Rikki23

Just got back from having my MOT done. It failed on the emissions test and the rear fog light.

It was tested just over a year ago and passed at an official Subaru garage. It is a 95 WRX and has both cats.

Not sure if this will mean anything to anyone but :
Fast idle test: CO: .74%
Second Fast Idle Test: CO: 1.2 %.

Any ideas what could be wrong?

Anyone know the current interpretation of the law for imports? The guy reckons that to exempt it from standard UK test I would need a letter from Subaru and that he has to test it against Subaru UK Turbo 2000 data.

Will a clear rear fog light with red bulb pass? I think I had this before but the red has worn off.

Any advice appreciated.
Rikki
Unhappy bunny

scooby nutter

Dont know about the emissions but sounds to me like you have the rear reverse light /fog light trick.Get some of that red see through tape and stick a few layers over the clear lense,you can get it at most auto shops.
Job done.

pacenote

Rikki
On my 98 WRX the rear fog light has been made using the bulb and holder from the right hand reversing lamp and relocating this into a spare reflector housing in the light cluster. This has a red lens and is located immediately above the reversing light so no need to paint bulbs or use red tape.

On the emission front the lambda sensor reading is the one to obtain, this should be between 0.970 - 1.03. If the lambda sensor reading is not within these values the CO emission will be incorrect also.
This could be the result of a faulty sensor or a failure to purge the system prior to carrying out emission test. (leaving the car idling for a long time during test doesn’t help).
When you take car back for retest make sure you’ve been driving it briskly beforehand

Hope this helps

polarbearit

It sounds like they don't know much about the car, I believe any car that is not listed in their book only has to pass a base level of emissions, and nothing as severe as the UK car. My car (94WRX only 1 CAT) passed OK, I'll try to find the emissions info. BUT I AM SURE THEY ARE WRONG testing it as a UK CAR. Also I doubt subaru would give you a letter, as they aren't fans of import owners!

Also a car made before sometime in 95 doesn't have to have any CATs etc to pass an MOT provided that it was not originally intended for use in the EU, so pressumably the emissions would be higher!

Another thought, the Guy who does my MOT's has a poster on the wall of the waiting room which details all the different MOT emissions rules and exemptions, I have seen it in lots of garages, so you may be able to to point to that, and show them your log book and say - look this is not a listed car!

Good luck

Jon

Rikki23

Thanks for the info guys.

I think I'll go for the red tape trick on the bulb.

With regards to the lambda sensor reading - it passed this OK - 1.013.

I told the guy what you said Jon and he got a bit funny about it. Then out came the 2001 rule book and he showed me a section about 'Personal Imports' which said they have to pass the test the same as a UK car does unless a letter from the manufacturer is present to say that it doesn't?? I couldn't really argue the case because it was written there in front of me. Still all sounded a bit foggy though. Can anyone clarify this further? The other guy there said they had had similar situations before and he would have passed it but this other guy wouldn't budge.

Also heard someone else say "take it out and floor it" with regards to the brake road test because he didn't realise I was standing there

Any more help from anyone would be appreciated,

Rikki
Still unhappy bunny

wrx.co.uk

Rikki,

Check out some of the import service companines listed on my site

ptholt

A friend who owns a garage selling cars takes all his imports to one garage as any imports that do not have european type approval just sit a default test.

He hasnt had one fail yet.

As for the fog light, if worst comes to worst just wire one up under the rear bumper then remove after its passed.

I seem to remember reading somewhere that the placement of fog light is important as well, this is why a lot of cars ended up with theres cut into the bumper as it would not pass as part of the light cluster (tho i may be getting mixed up with sva test).

My car has a high level brake light from an sti5 rear spoiler mounted under the back bumper as the fog so just a little fog light is viewable on mine have had some interesting comments about that!

alter_ego

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by Rikki23:
<B> out came the 2001 rule book and he showed me a section about 'Personal Imports' which said they have to pass the test the same as a UK car does unless a letter from the manufacturer is present to say that it doesn't?
[/quote]
I think the rules changed this year; what the manufacturer's / importer's letter has to confirm is that the model in question was never granted UK / EU type approval. If it was, it has to pass.

A_E

Rikki23

Thanks again guys for the info. Does that mean my WRX has been granted EU status by the fact it successfully made it to the UK and is now a UK car or it hasn't got UK status because it is not an official UK car?

