Advice needed - no MoT, need Italian tune-up

[tim.100]

My Volvo has failed its MoT on emissions only. The old MoT has expired and the tax is due at the end of the month.

The CO was 7%, and the garage has supplied injector cleaner and told me to drive it hard. This has been confirmed by other knowledgaeble machanics. It is a Mitsubishi GDi engine (DI petrol).

The problem is:
1) No insurance without MoT
2) I can’t say that I’m on way to an MoT as I’ll be at work all this week.

The car is safe to drive, as it passed on brakes, suspension, lights etc… But insurers take the MoT requirement seriously. My insurer was able to confirm this.

Any ideas how to drive it, at least with insurance cover? Any experience with insurers on the matter?

Best regards,

Tim

 

[GrahamC230K]

Book an MOT and drive it hard on the way, worst case a few laps of the block.

 

[Pietre]

It doesnt help this time, but next year take it a month early and take your old MOT with you. If it passes you get a 13 month MOT. It runs concurrently from your old MOT certificate. If you dont have the old MOT you cant do this. I do it every year.

Can you not run the engine at high revs whilst stationary. This may not load the engine but it will pass fuel through the injectors and clean things up if you cant drive it on the road. Or do you know someone with a set of trade plates you can borrow?

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Can you book it in for an MOT before the insurance expires and get a friend or relative to take it if you can't take time off work. Then you can drive the long way to the test station to give it chance to work through, longer the better I suspect. Technically it's correct - you are on the way to the test station.

My other thought is can the garage give it a blast using their insurance? Might cost you a little more because they may want to charge for your time, but you know that you're whiter than white then?

Another thought, can you take it to a Volvo dealership for the MOT?? They may have a vested interest in doing what they can to get it through the MOT.

Finally, some time ago my Dad's Rover diesel failed on emmissions. They suggested what your garage told you, but literally said book it straight in for a re-test now. Went back the next day, held the gears longer than usual. Put it straight on the emissions meter, and hey presto!! He was told, not letting it tick over ages before testing was the key - phone just before your appointment so you can rock straight up to an empty test bay, and whack it straight on the meter!!

 

[shrekky]

If i have had any problems with emissions,the guy at the testing station,tells me to thrash it round the block a couple of times,straight back in the garage,that normally works ,he tells me ideally the car should have ran AT normal operating tempratures for at least 15 mins before test.

 

[tim.100]

If i have had any problems with emissions,the guy at the testing station,tells me to thrash it round the block a couple of times,straight back in the garage,that normally works ,he tells me ideally the car should have ran AT normal operating tempratures for at least 15 mins before test.

Have googled GDi+injectors+coke and it seems these engines are troublesome. There are no active fault codes in the car. www.bba-reman.com were very helpful when I called to discuss it with them. Their solutions to help with emissions: new oil (because of exhaust gas recirculation) new air filter, and new spark plugs. He also said MAF sensors are problems on EVERY brand of car, not just MB's.

Anyway, the new plan is to take Friday off (damn...) fix the above items, thrash it on the way to the MoT centre (London-Sussex-London) and pray. The garage has promised to plug it in ASAP.

And yes...next time I will get the 13-month MoT well in advance!

 

[jgevers]

Hi,

The Mitsubishi GDi engine as fitted to the Volvo V/S40 is prone to carbon build up on the injectors and inlet valves. This is normal for cars that get driven in town and slowly most of their lives. However, I would expect that the ECU light comes on after a while with a 'long term adaptation' related faultcode. 7% CO would indicate another fault is present somewherein the system.

Firstly I would get your mechanic to lift the inlet manifold to expose the carbon build up on the inlet valves. By soaking the inlet tracks with a solvent for a day or so will remove about half the carbon. After re-assembly take the car for a high rev run for about 30 miles. About 70% of cars treated this way start running correctly again. If this hasn't cleaned the system enough, the head will need to be lifted to have a 'proper de-coke'.

The air mass sensor is not so prone for failure on this engine. I have seen bad connections to them though. There is a small (blue if I remember correctly) earth wire from the battery that runs underneath it that does give trouble.

These engines need 'caning' to keep them from carboning up. The Mitsubishi dealer seems to de-coke the heads and fit new injectors to lots of them (fitted to the Carisma).

regards,

Job

 

[fuzzer]

erm , hate to point this out to you guys ...

but this is the same engine in the C180k C200k and C230k post facelift and also the C200 GDI K not sold here.

yikes .. fun times ahead

 

[Dieselman]

erm , hate to point this out to you guys ...

but this is the same engine in the C180k C200k and C230k post facelift and also the C200 GDI K not sold here.

yikes .. fun times ahead

No it's not. MB don't use the direct injection unit, even though the four cylinder engines are the Mitsu engine.

A direct injection petrol engine will coke the injectors more due to the additional heat acting on the injector tip.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

No it's not. MB don't use the direct injection unit, even though the four cylinder engines are the Mitsu engine.

Seriously, the MB 4-pot engines are Mitsubishi??

 

[tim.100]

Hi,

The Mitsubishi GDi engine as fitted to the Volvo V/S40 is prone to carbon build up on the injectors and inlet valves......

Job

Fantastic information, and I will instruct my garage to pursue the carbon removal via the intake manifold, if it fails the MoT. If not this year, maybe next...

I will also check the earths, especially to the MAF.

BTW, the advice you gave beat everything I got from searching the Mitsu forums!

Thanks again,

Tim

 

[tim.100]

The Final Result - it passed the MoT - just. Here's a record of the actions taken for anyone else with a GDi:

Advice received:
1. Check engine fault codes
All clear
2. Fuel Injector cleaner
Provided by garage, for £10.
3. Spark Plugs
Have exceeded their service life, replaced.
4. Change Oil
Crankcase ventilation adds unwanted emissions to the air intake. Changing the oil may reduce the problem. In addition, some Mitusbishi forum comments recommend changes as frequent as 2,500 miles. Changed to synthetic.
5. Change Air Filter
Done.
6. Check the AFM earth connection
“The air mass sensor is not so prone for failure on this engine. I have seen bad connections to them though. There is a small (blue if I remember correctly) earth wire from the battery that runs underneath it that does give trouble.”
All grounds filed clean.

7. Check the temperature probes against Volvo GDi values
Outstanding.
8. Dissolve the deposits on the intake valves

Thankfully it passed after Action No.6, so No.8 was avoided this year...

 

[jgevers]

Just been given oil specifically for the GDi engine from Shell. It is called Shell Helix AH.
Designed to keep the breathers clean.

regards,

Job

 

[esox]

Seriously, the MB 4-pot engines are Mitsubishi??

Yes,anyone want a MB built in South Africa and with a Mitsubishi engine?
Tempting eh....?