Stop expanding the ULEZ to all the London boroughs in 2023

[ChrisHGTV]

This could be the result of making a lot of short journeys, or a failed thermostat. How's the fuel consumption?

Failing that, the Abarth is probably over-fueling - the MOT test only goes up to 2,500 RPM so likely the car has an issue at the higher rev - I don't know what diagnostic computer FIAT are using, but I suggest you get it checked.

Ive got the software for my Alfa, just need the cables for the Abarth then can take a look. Im not sure with my wife driving it sees more than 2500rpm! And she refuses to use the Sport button!

 

[markjay]

Ive got the software for my Alfa, just need the cables for the Abarth then can take a look. Im not sure with my wife driving it sees more than 2500rpm! And she refuses to use the Sport button!

What about short journeys? And check the thermostat also.

 

[Darrell]

Im not sure about that to be honest. Standing behind my Euro 5 diesel i can't really smell anything, and the exhaust pipe is really clean. Stand behind my Wife's Abarth though and it pongs, and the exhausts are caked in carbon. Its just passed it's MoT so must be within its emissions tolerances. Something there doesn't seem right!

I was going to answer with something similar but I really couldn’t be bothered.

 

[clk320x]

Im not sure about that to be honest. Standing behind my Euro 5 diesel i can't really smell anything, and the exhaust pipe is really clean. Stand behind my Wife's Abarth though and it pongs, and the exhausts are caked in carbon. Its just passed it's MoT so must be within its emissions tolerances. Something there doesn't seem right!

Really? Ok then.

 

[ChipChop]

Don't direct injection petrol engines metaphorically soil themselves on a regular basis. Saw a YT video of a high performance Audi. possibly an R8, having its engines manifolds cleaned by walnut blasting such was the clag the direct injection petrol engine produced internally. Back to the days of giving engines a decoke.

My Euro 1 indirect injection om602 190d's exhaust does not smell, unless it is on pure veg then it does but who cares because bio fuel is carbon neutral anyway.

 

[Tonygw]

Yes VW / Audi have kind of solved the issue by adding a second set of injectors to their latest petrol engines to wash the valves and avoid carbon build up.

But I question that the issue is solved, rather they have stuck a plaster over a serious issue. Direct injection is efficient but it comes at a price.

 

[markjay]

Don't direct injection petrol engines metaphorically soil themselves on a regular basis. Saw a YT video of a high performance Audi. possibly an R8, having its engines manifolds cleaned by walnut blasting such was the clag the direct injection petrol engine produced internally. Back to the days of giving engines a decoke.

My Euro 1 indirect injection om602 190d's exhaust does not smell, unless it is on pure veg then it does but who cares because bio fuel is carbon neutral anyway.

I think you are referring to the inlet manifold on direct injection engines - it gets all sort of gunk and cr@p thrown back into it from the combustion chamber through the inlet valves, and it doesn't get washed away by raw petrol - but this shouldn't make much difference to the exhaust valves and manifold and obviously not to the exhaust pipe (when compared to port-injection engines).

 

[Bellow]

I think you are referring to the inlet manifold on direct injection engines - it gets all sort of gunk and cr@p thrown back into it from the combustion chamber through the inlet valves, and it doesn't get washed away by raw petrol - but this shouldn't make much difference to the exhaust valves and manifold and obviously not to the exhaust pipe (when compared to port-injection engines).

More from the crankcase via the PCV system (than spat out the combustion chambers) - better quality oils would be a help there but not on OEM's radar. Dualling the injectors (ie, in cylinder and in port) may- but only may - be deployed to stop carbon accumulation on valves but every bit as likely is that it is done to enable better fuel atomisation at high loads.
The (multitudinous) objectives that led to the adoption of DI seem to have lessened since it's inception which in turn means that having abandoned some of them, port injection is adequate for certain parts of the load/speed range.

 

[TC350]

Im not sure about that to be honest. Standing behind my Euro 5 diesel i can't really smell anything, and the exhaust pipe is really clean. Stand behind my Wife's Abarth though and it pongs, and the exhausts are caked in carbon. Its just passed it's MoT so must be within its emissions tolerances. Something there doesn't seem right!

Three things here.

1) Just because you can't smell something doesn't mean that it's not there. Smokers are usually unaware of the stench that's on their clothes, because they've become acclimatised to it. But to non-smokers it's decidedly noxious.

2) I think you may be conflating the various emissions emitted by cars. MoTs only check for carbon emissions (CO and HC), the former being odourless at the levels produced by cars and the latter so minimal it's unlikely to be detected by smell alone. On the other hand (or nose!), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is a subset of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and has a pungent odour. One of the other elements of NOx is nitric oxide (NO), Nitric oxide reacts with oxygene or ozone in the air to form nitrogen dioxide. It's the harmful NOx that ULEZ is attempting to reduce - it's not checked during the MoT.

3) Your Euro 5 car may be producing lower levels of NO2, but higher levels of NO which will eventually form NO2 as I said above. Or it may be that your car is one of the Euro 5 examples that's serviced and running well enough not to be an issue with emissions, whilst insufficient numbers of that particular model achieved the standards required for Euro 6 compliance. (An over simplification, but hopefully makes sense.)