I am going to take it to Tyres Northampton soon and let them have a look at it.

ransj

Rikki23,

The MOT station that tested your car is wrong testing your car to the 'Impreza 2000' limits as listed in their emissions handbook. As such, you could appeal (as the tester is carrying out a non-valid test). The MOT testers handbook states that if the emission limits aren't listed in the handbook a 'non-cat' test has to be done.

The part where it mentions personal imports relates to imported vehicles which are listed in the MOT tester's emissions handbook. e.g importing a 2000 uk spec. Impreza from Holland.

Regarding the levels of emissions required, below is a copy of an e-mail I sent to IWOC a few weeks back.....

------------
From the 1st of August, a new 'Basic Emissions Test' was introduced. All
cars will now go through this test, if they pass, that's it, if you don't
then a full emissions test will be carried out.

The BET limits are:

Fast Idle (2500-3000rpm):
CO no more than 0.3%, HC no more than 200 ppm, Lambda between 0.97 and 1.03

Normal Idle (450-1500rpm):
CO no more than 0.5%

If you car fails the BET and it isn't listed in the emissions database then
a non-cat test is carried out. In this test the CO can be no more than 3.5%
and the HC and be no more than 1200ppm.
---------

I hope this is of some help.

Simon

Rikki23

Thanks for the info Simon. So judging from what you have said - my car would have failed the BET but passed the non-cat test but this would have been OK because it isn't listed on the emissions database.

Have I understood this correctly?

ransj

That's it.

Rikki23

Is it worth taking this thread to the MOT test station in question and showing them or do you think I am fighting a lost cause there and to take my car elsewhere (and pay to have another MOT done)?

Jerome

Personally I'd bite the bullet and pay to have another test done elsewhere. This guy sounds like a complete jobsworth. Go to a place that specialises in imports 'cos they will know what they are doing with respect to MoT'ing imports. For example, the place I bought my MY93 WRX from has a standard Scoob exhaust they put on imports to get them through the MoT where necessary.

Rikki23

Thanks Jerome. Could anybody name a good place like this in the South East area, preferably near Dunstable?

MOT rules aside - should my car not have passed the standard test anyhow seeing as it still has both CATS - and therefore there may actually be something wrong with it because it didn't?

scoobysnacks

Actually, it may only have one cat (found in the downpipe). My totally standard MY98 WRX (non STI) only had one cat as above. It looked like there was one in the centre pipe near the down pipe join, but this was not a cat and was just a box seemingly stuck on the outside of the pipe..? After looking down the pipe I could see it just restricted in size slightly in this area and then went back to the normal size to the other end where it joined the back box.

Rikki23

When I had 4 new Toyos fitted by Mark at Tyres Norhtampton he advised me about getting a cat replacement pipe for the centre section so I guess that means he thought I still had the centre cat and the downpipe hasn't been decatified as far as I know.

Not sure whether to pay to let Tyres Northampton look at it and pay again for them to test it or go back to Supertyres and try and put over the points raised above?

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

Rikki

The my95WRX was never intended for EU/UK use, so your car is classified as an external EU import, as pointed out earlier that letter the tester was referring to was the one for EU imports.

Also the 95WRX doesn't have a cat in the centre section, its just a silencer.

Isn't the retest free if its done within a week? If so go back armed to the teeth with all the data and info you can get hold of, if they still won't budge then take the car elsewhere.

Good luck

justin

Rikki23

Thanks a lot Jay. When you say mine is an external EU import, does this mean it that it isn't an official EU import and the 'Personal Imports' section about the leter does not apply?

I am sorry if I am being a little pedantic about the finer details of your answers but I want to be 100% clear on the facts if/when I go back.

Many thanks again
Rikki
Increasingly more knowledgeable bunny

Rikki23

Simon (ransj)

I think I would like to go back to the MOT test centre and argue my case. The problem is the section titled 'Personal Imports' that the guy showed me did not actually specify that it applied to EU only so the guy could argue that it implies to personal imports wherever they come from - i.e. Japan? Your thoughts?

Plantie

Give Pete Jackson a call about Run-rite, this is a product that once completed should lower your emmisions by over a 3rd by simple cleaning your engine! Will also drive, idle and be more responsive. See Rin-rite add in misc.

After that treatment you should be able to pass your emmissions on MOT.

