can anyone help me out on a major prob i have getting my car through its mot!

2 week ago i took my 93 impreza wrx (import) for a mot and the car failed because i had a full decat exhaust on it for the first time ever i took it to the same garage last year past no prob apparently because the emissions machine wasnt linked to the dot database and there was no match in the book.

they said if i fitted a cat i could retest it but it would have to meet the uk emissions guidelines ie,

CAT test
Idle: (450 to 1500rpm)

i asked them why if it was tested to the non cat test guidelines last year and
i doubted it would hit those guidelines even if i fitted a standard exhaust system and cat beacause its a import therefore not deisigned to meet uk guidelines....they refused to budge so i bought an exhaust system from ebay to suit my car model and year and got that fitted and it still wouldnt meet the guidelines today when retested!!! then they tried to tell me the head gasket had gone and whats was causing it!! yeah right.

so this afternoon i called vosa and was told that because the car wasnt on the dot database that it should of been tested under the non cat test guidelines because the car is not on the database there is no point of reference they even gave me the url for the vosa site http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosacorp/repo...01992-2002.pdf that would refer to the mot guidebook flowchart to that points this out and the garage could check this then test it under the proper emissions level ie ,


HC <= 1200ppm

the garage took a look at this then insisted that the guidelines had been updated since the august 2003 date on the flowchart and proceeded to produce there own notice in the mot handbook http://www.vosa.gov.uk/vosacorp/repo...766301a saying that i would have to provide a letter from the vehicle manufacturer that state that the car wasnt designed to meet uk emissions guidelines before they would even consider testing it at the more lenient limit, yeah let me just ring subaru in japan and see about a letter btw any of you speak jananese because subaru uk dont want to know...

i then insisted the garage rang vosa while i was present to confirm that was the case and the mechanic informed them that it was a import and the make model etc and initially the vosa guy said yeah non cat test it doesnt have to meet those lower emissions the garage mechanic asked him to double check......few minutes later the vosa guy came back to say that there had been a internal memo at vosa that non of the garages knew about stating that all import imprezas had to be tested based on the impreza turbo 2000 guidlines ie the lower emissions and that this would have to be the case with my car the mechanic told me this with much sarcastic delight i might add.....i was obviously stunned by this after having been told on 2 separate phone calls in the same day that this wasnt the case and on one phone call that the garage had not follwed the correct process on the mot and to report them to the vosa taskforce in bredbury and put in for a appeal as the test was invalid.

anyway i am stuck as to what to do now my car wont pass the mot and i dont know how to get it through other than to take it to another garage and hope they take the flowchart stating non cat test as read and pass it can anyone help.....please.

 

take it to sumwhere that deals with imports alot and knows what they tlaking about

 

iv got a 93 wrx import and mine passed with full 3"decat, i would phone that garage up again an have a proper moan at them.

 

I LIVE IN DERBY MATE DONT NO WHERE YOUR FROM BUT I NO SOME 1 WHO WILL PASS IT FOR YOU .

 

i live in buxton not to far away and yeah that would be great if you do as cant see any other way to get it passed other than to take it somewhere or to someone who knows what there doing.

 

Got a catted downpipe if you want to borrow it

 

Im in Doncaster so not too far away if you want to meet up to get it.
Its from a classic so will fit no probs

 

hi mate if you are in buxton then goto our website SMACS Subaru Club, South Manchester And Cheshire Scooby's and click the links header across the top of the page scroll down to Adam at autotechnica he will have a look at it for you i believe he is in the industrial estate on the outskirts of town towards ashbourne. hope this helps

 

https://www.scoobynet.com/general-te...tml?showfull=1

Have a look at the Zen Performance post.

take it to a garage that deals with imports my decatted 93wrx has been tested as a non cat test for the last 4 years and has passed.

If there is an update ask for proof.

