M.O.T. Emissions - FAIL

t-tony

t-tony

The Legend
Deceased
Supporter
#ZedShed
Joined
Dec 31, 2013
Points
226
Location
Torksey Lock,Lincoln, England
Model of Z
E89 Z4 23i Auto
An interesting thing arose this afternoon which high lighted something I raised a while ago re M.O.T. exhaust emissions. I tested a 2011 BMW 318 Touring. This car is the E91 model and has the N43 B20 A engine, which has only covered 18,000 miles, the BET test failed on lambda and automatically puts the analyser into Full Cat Test Mode. The interesting thing to note is that the parameters for the Lambda emission is opened up, A LOT. The BET test has 0.07 - 1.03, if you look at the picture it shows 0.07 - 4.00, this appears after you enter the specific vehicle data. Strange that BMW can't get their cars to reach the same standards as other manufacturers do? The Mini has similar issues too, also the 1 series has the same affliction.
img047.webp

Also notice that the CO emission is 0% and this does affect the lambda reading, so perhaps they run too clean?

Tony.
 
Yeah I have herd this too. My friends bmw diesel comes up too clean to register.

Funny how "she" gets away with illegel tyres. I bet you cant guess why :happy:

IMG_1771.webp
 
Tony, re the lambda sensor conversation the other day. The garage who serviced the Zed did an emissions test for me and he said although it failed with a run first he thought it would pass. He checked sensor 2 that "R" had flagged up on the computer and said there wasn't a sensor there after the cat? He didn't know if it had been removed or it had never had one. Strange would you think? o_O
 
The problem is Dave, there are cars which don't actually fall into either category, so if a car fails and the tester is unsure they should look in the " In service Emissions book" which VOSA supply where specific vehicle test data is listed. If you contact Sopers I'm sure they could tell you if Reggie has 1 or 2 sensors. Yours is a '98 ? 2.8?

Tony.
 
t-tony said:
Yours is a '98 ? 2.8?
Click to expand...

If so, it only has one looking at this. Part No. 17 is not on the list for the car.

Catalytic converter/front silencer
BMW Z3 2.8 Z3 Roadster Europe M52
Right-hand drive, Transmission: Neutral, Production date: January 1998

2qv0.png

16
Oxygen sensor
18
Lambda-probe bracket
21
Cable clamp
 
t-tony said:
The problem is Dave, there are cars which don't actually fall into either category, so if a car fails and the tester is unsure they should look in the " In service Emissions book" which VOSA supply where specific vehicle test data is listed. If you contact Sopers I'm sure they could tell you if Reggie has 1 or 2 sensors. Yours is a '98 ? 2.8?

Tony.
Click to expand...
It is a 98 2.8 Tony yes. I'll take a pic of the emissions report from yesterday and post it on in a mo. Hang fire! :bookworm:
 
hard top said:
If so, it only has one looking at this. Part No. 17 is not on the list for the car.

Catalytic converter/front silencer
BMW Z3 2.8 Z3 Roadster Europe M52
Right-hand drive, Transmission: Neutral, Production date: January 1998

2qv0.png

16
Oxygen sensor
18
Lambda-probe bracket
21
Cable
Click to expand...
Interesting to know thanks. Wonder why the computer picked up lambda sensor 2 faulty? Maybe because it hasn't got one?
 
Don't know what happened there sorry!!! :confused:
 
I will check on mine when I get it back on the road Dave, just out of curiosity. Just as a by the way, I did notice that your testing station made the glaringly obvious mistake of not testing the oil temp. So if you have to take it back, how in hell do they know that they have it at the same temp as the first test?.it is not difficult to test the oil temp at all, it is simply laziness. A guy at our place does this, he is ex Halfords ( To$$er). The report shows the CO level was coming down and I bet if he had got the oil up to temp it would have passed.;)

Tony.
 
t-tony said:
I will check on mine when I get it back on the road Dave, just out of curiosity. Just as a by the way, I did notice that your testing station made the glaringly obvious mistake of not testing the oil temp. So if you have to take it back, how in hell do they know that they have it at the same temp as the first test?.it is not difficult to test the oil temp at all, it is simply laziness. A guy at our place does this, he is ex Halfords ( To$$er). The report shows the CO level was coming down and I bet if he had got the oil up to temp it would have passed.;)

Tony.
Click to expand...
It wasn't my mot report Tony. I have the mot done elsewhere. I just asked Andy who serviced it for me on Tuesday to shove the probe in for me to check after what "R" had come up with on the plug in.
 
Tony, As a non mechanical type of guy, what's the best way to tackle these potential issues when having the Z MOT'd, are you say its best to have the car ran up to temp and politely mention to the tester that these cars are possibly prone to fail the emissions test if not up to temp (without making the tester stupid in case he already knows this)?
Andy
 
To be honest Andy, if the car fails look and see if the result sheet says , oil temperature bypassed, if it does simply ask for it to be tested"properly" by checking the oil temperature. On the test equipment screen prompts it says oil temp should always be checked where possible.so there is no excuse not to.

Tony.
 
Many thanks for the tip, very handy. The MOT is in May and we use a small local garage in the village for my sons car who seems very honest on past repairs and our main car is done through a dealership, so the Z will be going down to the village garage this year and fingers crossed.
 
Hey Andy, I forgot to mention that mine also is a 2.0, 2000 model and I've had it for 5 years now and every year it has flown through the emissions test without fail, no reason yours shouldn't.:)

Tony.
 
Here's a good one Tony I have just picked up on the Facebook forum;

Advisory issued with the following statement, "undertray obscuring some underside componants..... Engine cover obscuring some engine componants in engine"

Are they having a laugh or what, just about every car has covers. !
 
Aceman said:
Here's a good one Tony I have just picked up on the Facebook forum;

Advisory issued with the following statement, "undertray obscuring some underside componants..... Engine cover obscuring some engine componants in engine"

Are they having a laugh or what, just about every car has covers. !
Click to expand...

I'm afraid that is a real thing that DVSA want you to use. WTF, as you say nearly every car has some undertrays almost ALL diesel cars have them to get rid of engine noise out of the rear of the car. On an Audi, BMW, Merc.,there is very little to see anywhere. Also, on most MPV type vehicles Picssaso, Zafira etc the engine is shoved so far back under the bulkhead that you can't even see the brake master cylinder or its mountings. Considering that the M.O.T. Test is a "visuall" inspection, it really beg the question, Why?
If you have time to spare have a look through the testers manual, I posted a link to it on here, it is full of contradictions and makes you think that whoever compiled it didn't actually do the job, ever !!

Tony.
 
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