1.9TDI FR 150 Emissions Test MoT Fail Advice

Zardoz

Active Member
Sep 6, 2016
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214
North West
It's easy enough to remove the EGR valve completely and get it scrubbed up like new with some carburettor cleaner and a plastic scrubbing brush.
 

iammooks

Active Member
Nov 27, 2018
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It's easy enough to remove the EGR valve completely and get it scrubbed up like new with some carburettor cleaner and a plastic scrubbing brush.

There are at least two people in this thread who would disagree with you on the removal front...

Did you use small children to undo the bolts?


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Andrewwright

Turbo lover
Aug 16, 2016
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It's easy enough to remove the EGR valve completely and get it scrubbed up like new with some carburettor cleaner and a plastic scrubbing brush.
It's only easy when you have done it before. I'd say easy now but while doing it the first time I'd have gladly set it alight if I had some petrol....good job I only have dirtys about now.

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Zardoz

Active Member
Sep 6, 2016
525
214
North West
There are at least two people in this thread who would disagree with you on the removal front...

Did you use small children to undo the bolts?
Don't remember it being too difficult... bottom bolt was done blind though, had to feel for it. Just used my trusty Bahco 1/4" socket set with extension piece.
 

Andrewwright

Turbo lover
Aug 16, 2016
1,568
224
Peterborough
Don't remember it being too difficult... bottom bolt was done blind though, had to feel for it. Just used my trusty Bahco 1/4" socket set with extension piece.
Same set here mate, do like them but the ratchet broke a tooth so it's now a spare. Egr for me was a pain but it may be hand size issue.
That big ratchet is just the nuts, Mac tools I'd recommend to anyone. Not the cheapest but does the job over and over and just doesn't give up.
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AndrewJB

Friend to SEAT UK & Cupra Racing
Aug 16, 2007
11,211
484
Maranello
Going to send mine on Monday hopefully going to stick more Liqui Molly Diesel Purge in before it goes (its already got one bottle in)
 
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hilly81

Active Member
Apr 28, 2014
265
43
Little Sutton
Stick a bit of two stroke in with every tank of diesel. Does the trick and is way cheaper than fuel cleaners if bought in bulk.
 

iammooks

Active Member
Nov 27, 2018
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Going to send mine on Monday hopefully going to stick more Liqui Molly Diesel Purge in before it goes (its already got one bottle in)

I'm still not entirely sure what it was I did that brought the result down - especially given that I paid Halfords £60 last year to do 'something' to the engine and I got pretty much the same result this year by driving it for a couple of hundred miles with some fuel system cleaner in the tank - but in the end, the best advice seems to be avoid driving it short distances during the year, and a few weeks before the test, to start doing long runs of around 80 miles or so. Keep the car serviced, so change the air filter, oil and oil filter, and maybe use a tank of premium diesel every now and then.

Now that I haven't got an MoT fail breathing down my neck, I'm going to take out the EGR and intake manifold and give them a proper clean. Even if they don't have an impact on emissions, if they have any effect on power, that's got to be a good thing. In the end, having pipes caked in soot doesn't sound like it's going to be healthy for the car, so it's best to clean it all out.
 

BigJase88

Jase
Apr 20, 2008
3,767
1,069
Just for future reference EGR delete is an MOT fail now. Anything that circumvents emissions is an MOT fail, egr delete / dpf delete / gpf delete

4-DEB8637-1-E4-F-48-CD-8-A03-E0-E7-EEA03-FC1.png


Article 8.2.2.1(a)
 
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iammooks

Active Member
Nov 27, 2018
1,733
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Just for future reference EGR delete is an MOT fail now. Anything that circumvents emissions is an MOT fail, egr delete / dpf delete / gpf delete

4-DEB8637-1-E4-F-48-CD-8-A03-E0-E7-EEA03-FC1.png


Article 8.2.2.1(a)

You'll get no arguing from me. In the end, I'll be cleaning up fifteen years' worth of soot and carbon, so if I do it properly and treat the engine right afterwards, it's going to do what it's supposed to anyway. I think I've said as well that being an environmental type, if the EGR does the job of reducing emissions, I'm not going to try and stop it doing that.


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BigJase88

Jase
Apr 20, 2008
3,767
1,069
You'll get no arguing from me. In the end, I'll be cleaning up fifteen years' worth of soot and carbon, so if I do it properly and treat the engine right afterwards, it's going to do what it's supposed to anyway. I think I've said as well that being an environmental type, if the EGR does the job of reducing emissions, I'm not going to try and stop it doing that.


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Will make a good difference especially with the state it is in, i would be surprised if it even works in its current state, probably jammed solid with tar.

i used to clean mine every time it got serviced, carb cleaner and a toothbrush is ideal for it
 
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iammooks

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Nov 27, 2018
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Will make a good difference especially with the state it is in, i would be surprised if it even works in its current state, probably jammed solid with tar.

i used to clean mine every time it got serviced, carb cleaner and a toothbrush is ideal for it

That was the weird part - when I was trying to get it out, I kept knocking and pulling the cable accidentally and it was super smooth, so no issues with it actually working - I just think it's probably pretty caked up, and so there's just not as much air getting through as there should be.


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BigJase88

Jase
Apr 20, 2008
3,767
1,069
That was the weird part - when I was trying to get it out, I kept knocking and pulling the cable accidentally and it was super smooth, so no issues with it actually working - I just think it's probably pretty caked up, and so there's just not as much air getting through as there should be.


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Might gain a little bit of boost back certainly worth doing every 10k or so
 

iammooks

Active Member
Nov 27, 2018
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EGR is out and being cleaned. No hurry getting it back in, so can do a half decent job. It was pretty bad on the engine side, so concentrating on that.

2a8a2dca9fea4f99d485e43d6047afdd.jpg


On the manifold side, it looked pretty clogged at first, but I pulled a fair bit out and it feels like it was more around where it connects to the EGR. When I put my fingers in, it didn't feel like the carbon went back any further than a few centimetres.

6f601aa6d65664c017ccff5de8af3c4f.jpg


Now the EGR is out, I can still take the manifold out, but it's a fair bit more effort. Thought I'd run it by people here first, as I know there could be more I'm not seeing just looking at it from here.


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iammooks

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Nov 27, 2018
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That’s really caked up, have seen on utube were they set them alight to burn carbon off lol works though.

American guy? I saw that one. Sometimes I do feel like setting the whole car on fire though, so that would be a good middle ground.

I've got a couple of days this week when I can take it out, so will give it a go. Any tips for taking it out? Most videos I've seen take off the air intake and a few other bits. I'm guessing I'll have to do the same.

Worth asking here - when I put the EGR back in, are there any parts I need to pay attention to? Grease any moving parts?


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Nam-uk

Active Member
May 11, 2011
1,105
289
lancashire.
Never took manifold off, only thing I made sure was when putting egr back is make sure the gasket is ok, I did find a tiny hole in the pipe you take off as well, gets any bigger the car sounds like it has a induction kit on it lol
 
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iammooks

Active Member
Nov 27, 2018
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Never took manifold off, only thing I made sure was when putting egr back is make sure the gasket is ok, I did find a tiny hole in the pipe you take off as well, gets any bigger the car sounds like it has a induction kit on it lol

I've ordered a new gasket for the manifold - I don't think it'll be up to much after 160k, but all the stuff I've taken off so far looks like it's in good condition.

I just came by a video where they filled the manifold with Mr Muscle and then used a jet wash to clean out the muck. That's more or less what I had in mind, so I must be on the right track.

I'm hoping after all this effort it's actually going to make a difference to performance...


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