My recent MOT for Ford Mondeo Zetec 2010 (77000 miles) failed with emission at 1.0 and above the threshold of 0.5 . There is no warnings on the Control Unit Dashboard and the system cleaner is applied with no reduction in emission value. The diagnostics test has not highlighted any fault in the machine.

The garage is unable to figure the reason and is recommending a trail and error approach  . I request a guidance on what could lower the Emission below the threshold. 

I am now advised that the Fuel Filter may need to be changed but this will not guarantee an outcome... I am also told that the injector may be an issue (though no error or warning in the Control Unit) .

Can I request some advice what measures should I take to reduce the Emission below the threshold and pass the MOT ?

When was the air filter, oil and oil filter last changed? In the past, I've seen cars fail and just changing the air filter sorted it out, can't remember if it was a diesel though.

If the Oil and Air Filter have been changed recently I would take the car for a run in third gear at near Motorway speeds after it has warmed up and retest it. I doubt that the Fuel Filter will make any difference.

Getting a Diesel to pass an emissions test since they changed to the Plate Value a few years ago can be a problem, everything needs to be working correctly for a car to pass now. People in the know defaced the Plate value before a Test but even if you did that now it would need to be retested on the Plate Value that it failed on as far as I know.

49 minutes ago, Frembrit said:

When was the air filter, oil and oil filter last changed? In the past, I've seen cars fail and just changing the air filter sorted it out, can't remember if it was a diesel though.

Thanks for your response.

The Oil filter was changed 1 week ago as part of the MOT and service deal. 

Air filter and Oil change was done 2 - 3 years ago . I applied a system cleaner post full diesel oil but no avail.

 

 

4 minutes ago, Tizer said:

If the Oil and Air Filter have been changed recently I would take the car for a run in third gear at near Motorway speeds after it has warmed up and retest it. I doubt that the Fuel Filter will make any difference.

Getting a Diesel to pass an emissions test since they changed to the Plate Value a few years ago can be a problem, everything needs to be working correctly for a car to pass now. People in the know defaced the Plate value before a Test but even if you did that now it would need to be retested on the Plate Value that it failed on as far as I know.

Thanks .

Yes the oil filter is changed but not the air filter over the last 2 years .

Can I drive the car with a failed MOT though it is not a serious MOT failure ?

1 minute ago, RambaSamba said:

Can I drive the car with a failed MOT though it is not a serious MOT failure ?

Only for the remainder of the old MOT as I understand the rules have changed. Once the old MOT runs out then that puts an end to the vehicle been driven, unless it is going to an MOT test centre and the appointment has been booked.

1 minute ago, RambaSamba said:

Thanks .

Yes the oil filter is changed but not the air filter over the last 2 years .

Can I drive the car with a failed MOT though it is not a serious MOT failure ?

Get an air filter, cheapest option right now.

Technically you shouldn't be driving on the road as it has failed an MOT, even if the test was before the expiry date of the last test...but no one checks really...that's if last years MOT hasn't expired

3 minutes ago, RambaSamba said:

Thanks .

Yes the oil filter is changed but not the air filter over the last 2 years .

Can I drive the car with a failed MOT though it is not a serious MOT failure ?

I thought that if it is down as a Major fail then you can't legally drive it, but I'm not certain about that.

2 minutes ago, unofix said:

Only for the remainder of the old MOT as I understand the rules have changed. Once the old MOT runs out then that puts an end to the vehicle been driven, unless it is going to an MOT test centre and the appointment has been booked.

Have the rules changed? I'm a bit out of touch with it all.

24 minutes ago, Frembrit said:

Have the rules changed? 

Yes.

A few years back, maybe 2018 ??

Now as I understand it, you can still drive the car for the remainder of the old MOT provided the failure was only for a minor defect that is not safety related. To be honest the new system is way more complicated and open to interpretation than the old system. The guy to answer this correctly would be @iantt as he is/was an MOT tester.

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12 hours ago, unofix said:

Yes.

A few years back, maybe 2018 ??

Now as I understand it, you can still drive the car for the remainder of the old MOT provided the failure was only for a minor defect that is not safety related. To be honest the new system is way more complicated and open to interpretation than the old system. The guy to answer this correctly would be @iantt as he is/was an MOT tester.

As long as the vehicle meets minimum standards of roadworthiness ( no dangerous mot failure items) you can continue to use the vehicle until not expires. As for the passing of emmisions test, as already said, accelerate hard in  low gears to high revs to clear it out. Fuel filter change can make difference as a partially blocked filter can change the fuel flow enough under hard acceleration Test.

The joys of modern diesel emmision requirements. 

Garages in the main are stumped when it comes down to diesel problems, and are overly reliant on reading the car's ecu.  I'd say if the smoke test fail is THAT bad, then you've got one or more injectors at fault. If you yourself are hands-on, then one at a time, disconnect each injector's electrical connector and rev the engine, monitoring for smoke from the exhaust. If you've got one rogue injector causing the excess smoke, you'll soon nail it. However, if more than one injector is contributing to the smoke, it'll be a bit more difficult. A leak-off test might tell you the general health of the injectors.... for example, I'm working on an excess smoke problem on my daughter's diesel Renault, and a leakoff test returned 30ml from each of 3 of the injectors, and the 4th injector returned 35ml, which on balance I'd have thought it a pass, albeit marginal, BUT on disconnecting that injector and revving the engine - the smoke  was gone - so I changed that injector, and it's now all good. 

