Omega Owners Forum

Omega Help Area => Omega General Help => Topic started by: SteveAvfc. on 28 January 2014, 17:53:03

Title: Advise please MOT Fail
Post by: SteveAvfc. on 28 January 2014, 17:53:03
As in the subject title old girl fail her medical today. I believe she hasn't  got much wrong with her but would welcome some advise as to the best way to overcome the niggles.


1) Offside front steering box insecure. Chap said bolt/nut missing. ??
2) Exhaust emissions excessive (7.3.D.4)

MOT Tester says i could possibly reduce the emissions by fitting a new cat but that seems rather an excessive and expensive option to me.

Thanks in advance for any advise.  :)
Title: Re: Advise please MOT Fail
Post by: Stemo on 28 January 2014, 17:56:00
As in the subject title old girl fail her medical today. I believe she hasn't  got much wrong with her but would welcome some advise as to the best way to overcome the niggles.


1) Offside front steering box insecure. Chap said bolt/nut missing. ??
2) Exhaust emissions excessive (7.3.D.4)

MOT Tester says i could possibly reduce the emissions by fitting a new cat but that seems rather an excessive and expensive option to me.

Thanks in advance for any advise.  :)
Bet he could sell you one, too.
Title: Re: Advise please MOT Fail
Post by: 05omegav6 on 28 January 2014, 18:04:36
Steering box bolts need tightening/replacing as required.

As for emissions, let the tank run low, then...

New plugs
New airfilter
2 cans of wynns injector cleaner plus a full tank of Shell V power
Rag the living dailights out of it
Refill with V power
Rebook MoT and make sure car is HOT when it goes in

 :y
Title: Re: Advise please MOT Fail
Post by: Taxi_Driver on 28 January 2014, 18:20:55
As in the subject title old girl fail her medical today. I believe she hasn't  got much wrong with her but would welcome some advise as to the best way to overcome the niggles.


1) Offside front steering box insecure. Chap said bolt/nut missing. ??
2) Exhaust emissions excessive (7.3.D.4)

MOT Tester says i could possibly reduce the emissions by fitting a new cat but that seems rather an excessive and expensive option to me.

Thanks in advance for any advise.  :)

Might be lambda sensors .... be worth getting the ecu read to see if any codes stored for them, imo  :y
Title: Re: Advise please MOT Fail
Post by: flyer 0712 on 28 January 2014, 18:45:48
My mig was a swine for emissions every m.o.t.the last 3 years was told the same...new cat.....I use shell v.power  all the time because it is such a better fuel for the emissions and as for the rest take  taxi al advice it should do the job for you.....I know it works for my car  ... :y :y
Title: Re: Advise please MOT Fail
Post by: SteveAvfc. on 29 January 2014, 04:21:48
Thanks for your help guys.  :y :y :y
Title: Re: Advise please MOT Fail
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 29 January 2014, 07:59:41
That steering box one.....there is a single stud on the Omega box that has no and never had a nut on it.....

Is your cat setup an original one or cheapo aftermarket?
Title: Re: Advise please MOT Fail
Post by: terry paget on 29 January 2014, 09:01:35
I reckon there is a scam by MOT garages fitting pattern cats unnecessarily. On 2.0 Omegas the OE cats cost £880 plus VAT from Vx, and should last 100,000 to 150,000 miles. Yet garages fail them and sell punters pattern cats costing £100 or so, which last about 1 year. Last year I bought two 2.2 low mileage Omegas, confidently expecting to get original cats with them. No chance. They both came with Timken pattern cats. I understand that original cats have a good scrap value (full of platinum gauze) but that pattern cats have no scrap value.

In an MOT it is important that the tester gets the cat good and hot before final test. I suspect some do not bother. I always watch my cars being tested. My daughter took a 2.0 for test in Enfield, London, and it failed on emissions, new cat recommended. I told her to bring it back to Somerset, take back a different car, and I took her car to my local MOT shop. After a warm up, it passed.
Title: Re: Advise please MOT Fail
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 29 January 2014, 09:06:18
On the 4 pots, its often a failed flexi that results in a pattern part being fitted.

