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Mot Emissions and fog light fail, help!
Posted: 22 May 2014, 15:19
by JimmyT25
Hi, I am wondering if anyone can help, I took my van 1982 t25 which has a 1.9dg engine for an mot today and it's failed as it has no fog light and also failed on emissions. (6.96 co when it should be less than 4.5)
I think the emissions is due to the carburettor not being tuned properly, has anyone got a guide or some information on how I can do this as the mot garage can't do it (p.s I don't have an emissions tester) and I can't find anywhere that will do it :/
The fog light I have no idea and am open to any suggestions.
Need some help ASAP as I'm supposed to be going away in it this weekend!
Cheers in advance.
Jimmy
Re: Mot Emissions and fog light fail, help!
Posted: 22 May 2014, 15:35
by AdrianC
JimmyT25 wrote:The fog light I have no idea and am open to any suggestions.
If it genuinely doesn't have one (rather than "the tester couldn't figure out how to turn it on"), then you'll need to fit one. Every UK-registered car/van first registered after 1980 needs at least one - centreline or offside. If your van's RHD and originally UK, it'll have one from new, and your tester's a numpty. If it's LHD and an import, then it should have had one when it was brought in, but probably wouldn't have had one from new.
As for the emissions - 7% CO is _MILES_ out. 3.5% might be the MOT limit, but 1.0-1.6% is the usual target. That's way worse than a carb tickle would sort. Was it up to temp, and does the choke stick on?
Re: Mot Emissions and fog light fail, help!
Posted: 22 May 2014, 15:44
by JimmyT25
I'm not sure about being up to temp as they didn't say and the. Choke could be stocking on, I'm really not sure to be honest. What I need to try and so is take off the carb and put it to some sort of 'factory' or base setting and then work from there even if it's so I can rule the carb out.
Re: Mot Emissions and fog light fail, help!
Posted: 22 May 2014, 15:45
by JimmyT25
It's an original rhd vehicle with a factory fitted fog light and there is a switch for it that lights up when you press it but it just doesn't light up :/
Re: Mot Emissions and fog light fail, help!
Posted: 22 May 2014, 15:51
by AdrianC
JimmyT25 wrote:I'm not sure about being up to temp as they didn't say and the. Choke could be stocking on, I'm really not sure to be honest. What I need to try and so is take off the carb and put it to some sort of 'factory' or base setting and then work from there even if it's so I can rule the carb out.
Don't start fiddling with it more than you need to! Taking it off and fiddling with the settings is not what you need to do yet. I'll let others go into the carb in more detail, but do the basics first - make sure the choke isn't sticking on. The MOT regs require them to make sure it's up to temp, but that doesn't mean they _did_...
It's an original rhd vehicle with a factory fitted fog light and there is a switch for it that lights up when you press it but it just doesn't light up :/
Unless it's the bulb, then it's multimeter time. Shouldn't be brain surgery.
Re: Mot Emissions and fog light fail, help!
Posted: 22 May 2014, 15:52
by richlaz
Sounds silly... But seeing as its a RHD and has factory fitted fog, and the illumination works on the switch... have you taken the rear light lens off and checked the lamp (or checked for 12v with a meter?)
Also, my van failed on emissions last year, then magically it passed (apparently it was ok when the engine warmed up - the silly bar steward firstly tested it with a cold engine!)
Re: Mot Emissions and fog light fail, help!
Posted: 22 May 2014, 17:05
by Evokiola
Mine almost failed on the fog light not working. Luckily mine came on when I cleaned the contacts on the lamp and the fitting before the tester had finished. Hopefully its that easy for you too.
No idea on the carb, ive learnt on here that there are other things to check before adjusting things blindly, although generally things I do on the van are done fairly blindly

good luck
Re: Mot Emissions and fog light fail, help!
Posted: 22 May 2014, 20:11
by JimmyT25
Right I've tested the fog lamp contacts in the light fitting and it's getting 12v however the contacts/metal earth plate bit were not fitted very well so I've sorted that and the fog light now works
When I took the air intake off the top of the carb there was oil on the top of the plastic cover and oil in the top of the carb, could this be to do with someone overfilling the oil at some point and causing it to come out of the breather pipe?
I had noticed it was too high prior to this and drained off the excess oil but have only driven a few miles since and it may not have cleared it, could this be causing high emissions?
Re: Mot Emissions and fog light fail, help!
Posted: 23 May 2014, 06:42
by croc
Air filter element clogged up?
Same effect as choke staying on.
Re: Mot Emissions and fog light fail, help!
Posted: 23 May 2014, 09:06
by JimmyT25
It's got a brand new air filter on it

Re: Mot Emissions and fog light fail, help!
Posted: 23 May 2014, 11:25
by kevtherev
JimmyT25 wrote:
I think the emissions is due to the carburettor not being tuned properly, has anyone got a guide or some information on how I can do this as the mot garage can't do it (p.s I don't have an emissions tester) and I can't find anywhere that will do it :/
Jimmy
ANY MOT garage should be able to adjust the carb mixture at idle on a CO meter.
There are no base settings..it has to be set up on a gas anyliser, using the mixture screw and the idle speed screw.
The choke is fully open after six mins..and in this weather probably sooner.
The flap can be observed opening with the duct off
The oil is just oil mist from the crank case built up over twenty odd years.
Re: Mot Emissions and fog light fail, help!
Posted: 26 Aug 2014, 12:57
by Fudgy666
My van has just failed it's MOT due to emissions aswell
It's got a new air filter fitted, and both of the auto chokes work just fine and open up as they should after running a few minutes.
I've just brought some of this to see if it will help, as I don't really want to fiddle with my Twin Solex Carb set-up too much.
The van has been laid up for a good few months though, and not been given a good run since I have owned it.
http://addthemagicbullet.com/all-produc ... on-buster/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
It has some pretty bold claims on the bottle (Well it would wouldn't it !?!) saying that is may reduce emissions by 25%
Anyone used this before and had good results ?
I've got a re-test booked this week so I'll report back.
Fingers crossed

Re: Mot Emissions and fog light fail, help!
Posted: 26 Aug 2014, 13:24
by AdrianC
Fudgy666 wrote:It has some pretty bold claims on the bottle (Well it would wouldn't it !?!) saying that is may reduce emissions by 25%
Turning the interior light on "may" reduce emissions by "up to" 25%, too.
Re: Mot Emissions and fog light fail, help!
Posted: 26 Aug 2014, 14:07
by kevtherev
AdrianC wrote:Fudgy666 wrote:It has some pretty bold claims on the bottle (Well it would wouldn't it !?!) saying that is may reduce emissions by 25%
Turning the interior light on "may" reduce emissions by "up to" 25%, too.
Put some snake oil in...oh, you have.

Re: Mot Emissions and fog light fail, help!
Posted: 26 Aug 2014, 21:27
by marlinowner
When my 1.9 DG failed on emissions I changed the oil and it then passed. Can't remember what the figures were though. Could also try leaving the air filter off to weaken the mixture.