds at it for a cat?
is their nothing I can do without getting the OBD read etc... time is against me!
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TiberiuS
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Re: How can I lower my CO for MOT?
« Reply #7 on: Jan 7th, 2008, 8:20pm » |
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Maybe someone else has an opinion they can throw in, I'm not an expert, just what I've picked up from my own problems 
As the lambda reading is ok, it doesn't seem like there's anything wrong with the mixture, HC is ok so it's not an engine/misfire issue (my HC was sky high along with the lambda, CO was virtually zero, car was spitting from the tailpipes when they had it on the fast idle).
Any other symptoms? Is it losing power/hesitating or running rough or anything else you've noticed? Lambdas will normally effect the running of the engine in some way when they die, either make it go lean or really rich, so you'll either start losing power or your mpg will go through the floor. Not every time but it's generally the sort of symptoms they produce. If the cat element is just dead through age, then it'll run ok, just like it would if you removed it. But it won't get through the MOT  . An OBD scan for fuel trims would be very handy, I'm not sure how much you can tell from the MOT lambda reading, OBD takes the reading directly from the oxygen sensors themselves.
You can read the lambdas yourself if you're careful and get at least some idea, with a voltmeter. There's a site somewhere that tells you how, I'll try and find it.
What's the total mileage and what's the mpg like?
Regards, Bruce.
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Bruce - '07 Jaguar XKR coupe, '95 Jaguar XJ Sport 4.0, '82 Ford Capri 2.0 Ghia, '15 Honda Civic (sloooooww..)
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carmow
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Re: How can I lower my CO for MOT?
« Reply #8 on: Jan 7th, 2008, 8:25pm » |
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Bruce, mileage is a very respectful 129K MPg is about 18 around town, 27 on a run. have just found a pipe off on the exhaust manifold, looks like a braided fuel pipe (obviously I know otherwise) goes to a small box behind air filter housing with an electrical connector on it, and then back into manifold - 2 pipes in total. any ideas? would this have anything to do with CO? thanks again Wayne
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mindofitsown
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Re: How can I lower my CO for MOT?
« Reply #9 on: Jan 7th, 2008, 9:19pm » |
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Can only throw in an opinion which correlates with what has already been said by others namely: HC good thus virtually all fuel is being burnt so no misfires etc., Lambda is spot on thus O2 level is correct indicating mixture is good. CO high on its own does suggest the CO convertor (i.e. the cat) is in apoor state and if prematurely so, would suggest that someone in the past has had starting problems and flooded the cat with petrol which ruins the platignum catalyst. It also suggests that the EGR is working well unless being over-compensated for by computer. Its possible that the Lambda sensor is failing and giving the wrong signal to the computer and the over-compensation results in a mixture that gives the results you have shown, but I doubt it. The EGR system has some unpredicatable results including actually raising the level of CO under certain conditions. You might get away with dis-abling the EGR but as I say it may worsen things because of the interrelated nature of the variables in the system.
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Tons_of_fun
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Re: How can I lower my CO for MOT?
« Reply #10 on: Jan 7th, 2008, 9:50pm » |
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Not saying it will work,but my old 2.0ltr was having similar problems with emissions,when the tester told me to remove the air filter from the housing whilst the car was being tested & it JUST scraped through .You may be on to something with the disconected pipe though,sorry i cant be much more help.16 valvers arent my thing im afraid.Whatever you decide best of luck.
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Tompion
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Re: How can I lower my CO for MOT?
« Reply #11 on: Jan 7th, 2008, 9:51pm » |
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on Jan 7th, 2008, 8:25pm, carmow wrote:| have just found a pipe off on the exhaust manifold, looks like a braided fuel pipe (obviously I know otherwise) goes to a small box behind air filter housing with an electrical connector on it, and then back into manifold - 2 pipes in total. any ideas? would this have anything to do with CO? thanks again Wayne |
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Sounds like that's your problem - letting air in - may have been knocked off, but can get blown off due a blocked exhaust. Not normally braided hose so make sure it's a good fit.
Have a look here at the dpfe:
http://www.fordscorpio.co.uk/egrmonitor.htm
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scorpio_man
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Re: How can I lower my CO for MOT?
« Reply #12 on: Jan 7th, 2008, 9:55pm » |
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hi there
does sound like the cat is breaking up. the pipe(s) that have come off the manifold/egr pipework have done so because of the pressure in the exhaust (cat). normally a sign of a blocked exhaust because of the cat brick breaking up.
new patterend cat costs about £90 + vat & delivery from cats direct.
hth
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carmow
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Re: How can I lower my CO for MOT?
« Reply #13 on: Jan 7th, 2008, 10:12pm » |
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Sorry to sound dim, what next? Do I replace the cat and hope its that or try the car again with both pipes connected on the MOT machine ?
can't believe i did my apprenticeship at Ford 20+ years ago can you ! 
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Jonnycab
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Re: How can I lower my CO for MOT?
« Reply #14 on: Jan 8th, 2008, 1:09am » |
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Hi carmow, 18 mpg around town is pretty poor for a 2.3 (I average about 23-24), so something isn't right somewhere 
I'd go with the cat theory, especially as the pipe has been blown off the manifold
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TiberiuS
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Ex. 1996 2.3 Ultima - RIP P789 KHJ
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Re: How can I lower my CO for MOT?
« Reply #15 on: Jan 8th, 2008, 1:29am » |
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Jonny. I used to average 24-25 on a run, 26 if I was a really good boy. MPG in town wasn't pretty, even worse after it had the new autobox
Being able to score 30mpg in any car after that was a novelty 
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Bruce - '07 Jaguar XKR coupe, '95 Jaguar XJ Sport 4.0, '82 Ford Capri 2.0 Ghia, '15 Honda Civic (sloooooww..)
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Jonnycab
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Re: How can I lower my CO for MOT?
« Reply #16 on: Jan 8th, 2008, 1:50am » |
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I run mine as a taxi & most of my work is around town driving. Do you think I'd keep my 2.3 if it only did 18 mpg around town
On a 180 mile run from Essex to Poole (family holiday) last June, I averaged just under 33 mpg
What can I say ?.....I don't drive with deep sea divers boots on .....maybe I should change my forum name to Twinkle Toes 
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TiberiuS
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Ex. 1996 2.3 Ultima - RIP P789 KHJ
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Re: How can I lower my CO for MOT?
« Reply #17 on: Jan 8th, 2008, 2:25am » |
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Jonny, that post tickled me
I think it's safe to say mine needed new lambdas
I drive like a Nun too, at first I could manage 26 on a run, 22 in town. But after it was off road for the new autobox it was 'opeless.
33mpg though, I never saw anywhere near that 
Must change my name, feel like a 'Nun on the run' now
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Bruce - '07 Jaguar XKR coupe, '95 Jaguar XJ Sport 4.0, '82 Ford Capri 2.0 Ghia, '15 Honda Civic (sloooooww..)
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carmow
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Re: How can I lower my CO for MOT?
« Reply #18 on: Jan 8th, 2008, 5:36pm » |
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SUCCESS !!! ITS PAST !!
Speedo shows 18miles different from yesterday to todays test and it sailed through ! Happy days are here again.... Thanks to all who suggested help.
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TiberiuS
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Re: How can I lower my CO for MOT?
« Reply #19 on: Jan 8th, 2008, 6:12pm » |
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What was the emission result on the latest test then? Did you do anything with the hoses?
Glad you're sorted though
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Bruce - '07 Jaguar XKR coupe, '95 Jaguar XJ Sport 4.0, '82 Ford Capri 2.0 Ghia, '15 Honda Civic (sloooooww..)
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