focus mk1 emissions fail why?

[coldrunning2002]

Hello,

My ford focus MK1 02 year failed MOT on emissions, what do you think is the reason why?

The results are:

Fast idle test

CO% = 0.79 : limit = 0.2 fail

HC ppm = 154 : limit = 200 fail

Lambda = 1.036 limit = 1.030 fail

Natural Idle test Limit CO % = 0.3 fail

On the Emissions test result sheet it sates 2005MY Ford focus Engine type 16V.

I thought I had a 1998 Zetec engine with slightly allowed more pollution.

Gary

 

 

[isetta]

I can not offer anything concrete. 

A few years ago I had a 1998 Escort 1600 (I think that is a different engine to yours - exhaust at front of engine, yours is probably exhaust at back).

It failed on emissions.  The MOT place had no modern diagnostic stuff and was run by an old bloke who had no interest it moving into the modern age.

I took it somewhere else for a diagnostics. The bloke showed me all of the live readings with the engine running.

He said the fuel injectors were staying open far too long (the display showed how many milliseconds they were opening for) and that the voltage from the oxygen sensor in the exhaust was very low.

He told me his opinion was that most likely the oxygen sensor had failed so it was not giving a high enough voltage output and if it did give a higher voltage it would signal to the ECU to open the fuel injectors for less time and hence emissions would be less. If I recall correctly, low voltage from oxygen sensor tells the ECU to fuel richer, higher voltage tells the ECU for fuel leaner

I replaced the sensor myself and it was fine after this.

fault code readers which can also show you live data with the engine running are cheap these days and the software for a Ford Focus is free and good. I can not specifically say whether or not the display would show you the oxygen sensor voltage output.  I have a fault code reader that I connect to a laptop but I only have a fiesta diesel so I don't know exactly what it would show for a Focus petrol, 

Someone else on this forum may be able to tell you if Foccus or Forscan software can show you the oxygen sensor voltage and opening times of the fuel injectors with the engine running. 

Replacing the oxygen sensor without checking further might fix it, but it's a gamble and might be a waste of money

 

[TomsFocus]

Depends which month in 2002 as that was a changeover year.  However with that much carbon monoxide you'd fail the earlier test as well.  It looks like the cats knackered tbh, unless it was done on a stone cold engine.

Also you didn't fail on HC unless that's a typo.

 

[isetta]

[isetta]

re the above pages from MOT manual. I had not realised before that it mentions finding a match in the database. That suggests that for cars in the database we can not actually tell what the limits are that our cars will be judged against unless we can look it up ourselves in the database. So are some stricter and some more lenient than the limits it shows for cars that are not found in the database? 

Any MOT testers out there that can comment on this.

As for whether or not the cat's knackered. It might be, but I wouldn't like to replace that unless there was more evidence of that due to cost and work involved. 

 

[isetta]

New MOT manual comes into force 20 May 2018, I have not checked if the petrol emissions bit is identical or not (I know diesel section is changing)

[coldrunning2002]

 

Thanks for the info above I'll read it all.

I've just wire brushed and regapped the sparkplugs to 1.00mm, they were loads more than 1.00mm.

I am going to try adding injector cleaner to half a tank of fuel; https://www.forteuk.co.uk/product-detail/21/Petrol-Specialist-Injector-Cleaner

Then  I'll go for a 100 mile run, flooring the car uphill with some weight in the back.

I have a emissions only MOT retest next week with the mentioned additive, I'll make sure the cat is hot when it is done.

[iantt]

so basically from what i read its failed on co and lambda. that sounds like either an air leak ( running lean ) or lambda sensor faulty causing lean running

[coldrunning2002]

 

I've just found out MOT history with website Cazana, a log entry reads below:

NO oil, NO, water and engine management light on, oh dear!

MAY 2016

> Engine oil level did not register on dipstick, 2.5Ltrs added to reach minimum

> Coolant level did not show in expansion tank, 2Ltrs water added

Engine MIL light on

[isetta]

how long have you had the car.?   MOT history is on the Govt DVLA website, 

https://www.gov.uk/check-mot-history

Water and oil being so low does not sound good but if you have had the car for a while and it does not overheat and engine is not making horrible noises then what happened in May 2016 does not seem to matter.

[coldrunning2002]

 injector cleaner to half a tank of petrol, spark plug clean, and hill climb thrashing worked!

The results were:

Fast idle:

CO  0.16%

HC 49 ppm

Lambda 1.018

Natural idle CO 0.1%

I Now have a 12 Month MOT. Never replaced the CAT