Help please - MOT failure

Cardiff Steve

Dedicated Member
British Zeds
Joined
Jun 29, 2019
Points
27
Location
Cardiff
Model of Z
1.9
My 1.9L baby has failed its MOT with the not-unusual CO problem. We think we have done the obvious. We did a smoke test and have replaced a cracked pipe. We have replaced the airflow meter as the readings from it didn’t change when connected to the computer. We have run it hot and retested and still it is failing.

The issue is that at 2,500rpm the engine isn’t holding a steady speed - it is varying +/- 200rpm and the CO readings are also going up and down. When it is steady, CO readings are OK.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

I’m happy to spend the money if I know I can fix the problem. I’m in danger of part-swapping and hoping for the best at the moment.
 

Nodzed

Zorg Expert (II)
Supporter
British Zeds
M Power
Joined
Feb 18, 2016
Points
231
Location
Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England
Model of Z
Z3M Imola and Z4 (e89)
@colb can you help with your wizardy kit?
 

colb

Zorg Guru (V)
British Zeds
Joined
Nov 25, 2012
Points
178
Location
Newport, South Wales,UK
Model of Z
Z3 M43 1.8 (1999) and Z4 E85 2.5 (2003)
Can do back home late tomorrow from our Cruise so Shed back to normal next week. Steve pm me and we can arrange to plug you in to see what's going on, is it drivable or will I have to come to you? I'm in Newport
 

Cardiff Steve

Dedicated Member
British Zeds
Joined
Jun 29, 2019
Points
27
Location
Cardiff
Model of Z
1.9
Can do back home late tomorrow from our Cruise so Shed back to normal next week. Steve pm me and we can arrange to plug you in to see what's going on, is it drivable or will I have to come to you? I'm in Newport
Thank you for your offer. The car is running but the MOT has expired. It’s still with the garage at the moment, they are going to try again Monday morning on their computer analyser. I will post an update and contact you if they draw a further blank.
 

Nodzed

Zorg Expert (II)
Supporter
British Zeds
M Power
Joined
Feb 18, 2016
Points
231
Location
Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England
Model of Z
Z3M Imola and Z4 (e89)
Thank you for your offer. The car is running but the MOT has expired. It’s still with the garage at the moment, they are going to try again Monday morning on their computer analyser. I will post an update and contact you if they draw a further blank.
I would suggest that Colb would be of more use to you but it's your call.
 

colb

Zorg Guru (V)
British Zeds
Joined
Nov 25, 2012
Points
178
Location
Newport, South Wales,UK
Model of Z
Z3 M43 1.8 (1999) and Z4 E85 2.5 (2003)
Made a visit to the Garage in Cardiff where Steves car is languising following MOT fail on emmissions.
Car has flat battery so garage put a power bank on it to jump start it. Immediately noticed a very rich smelly exhaust.
They had previously put a new intake boot on to replace a split one and put a non oem Maf on the car.
Scanned with my Launch Scanner revealed a code for the Maf and the Intake air temp sensor. Cleared codes and they came back.
Used software on my Laptop to view the Lambda sensors qand pre and post cat sensors performing as they should. Fuel trims checked and these looked ok and quite stable. The Maf when viewed was reporting but the intake air temp sensor was reading extreamly high, disconnected it went off the scale so that is duff. Not convinced the non oem Maf is reporting correctly. With the Maf disconnected the engine ran smoother using the default settings. Cleared adaptions and cleared all codes again, The Maf and intake temp codes returned.
Cleared again and put the car on the garages exhaust tester to see if we had made any difference, alas it failed on the CO readings again.
Suggestion is to replace Maf with oem Bosch or Seimens and an oem air intake sensor and rescan the car to see if it loweres the emmissions. If it dosn't then the Cat may well be the cause. The car has over 100k miles on it so its a possible cause besides the Maf and Intake air temp sensor. Garage going to change the sensors for oem, will see if they resolve the issue. Car is a 1997 M44 engined Z3.
 

Stevo7682

Zorg Expert (I)
Supporter
The M44 Massive
Scottish Zeds
Joined
Apr 1, 2016
Points
208
Location
Maybole , South Ayrshire
Model of Z
Z3 Individual Dakar / Orinoco Individual
If it needs a cat the stuff you get from euro car parts etc no where near as goid as bmw one .
Original bmw part into 4 figure sum.

I have one of these fitted on my m44 got through 2 mot with it now cat fitted is a euro 3 type approved cat so much better quality than the euro 2 stuff that euro car parts give
Stephen

 

Stevo7682

Zorg Expert (I)
Supporter
The M44 Massive
Scottish Zeds
Joined
Apr 1, 2016
Points
208
Location
Maybole , South Ayrshire
Model of Z
Z3 Individual Dakar / Orinoco Individual
This thread will let you see the difference between the type approved cat and euro one
 
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