MOT Test changes from May

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Stratman

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New pass/fail categories, tougher on diesels

Extract from the AutoExpress article

Testers are also being instructed to check to see if DPFs have been removed or tampered with, and must refuse to test any car where the “DPF canister has clearly been cut open and re-welded” unless the owner can prove this was done “for legitimate reasons such as filter cleaning.” This last instruction clarifies outgoing MoT rules, which stipulate a car should be rejected only if its DPF is totally missing.
 
I see... so as long the the DPF is cut and then welded so that the seam is on top of the box, all is well........?
 
With the plethora of DPF deletion specialists it's no wonder the government have decided to address this issue. If the DPF is a legal requirement for road going vehicles from a certain date, I wonder why it has taken the government so long to implement this in the MOT test.
 
Yes the MOT is being revamped,it is of course aimed at the diesel car,one of the things that is going to cause grief is if any smoke is emitted from the exhaust while being tested it is a fail,and as already been mentioned the DPF removal is being targeted,but unless they change the rules and allow the MOT testers to remove the shrouds on the bottom of the cars I cannot see how they are going to check,diesel owners are going to have to be more on the ball for the test,I do not think you can just turn up and expect a pass,I would suggest that you arrive at the MOT and then rev your diesel to 3000 revs for a at least 3 mins,this should clear any build up,it helps to get the exhaust gasses hot,we will have to wait until May and see what posts we get on here.
 
One suspects the 'visible smoke of any colour' will need to be clarified. Outside my work in the last few minutes Ive seen a 2017 Nissan Juke, a 2010 VW Tiguan, a 2009 Kia Picanto, a 2016 Lexus CT200H, a 2016 GLC220d, a 2016 Audi A4 Tdi and a 2015 Toyota Auris .... all 'emiting smoke' .... white smoke. I'm sure the rules mean black or even blue smoke... but still.


Also of interest is cars over 40 years old no longer require an MOT.
 
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Isn't there a test device for particulate density? There must be.
 
Isn't there a test device for particulate density? There must be.[/QUOTE

At present accurate particulate testing can only be done by gravimetric means which involves running the exhaust through a series of filters capable of transmitting or trapping various ranges of particle sizes under controlled conditions and then weighing them for trapped particulates.
Dpf delete..
Opacity meters show poor correlation with gravimetric methods
Smoke Opacity
 
One suspects the 'visible smoke of any colour' will need to be clarified. Outside my work in the last few minutes Ive seen a 2017 Nissan Juke, a 2010 VW Tiguan, a 2009 Kia Picanto, a 2016 Lexus CT200H, a 2016 GLC220d, a 2016 Audi A4 Tdi and a 2015 Toyota Auris .... all 'emiting smoke' .... white smoke. I'm sure the rules mean black or even blue smoke... but still.


Also of interest is cars over 40 years old no longer require an MOT.


Does that mean that my 1967 Fiat 500 won't need an MOT? On the mot website it mentions that vehicles before 1960 are exempt.
Is the 40 year old thing something recent?
 
Outside my work in the last few minutes Ive seen a 2017 Nissan Juke, a 2010 VW Tiguan, a 2009 Kia Picanto, a 2016 Lexus CT200H, a 2016 GLC220d, a 2016 Audi A4 Tdi and a 2015 Toyota Auris .... all 'emiting smoke' .... white smoke.

Vapour.
 
One suspects the 'visible smoke of any colour' will need to be clarified. Outside my work in the last few minutes Ive seen a 2017 Nissan Juke, a 2010 VW Tiguan, a 2009 Kia Picanto, a 2016 Lexus CT200H, a 2016 GLC220d, a 2016 Audi A4 Tdi and a 2015 Toyota Auris .... all 'emiting smoke' .... white smoke. I'm sure the rules mean black or even blue smoke... but still.


Also of interest is cars over 40 years old no longer require an MOT.
I’ve wondered the same. Indeed, will the average MoT tester be able to tell the difference between white smoke and steam? At this time of year my petrol car certainly emits steam/vapour from the exhaust early on in a journey as condensation left in the system is boiled off.
 
Tightening up on visible smoke emissions may be an issue for some remapped diesels (ones without a standard-fit DPF) ...
 
Does that mean that my 1967 Fiat 500 won't need an MOT? On the mot website it mentions that vehicles before 1960 are exempt.
Is the 40 year old thing something recent?

Yes. From a date in May 2018 4-year old cars are exempt from MOT. However, I'm unclear whether the car needs to be classed as an historic vehicle. For some reason, you can't apply for historic classification until the April after the first January 1st that the car is 40, which could be nearly 16 months later
Doesn't apply to yours.
 
I would suggest that you arrive at the MOT and then rev your diesel to 3000 revs for a at least 3 mins,this should clear any build up,it helps to get the exhaust gasses hot,we will have to wait until May and see what posts we get on here.
Which is fine if your car is going in for testing in a few minutes time. If you're dropping it off and picking it up a few hours later the engine may well be cold before the tester gets round to you. I know my local garage is like that.
 
Which is fine if your car is going in for testing in a few minutes time. If you're dropping it off and picking it up a few hours later the engine may well be cold before the tester gets round to you. I know my local garage is like that.

Well that was my idea with posting owners are going to have to take more care on where and when they take their car for a MOT,I would suggest that leaving a car and then calling back for it is a no no,also take the car in early you can go for a MOT a month early,pick a day when you can be there,as to where you take the car for a MOT,I would suggest you find out which local MOT centre the trade uses,they do not use it for no reason,but they all have the tests for emissions so make sure the car is well revved just before going into the test,after all the test has not got harder for older cars but the bit about smoke from the exhaust is what has to be avoided it would seem ,we will see in May,my car has to December 2018 for the test.
 

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