As above really has anybody ever been stopped by the cops or VOSA and had to have an emissions check????
If so did you get a fine or worse

 

I had this chat with Green Light about this as technically you're driving a car unworthy of the road. They'll still insure a car which "at the time" may not pass an MOT but I would suspect if it came down to paying out 50k in a crash they would throw it back at you.

In this sense the police would probably give you points in the same way driving without working seatbelts, lights, duff tyres etc may bring the same penalty.

 

I've had a friend stopped by the police on behalf of VOSA with another infringement (no fenders on a hot rod) and he was issued with a prohibition notice. That meant he had to get the vehicle recovered at his own expense as they wouldn't allow him to carry on.

Not sure how it pans out with a decat, you've asked an interesting question. Would they give you seven days to fix it and present it at an MOT station I wonder. I'm interested to see the replies here.

Good question GG.

 

Depends on what you are driving, i haven't gone to far into it as it looked a complete minefield but one thing is for sure, if your vehicle is a pre 1995 import then you are NOT required to have any cats hth

 

I was stopped by vosa, for a routine check of lights, tyres and emissions, passed all three, even with a full decat

 

Andy do you pass a MOT with your Decat??

 

I've never even seen one of these mythical spot checks and have never actually met anyone else who has been stopped by one. So it will be interesting to see if anyone on here has.

I would suspect you will get a producer and need to prove it is fit for MOT within a certain time period. I really can't see the police wanting to waste too much time and resources on this to be honest. I may be totally wrong though...

EDIT: sorry Andy above there is the first person I've now heard of to be stopped

 

Its not illegal to have a decat on your car aslong as youve got a mot cert to prove you passed your emmisions test

 

how about a pre 95 import engine in an MY98 car ?????

 

I am sure I have seen them in the center of London being done

 

Are you 100% sure about that

 

Perhaps some of the insurance company broker peoples would like to comment on this please?

Mowley? Greenlight? etc etc

 

If you take an Impreza into the centre of London you deserve to have it taken off you What a waste of a car sitting in traffic that never moves and having to pay for the privelege.

 

Mikkel have you ever gone up the kings road on a summers day to London

 

I've never been stopped in my Scooby but I was stopped whilst travelling on a coach by VOSA. They sent us on our way soon enough though. Also been with the wife in her Mini Cooper S when the police stopped her for having the Mini emblem and the word supercharged on the number plate . Told her to get it replaced ASAP .

 

ive heard that before aswell

 

I was stopped last year in barnsley and they check everything and they give me 5 days to change a tyre but i did pass emissions test without a cat maybe just luck
Can using high octain fuel help reduce your emissions, v-power + octain booster

 

I hope that this answers your question:

MOT UK car and vehicle MOT information equipment car servicing parts and spares - exhaust emissions

 

Beat me to it. I used to have a decat (sports cat now) and in the fitting instructions was the statement 'you should inform your insurance co..........your car is not road legal with this device fitted'.

See so many myths on here, but I do not see police being too lenient on this if caught. May need a test case to decide the legality/illegality issue??

 

I recently attended a course at Bristol University run for local councils on roadside emission testing. I managed to blag my way onto it by getting an invite from a company called Environment Technology. They manufacture the test equipment, which uses spectroscopy to break down gases into the various parts. The big idea is that councils can set up chaps in vans by the side of the road, sniff you as you go past, then mail you the results if you're a dirty boy. They photograph your number plate then get your details from DVLA. No kidding, this wouldn't have been in George Orwell's dreams!
I refused to believe any of this until I saw it working. Serious kit! and it certainly works. I was running my Evo past it, stone cold, then slow warm, then fast warm, then flat out. Bang on every time! Damn machine gives out gases including CO, HC, Nox, O2 etc...
I don't know who's paying for all that stuff, but I'd say it was majorly expensive. They aren't doing all that for nothing!
Coming soon to a town near you...

 

When I was looking into what exhaust to buy, I was told by H&S that I could take out all restrictions except the cat in the downpipe to stay legal. Their 100 cell sports cat on the 3" system will just pass an MOT as it's just after the extremely high exhaust gasses coming out the turbo, which makes it do its thing.

 

I think if you get stopped for a spot check by the police and fail the emissions test then you'll just get a fine (no points) - Just the same as any other car that fails the emissions test. I doubt they'll know if the car has a full/partial decat unless they are clued up, as classic Imprezas have up to 2 cats as standard. You'll then get have to produce a new valid MOT certificate at a later date and you go on your way again.

 

As mentioned unless they really know there stuff it's unlikely that they will be able to tell if you have a full de-cat by inspection alone.

Just be nice and if it fails the roadside emissions tests just say that you thought it was running a little rich, thanks for drawing it to you attention / confirming your suspicions, and that you'll get it sorted. Take the producer, get it re-tested at an MoT place (with the centre cat back in), and provide them with the documents giving you car a clean bill of health. Then put the de-cat centre back

 

It's an interesting observation, and definitely something that an answer on would be nice, for all of us.

How many have you have declared to your insurance that your exhaust is de-cat, I'm sure some people have, if you tell them it's de-cat the insurance might be void, but if you don't tell them it might be void as well.

So it's certainly an interesting point.

 

As I'm a copper I can say that these spot checks do exist.

What usually happens is that we go out in company with VOSA, DVLA and other local authority and go hunting for transits, flat bed pick-ups etc and then check their load and test for red diesel as well as have a vehicle examiner check the full vehicle.

On our hunt if we see any sheds or crappy little boy racer cars then we will get them in too for emmisions tests and full vehicle check overs, then either VOSA will issue notice or we will issue a HORT/1 (producer) and as a last resort if the vehicle is that bad then we will get it recovered on the spot and the owner will be reported.

I can say that no Scooby or other similar car would ever get brought in for any of these checks.

G

 

...... with a proper car

 

If you still have a cat on the downpipe but have an aftermarket centre section and backbox is it still classified as a decat?

 

No, there is still a cat in the system and it will pass an MOT, it will just be loud.

G

 

Cheers

 

Yep i had this happen to me while driving the van, they pulled me off the motorway with a sign saying "follow me" to a service station in bridgend, big operation it was