In this case its a much better option to weld a new flexi in!
Title: Re: Advise please MOT Fail
Post by: Nick W on 29 January 2014, 10:21:43
You need to read the results from the emissions test before doing anything else. That is the start of a proper, accurate  and therefore effective diagnosis.
Title: Re: Advise please MOT Fail
Post by: Kevin Wood on 29 January 2014, 11:46:14
You need to read the results from the emissions test before doing anything else. That is the start of a proper, accurate  and therefore effective diagnosis.

Yep, scan in the test report and post it here. :y
Title: Re: Advise please MOT Fail
Post by: SteveAvfc. on 29 January 2014, 17:19:14
Not my week now the scanner has packed up  >:( >:( Will type it up.

DESCRIPTION     MIN LIMIT    MAX LIMIT   ACTUAL VALUE    PASS/FAIL

FAST IDLE TEST

RPM    1/min      2750           3250                       ------    Not checked

CO      %vol      -----          0.300                      0.439                  Fail

HC  ppm vol      -----             200                         162                 Pass

Lambda                             0.970                       1.030                Pass


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Second Fast Idle Test

RPM  1/MIM      2750           3250                        ------      Not Checked

CO   % vol       -----          0.300                        0.547                    Fail

HC  ppm vol     -----             200                           151                   pass

Lambda                            0.970                        1.030                   pass

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Natural Idle Test

RPM  1/min       620            1080                          -----       Not Checked

CO   % vol       ----           0.500                         0.552                   Fail
Title: Re: Advise please MOT Fail
Post by: omega3000 on 29 January 2014, 18:07:14
My old 2.0 failed on emissions , they threw a can of cat clean in then italian tune up and it sailed through  :y
Title: Re: Advise please MOT Fail
Post by: SteveAvfc. on 01 February 2014, 13:42:56
Completed all the tasks but still failed. Cat is shot got one from Eurocarparts £88.00 cheap enough so fairly happy.
Title: Re: Advise please MOT Fail
Post by: Stemo on 01 February 2014, 15:25:23
I reckon there is a scam by MOT garages fitting pattern cats unnecessarily. On 2.0 Omegas the OE cats cost £880 plus VAT from Vx, and should last 100,000 to 150,000 miles. Yet garages fail them and sell punters pattern cats costing £100 or so, which last about 1 year. Last year I bought two 2.2 low mileage Omegas, confidently expecting to get original cats with them. No chance. They both came with Timken pattern cats. I understand that original cats have a good scrap value (full of platinum gauze) but that pattern cats have no scrap value.

In an MOT it is important that the tester gets the cat good and hot before final test. I suspect some do not bother. I always watch my cars being tested. My daughter took a 2.0 for test in Enfield, London, and it failed on emissions, new cat recommended. I told her to bring it back to Somerset, take back a different car, and I took her car to my local MOT shop. After a warm up, it passed.
I believe they are ceramic.
Title: Re: Advise please MOT Fail
Post by: SteveAvfc. on 01 February 2014, 16:28:20
I reckon there is a scam by MOT garages fitting pattern cats unnecessarily. On 2.0 Omegas the OE cats cost £880 plus VAT from Vx, and should last 100,000 to 150,000 miles. Yet garages fail them and sell punters pattern cats costing £100 or so, which last about 1 year. Last year I bought two 2.2 low mileage Omegas, confidently expecting to get original cats with them. No chance. They both came with Timken pattern cats. I understand that original cats have a good scrap value (full of platinum gauze) but that pattern cats have no scrap value.

In an MOT it is important that the tester gets the cat good and hot before final test. I suspect some do not bother. I always watch my cars being tested. My daughter took a 2.0 for test in Enfield, London, and it failed on emissions, new cat recommended. I told her to bring it back to Somerset, take back a different car, and I took her car to my local MOT shop. After a warm up, it passed.
I believe they are ceramic.
:y :y :y
Title: Re: Advise please MOT Fail
Post by: RobG on 01 February 2014, 16:51:37
Completed all the tasks but still failed. Cat is shot got one from Eurocarparts £88.00 cheap enough so fairly happy.
Make sure downpipe to centrebox studs are given a liberal soaking of Plusgas or similar
Title: Re: Advise please MOT Fail
Post by: SteveAvfc. on 01 February 2014, 17:21:47
I aint doing it Rob Garage then Mot. Last cat i put on i sheared the stud off on the manifold £60 to have it drill out.  :-[