 

[TC350]

More from the crankcase via the PCV system (than spat out the combustion chambers) - better quality oils would be a help there but not on OEM's radar. Dualling the injectors (ie, in cylinder and in port) may- but only may - be deployed to stop carbon accumulation on valves but every bit as likely is that it is done to enable better fuel atomisation at high loads.
The (multitudinous) objectives that led to the adoption of DI seem to have lessened since it's inception which in turn means that having abandoned some of them, port injection is adequate for certain parts of the load/speed range.

The DI M276 engine in my C350 is still running as smoothly and economically as ever after over 11 years, so I'm not concerned with such things yet. (Fingers crossed)

 

[Bellow]

The DI M276 engine in my C350 is still running as smoothly and economically as ever after over 11 years, so I'm not concerned with such things yet. (Fingers crossed)

Good!
Out of curiosity, what is the scheduled drain interval for the engine oil and do you adhere to it or vary?

 

[TC350]

Good!
Out of curiosity, what is the scheduled drain interval for the engine oil and do you adhere to it or vary?

Every 12,500 miles or 1 year. I adhere to it fastidiously.

 

[ALFAitalia]

I think you are referring to the inlet manifold on direct injection engines - it gets all sort of gunk and cr@p thrown back into it from the combustion chamber through the inlet valves, and it doesn't get washed away by raw petrol - but this shouldn't make much difference to the exhaust valves and manifold and obviously not to the exhaust pipe (when compared to port-injection engines).

Non gets blown back from the CC (possibly a tiny amount). The gunge is a combination of oil spots and vapour from the crankcase ventilation and the fact it gets baked on partially by engine heat and mainly from heat from exhaust gases recirculated by the EGR valve in effort to reduce NOX. I notice the latest ALFA Quadrifoglio has sprouted manifold injectors. (and two GPFs in the exhaust which mutes that lovely sound.....BOO!). I fitted an oil catch can to my cars PCV system just to reduce this issue. Mapping out the EGR almost completely eliminates the issue on many cars......and before someone says....yes its illegal and no I've never done it!!

 

[markjay]

Non gets blown back from the CC (possibly a tiny amount). The gunge is a combination of oil spots and vapour from the crankcase ventilation and the fact it gets baked on partially by engine heat and mainly from heat from exhaust gases recirculated by the EGR valve in effort to reduce NOX. I notice the latest ALFA Quadrifoglio has sprouted manifold injectors. (and two GPFs in the exhaust which mutes that lovely sound.....BOO!). I fitted an oil catch can to my cars PCV system just to reduce this issue. Mapping out the EGR almost completely eliminates the issue on many cars......and before someone says....yes its illegal and no I've never done it!!

Have a read here, it explains it well:

Intake Valve Deposits in Gasoline Direct Injection Engines

 

[ALFAitalia]

Pretty much what I said.

"Another contributing factor to the formation of intake valve deposits is unburned fuel vapors and oil vapors being siphoned back into the intake manifold through the Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) system. This is done to control crankcase emissions and to remove moisture from the oil (which helps prolong oil life). The fuel vapors, carbon particles and oil droplets that the PCV system routes back into the intake manifold are reburned in the engine to reduce pollution. But these same vapors can also form carbon and varnish deposits on the intake valves."

 

[badgx]

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[MikeInWimbledon]

I can see the argument that says that it would have made more sense to ban non-compliant cars completely rather than just tax them.

Which is the approach that most European countries have taken in city centres with a pollution problem.

London's different because Sadiq is just raising millions to buy votes and subsidise empty buses that no-one uses.

 

[Darrell]

Why is this happening ?

Used EVs that fell in value most during turbulent year for prices


Used EVs that fell in value most during turbulent year for prices

 

[markjay]

If EVs are to follow the same pattern that business lease cars followed for the past two decades, then I suspect that we are likely to see these cars devalue as they start coming-out of their 3-years leases and dumped on the market via auction houses and second hand traders. When supply is greater than demand, prices go down. This was certainly the case historically with the the various mid-range popular ex-lease Ford and Vauxhall models, e.g. Diesel Focus and Mondeos, and Diesel Vectras and Insignia, etc. I am guessing that the majority of business lease cars over the past 3 years were EVs (for obvious tax reasons), and we can see them starting to come off lease.

 

[Dryce]

Why is this happening ?

Used EVs that fell in value most during turbulent year for prices


Used EVs that fell in value most during turbulent year for prices

Maybe a market correction is happening. We've had a reduced market for new cars post-covid - and some people who really feel they have to have an EV or other type of car have been paying a premium.

Over the last few months there has been an increase in the number of more aggressively price lease deals on offer - which I would take as a sign of the manufacturers having unallocated production slots on some lines.

Local radio was advertising 0% on new Skoda Enyaq with immediate delivery. I would assume they're trying hard to avoid a headline discount on the price and offer via monthlies.

Local dealer was advertising pre-reg MG EVs at substantial discount from new.