1.9TDI FR 150 Emissions Test MoT Fail Advice

[iammooks]

He's an independent old school guy who still uses a paper diary and charges to the nearest tenner and can't give you a price on anything until he's seen the car, not the type to have listed jobs that don't exist. He would rather spend an hour getting your horn or indicators working than throw things away that don't need to be thrown away.

However I'm just wondering if the rattle is quite simply what it sounds like, some exhaust bolt or bracket not back on quite right, which doesn't solve the mystery of the ongoing smoky starts though.

Fair enough - you never know with some garages.

I had a rattle years ago on another car, and it turned out to be the heat shield being loose and the exhaust vibrations making it rattle. I've not spent too long looking at where the heat shield is on the Leon though.


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[bruceR]

I would be sure it’s the heat shield that’s come loose - I had this last year after I fitted a decat downpipe. There are what looks like threaded studs spot welded onto bodywork which the exhaust heat shield is attached to and held in place with ‘spring-finger’ washers. I found 3 out of the 6 were either missing or badly corroded causing the heat shield to drop and vibrate.
New washers bought from TPS for a few quid so replaced them all


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[Maria]

Without looking, just talking about it and with your comments, I'm hopeful that's the problem. Thanks! I will check when I can.

 

[Snoopy]

Just want to say thanks again for this thread.
0.44 on the mot test today from a borderline pass last year.
For ref this is what I did different.
... Cleaned EGR
... Mr muscle turbo
... New fuel filter
... Two bottles forte turbo cleaner and a tank of fuel later.
... Oil service day before it went.

 

[iammooks]

Just want to say thanks again for this thread.
0.44 on the mot test today from a borderline pass last year.
For ref this is what I did different.
... Cleaned EGR
... Mr muscle turbo
... New fuel filter
... Two bottles forte turbo cleaner and a tank of fuel later.
... Oil service day before it went.

This is the best news - when I started this thread, I had no idea what to do to reduce emissions - it seemed such a murky area. Now it looks like other people are doing the same things and passing too, so we're definitely on the right track.

One of these days I'll finally get round to doing the intake manifold and the turbo vanes, but even with the things I've done, I don't get as much smoke and the car runs more healthily.

These aren't things that need doing every year either from the sound of things, other than just good servicing and general maintenance and looking after the car, so good news all round.


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[APNess]

Had resigned myself to sending the Leon to the scrapyard this year with multiple failures and the biggy being emissions. I have another car I use for getting about in (07 plate Jetta 2.0 tfsi) but have been putting off getting something new on lease or a loan for 335D etc.

To my amazement the car passed on emissions (seeing as it failed last year and needed fuel additive to scrape through that was an eye opener), I got the front windscreen washers working (new pump, wiggling the squirter holes with a pin for ages and hey presto! Back washer still not playing but will keep at it) and even the locks and their will they/won't they lock/unlock actually behaved. The rust on the brakes from being stood scraped off no bother and I'd had the battery off on charge for a bit so it fired up no problem first time.

It's almost like the car knew what I'd thought was gonna happen and suddenly decided to fix itself where required. Bizarre and a lovely surprise as I really don't want to drive a crappy Nissan leaf or some cheap corsa thing on lease (saving for a house deposit so need to be sensible) or drop on a loan when I've paid off every other loan/card to be debt free.

Still can't get a mortgage mind. Blame covid for banks wanting a 15% deposit when I'd scraped up enough for a 10% deposit over the last year... At least the Leon is helping me.

Thanks as well to the helpful folks on here - I tend to read more than pitch in these days but I'm grateful for the know how you can get from a place like this and it's down to the people on this forum. Cheers!

 

[Nam-uk]

Had resigned myself to sending the Leon to the scrapyard this year with multiple failures and the biggy being emissions. I have another car I use for getting about in (07 plate Jetta 2.0 tfsi) but have been putting off getting something new on lease or a loan for 335D etc.

To my amazement the car passed on emissions (seeing as it failed last year and needed fuel additive to scrape through that was an eye opener), I got the front windscreen washers working (new pump, wiggling the squirter holes with a pin for ages and hey presto! Back washer still not playing but will keep at it) and even the locks and their will they/won't they lock/unlock actually behaved. The rust on the brakes from being stood scraped off no bother and I'd had the battery off on charge for a bit so it fired up no problem first time.

It's almost like the car knew what I'd thought was gonna happen and suddenly decided to fix itself where required. Bizarre and a lovely surprise as I really don't want to drive a crappy Nissan leaf or some cheap corsa thing on lease (saving for a house deposit so need to be sensible) or drop on a loan when I've paid off every other loan/card to be debt free.

Still can't get a mortgage mind. Blame covid for banks wanting a 15% deposit when I'd scraped up enough for a 10% deposit over the last year... At least the Leon is helping me.

Thanks as well to the helpful folks on here - I tend to read more than pitch in these days but I'm grateful for the know how you can get from a place like this and it's down to the people on this forum. Cheers!

take the jets off and run water though the system, I've replaced the jets before now and its not them, best way stick a hose in bottle and run till clear not had an issue since i did it in 2011 when bought mine

 

[iammooks]

Another thing to keep in mind with the washer jets is that if your tank has gunk in it, over time that gunk will make its way to the nozzles and you'll be desperately using needles and air cans to try and get everything clear on MoT day. I cleared out my tank at the start of the year and it didn't take a huge amount of effort, and I haven't had any issues since. In truth, it hadn't been touched in the fifteen years since new, so I don't imagine I'll have to do it for another ten years.

I'm interested to see what's going to happen at my next MoT. I've barely driven it this year because of the obvious, but either it being stood doing nothing is going to mean there's been no buildup of soot in the engine, or else it'll have all kinds of issues when it's driven in anger.