 

yeah i asked the vosa guy to email me and fax me the internal notice about the import cars having to be tested to the uk turbo 2000 standards he refused i lost all confidence in the vosa contact centre guys after being told so many mixed messages to be honest

 

Surely the internal memo must be sent to garages for them to obey the new rules?
If he refused just take it to another garage preferably an impreza specialist there are plenty about and i'm sure they will be a lot more helpful.

 

lets hope so lol i have had a few suggested from the memebers on here so will be on the phone tomorrow.

i mean seriously what do they expect me to do scrap it because it will never meet those emissions its a import car it wasnt designed to meet uk emissions laws thats why the loophole is in place with vosa and why import cars aint listed on the dot database because its unfair to expect them to meet such low emissions well the early model cars anyhow like mine. thats the only sensical peice of information i was told by talking to vosa today and then that was dashed to peices by this so called internal memo

 

I don't think you'll have any problems finding a more friendlier garage but good luck anyway

 

That car should pass a cat test in any event, assuming it's got a functioning cat. The lambda should get it to .5 CO, and the cat will scrub the rest.
What figures did they give you when it failed the second time with the cat on it?

 

Its christmas.. find another garage and give thema slab of larger for their troubles.. I once had a v6 omega that passed emmisions.. I gurantee you it shouldn't have but it was a bit of a banger and they just unclipped something and reved the nadgers off it to make it pass

 

just get a standard exhaust with a cat, put it on for the test

 

There have been dozens of posts regarding this previously.

You do not need a cat, on an import pre July 95.

As there is no exact match on the DOT database, it should be tested via the non-cat test. I had this with my old MY95 WRX.

There is a diagram somewhere, I'll try and dig it out from previous posts now.

 

Here we go:

 

Sorry - just reread your original post now!

I would just take it to another garage then, print the flowchart out even and show it to them.

The garage I took mine to just took my word for it.

 

Ok mines on an N-plate but is a 94 build on the applied model code... So should that be cat tested or not ? :S

 

think he knows that, the issue he has is that vosa are saying there has been an update that doesnt appear on their site.

 

I realised that after I posted!

Thats why I suggested going to another garage. A lot of them from my experience haven't a clue.

 

I had the same issue on my last mot last year, also a fully decated 93 wrx. took it to the same garage as previous where it passed no probs however they tested it I think as a 95 uk model so not surprisingly it failed. Did the same as you basically printed info off the vosa site etc asked why they did it as a non cat test the previous years etc. End result they wouldnt budge, okay £40 spent at another garage where it passed, guy at the other garage said as long as the car was safe etc then that is fine by him. Net result original garage has lost my business and my wifes and new friendly garage has gained business

 

yeah sorry, my works internet is very slow, so by the time I reply there are about 5 others already!

 

Non Cat

 

Car will need proof that it was used before its registration date.

If the v5 says in the notes section somthing like: Was registered and/or used before 1994 or manufactured 1994 on the v5 you'll be ok... and show it to the garage as proof.

If not, you'll need to get the details on the v5 amended to show its a car manufactured in 1994 in the notes section.


Otherwise the garage will assume its a 1996 car.

 

my mates decated RA passed on re test,but had to get it as hot as poss & rev the nuts off it...just took my mondeo to a garage out in the stix & there not on the new system yet ..they passed it with exhaust blowing at the joints & a well spongy brake pedal ..so you know where the scooby is going mot time

 

Ok cool, will get the V5 changed

 

My guess is you will have MOT problems whatever you do with Vosa or the paperwork. Most garages don't have a clue, nor do they care, and don't expect much sympathy in this green age when your car is clearly a threat to the planet

Take it to a Subaru specialist who will fit a catted centre section for the test, then refit your decatted pipe. It's an easy job.

Richard.

 

Of course, if the car has a cat and the engine is running ok, All pre1995 Imprezas should pass the post 95 test easily with no problems.

So it's down to how much hassle one wants by not having a catalyst fitted at MOT time.