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

Rikki, You're right in a sense that you can personally import a car from anywhere, but hopefully that particular document that the tester has refers to all cars listed on his database that have been imported from a certain date. Also it may apply to cars manufactured from a certain date onwards. Usually when a new piece of legislation comes out it only affects cars built after that date, the best thing i can advise is to ring the DOT and try to get them to confirm Ransj's post.

There may be some info on the website

Rikki23

Thanks very much for the info Justin.

I have Elvis at Tyres Northampton looking in to the ruling for me and I have faxed him my emmissions reading and Ransj's post.

Is the DOT the Departmenet of Transport? I will try and get the number and call them. I will have a look at that website also (is that for the DOT?).

Thanks again
Rikki

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

I believe DOT and DETR are the same thing, DOT is DETR in old money! I think it now stands for Department of the Envoirnment, Transport and the Regions.

Justin

ransj

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by Rikki23:
<B>Simon (ransj)

I think I would like to go back to the MOT test centre and argue my case. The problem is the section titled 'Personal Imports' that the guy showed me did not actually specify that it applied to EU only so the guy could argue that it implies to personal imports wherever they come from - i.e. Japan? Your thoughts?[/quote]

Rikki,

Your car isn't in the emissions handbook that the MOT stations are issued with (and the emissions machines are programmed with) and as such they can only test your car to the emissions limits I posted earlier.

You need to tell the MOT station that 'Impreza 2000' is a model, not a generalisation for an Impreza with a 2000cc engine (otherwise what would be the point of having the P1, etc listed in the emissions handbook).

If they insist on testing your WRX as another car, I would complain to the ministry.

I hope this helps.

Simon

Ken E

I had my MY95 WRX mot done at the garage that look after my car, who are an independant Subaru specialists and know the difference between a WRX and a UK car. It has a full decat exhaust and passed first time.

Rikki23

Thanks a lot for all the info guys - I think I will have a chat to the guy at Supertyres to save paying to have a retest elsewhere. Although, Elvis at TN said my CO level still seems high considering I have both CATS on and I might have a problem.

Ken, am I right in assuming that a car with full decat exhaust can legally pass if it is a Jap import because it doesn't have to pass the BET but only the non-cat test - which it should pass in this state?

Thanks again guys
Rikki

scoobysnacks

So does all this mean I could replace the downpipe on my MY98 WRX and I will still legally pass the MOT without any cat? I was under the impression that if your car had a cat as standard it has to have one to pass the MOT, wherever it's from.

Rikki23

This is taken from the Vehicle Inspectorate homepage:

&lt;b&gt;
"The changes mean that all cars and light goods vehicles that have not been "type approved" for use in the UK (for example, those built for the South-East Asian or North American markets) up to 10 years old will be examined to make sure they comply with the current minimum design and construction standards. Vehicles over three years old will also have to pass an MOT test.

From 1 August the majority of non-type approved imported vehicles will have to meet the more demanding Enhanced SVA standards covering key safety and environmental aspects of vehicle design and construction, such as emissions, crash safety, brakes, noise, seat belts and their anchorage's and vehicle security provisions. However for anyone wishing to import several examples of the same specification, arrangements have been made to minimise the nature and extent of the examinations required. This will help independent dealers in particular and so improve consumer choice. "

&lt;/b&gt;

Would this not suggest that from the 1st August Japenese Imports would be subject to the same tests as 'normal' EU/UK cars?

Markus

Coming in a bit late on this I know but.

blackbeast is MY94 WRX Wagon. It's passed a couple of MOT's and I think it has both cats though i'm not 100 percent sure on this.

Anyway, from what I know, which ain't much granted , a 'classic' WRX is not listed on the MOT machines list of cars, so, when asked what it is you say impreza WRX, or in my case subaru WRX Wagon, MOT don't have a record, thus it goes through as a pre CAT emmisions test, and should pass. Couple of guys have fully decatted cars and they've got through on this with no problems.

The MOT chap seems to know **** all about the car, though if you said it was a subaru impreza turbo, then this would show up on their list, and thus if tested as such it might well fail the emissions test, though not too sure on this.

Other thing is to check what the V5 says for model, think that most imports are 'subaru rigid two axel" or something like that, and I think this could be used to say what car it is.

When/if I get the beast a nice downpipe, or fully decatted, I'll find out first hand what the score is, and then have some half decent knowledge of this grey area.