2 hours ago, nicam49 said:

Garages in the main are stumped when it comes down to diesel problems, and are overly reliant on reading the car's ecu.  I'd say if the smoke test fail is THAT bad, then you've got one or more injectors at fault. If you yourself are hands-on, then one at a time, disconnect each injector's electrical connector and rev the engine, monitoring for smoke from the exhaust. If you've got one rogue injector causing the excess smoke, you'll soon nail it. However, if more than one injector is contributing to the smoke, it'll be a bit more difficult. A leak-off test might tell you the general health of the injectors.... for example, I'm working on a excess smoke problem on my daughter's diesel Renault, and a leakoff test returned 30ml from each of 3 of the injectors, and the 4th injector returned 35ml, which on balance I'd have thought it a pass, albeit marginal, BUT on disconnecting that injector and revving the engine - the smoke  was gone - so I changed that injector, and it's now all good. 

@nicom49 Does injector issue not come up as a warning in the Cars EPU ? Mine is a hardly 76k mileage and not been driven much ...I was trying to rule out Injector issue to narrow down on a couple of targets ...Surprisingly my diagnostics also did not come out with any fault..

I may do a low gear ,high Rev in motorway to clear out any particles before MOT expiry date...

3 hours ago, iantt said:

As long as the vehicle meets minimum standards of roadworthiness ( no dangerous mot failure items) you can continue to use the vehicle until not expires. As for the passing of emmisions test, as already said, accelerate hard in  low gears to high revs to clear it out. Fuel filter change can make difference as a partially blocked filter can change the fuel flow enough under hard acceleration Test.

The joys of modern diesel emmision requirements. 

Thanks @iantt.

Do I need to drive on low gear, high Rev just before the MOT test or could be done 2 days before that to help clear out the faulty particles?

My MOT test is booked a day after  MOT expiry date and was wonder the steps mentioned can help beforehand ..

Yes, the ecu will log a fault code for each injector you unplug, but you just clear them with your code reader. (it won't prevent the car from starting.) 

Also, my daughter's Renault had only done 76k miles, fewer than your 77k miles. 

Be aware that your insurance will be invalid without a current mot! So if you get pulled up by the cops you'll be done for driving without insurance as well as without a current mot. 

Also it is illegal to keep your car on the road (parked) without mot + insurance, so you ideally need to get it sorted b4 mot due time. Good luck! Let us know how you get on. 

p.s. The least you can do is see if the air filter is dirty and needs changing. 

Not fair how some vehicles who's  plate value is illegible, there emissions will be tested at 1.5%....

Yours would've passed at that ...🙄

 

 

9 minutes ago, Ecosport2019 said:

Not fair how some vehicles who's  plate value is illegible, there emissions will be tested at 1.5%....

Yours would've passed at that ...🙄

 

Alternative but don't condone is make the plate illegible and take the car to a different testing station for a full mot keeping fingers crossed . 

No of course same here,

Although i think the diesel emissions test should've changed years ago.

Revving the nuts out of an engine filling the workshop up with cancerous particles, then failing it, taking it for a thrashing up the road unleashing all the cr#p its collected over the passed year into the atmosphere, just to say yep its good for the environment now as its clear🤯.

Rant over

1 hour ago, Ecosport2019 said:

1 hour ago, Ecosport2019 said:

This interesting .I can see that this guidance applies 'If there’s no emission value on the manufacturer’s plate, or you cannot find it, you must use the new default limits' 

It seems the 0.5m value that my Ford Mondeo TSCI (2010) threshold does not seem right..

Does anyone know whereto find the plate value for Ford Mondeo 2010(TDCi Zetec) ?

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mot-changes-from-may-2018-guidance-for-mot-testers/diesel-vehicle-emission-limits

1 hour ago, Ecosport2019 said:

 

 

19 hours ago, Tizer said:

If the Oil and Air Filter have been changed recently I would take the car for a run in third gear at near Motorway speeds after it has warmed up and retest it. I doubt that the Fuel Filter will make any difference.

Getting a Diesel to pass an emissions test since they changed to the Plate Value a few years ago can be a problem, everything needs to be working correctly for a car to pass now. People in the know defaced the Plate value before a Test but even if you did that now it would need to be retested on the Plate Value that it failed on as far as I know.

@tizer

Do you know where can I find the Plate Value for my Ford Mondeo Zetec (2010) ?

17 minutes ago, RambaSamba said:

@tizer

Do you know where can I find the Plate Value for my Ford Mondeo Zetec (2010) ?

I have attached my PlateValue (E4) but cannot find the recommended emission limit by manufacturer.

Despite being a 2010 plate vehicle , the MOT emission threshold seem to for post 2014 diesel car.Attached herein.

Can someone please guide on the Ford Mondeo emission threshold for 2010 based on attached plate value ?

 

It's on the vin plate driver's b pillar.