Sportrak failed MOT - blue smoke

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Hi,
For the first time since we've had it (6 years) it's flumped the MOT - excessive blue smoke (or so he says - I can't see much at all, in fact hardly any!) but it passed the emissions funnily enough.

I got it back, changed the oil, added some of that goo which alledgedly reduces smoke and cleaned the plugs, only to have it fail again today on the same thing. I did notice the plugs were a bit sooty, however.
Bar this, is there anything else I can do? I can fully appreciate the valves guides/pistons etc could be worn after 87k but I've not the time to be messing about at the moment with it and it'll have to go as we use it constantly if i cant get it thru. BTW, I did the HG recently - could that be a factor? I do have it booked in at another testers on wed.

Cheers,

Dave

BLUE SMOKE

It's odd that thecarpassed emissons yet was failed for excessive smoke. Blue smoke is a sign of oil being burnt either by worn piston rings or as you say worn valve guides.

I must admit that oil burners do tend to stink if you are following but if as you say you were unable to see the blue smoke then perhaps the tester was just fussy and lets hope the retest is by a less fussy tester. As the MOT's are now computerised you may find that the new tester will be aware of the previous failures and the reason and may be pre warned of the previous testers opinion. The timing is correct, I suppose, else the emissions would have failed.
The soot on the plugs, is it greasy or dry? , I suspect greasy/oily

Fingers crossed.

OLDMINIMAN

M J Young

Oil.

Blue smoke is oil burn. I would check the age of the oil - how many miles since the oil filter and oil were renewed? Has the correct oil viscosity been used ... difficult to judge unless you renewed the oil yourself. If the oil is 'thin' and has gives friction when rubbed between two finger tips, then that could be the problem. Change the oil and use a higher viscosity and/or put an additive into the oil. Ask your local diy shop for an appropriate additive which will coat pistons, oil rings and valves.
PS ... oil burn cannot be reduced by altering the engine or distributor timing. Oil is passing the cylinder rings or valves and is then being burned with the fuel.

Took it to another garage

Took it to another garage and.....It passed. Not even an advisory!

Exactly what parameters do these 'testers' work to, I wonder.

Dave with a Sporty

Dave with a Sporty

Easy ... goes like this:-

Dave ... I think the parameters are :

To the MOT tester.

'We don't have any work booked for the next couple of days, so fail a couple'.

Smoke

I agree with assasin. I cannot see how it would have passed the emmisions with excessive smoke.

The whole criteria for MOT's in the UK is still geared to the Garage that performs the testand it is an easy way for them to make Money. If they were prevented from repairing the vehicle then I believe it would be a fairer system for all.

Here in France the CT (MOT) is done by a government inspector every 2 years at a CT centre. They are not by law allowed to repair the vehicle and do not have the facilities to do so. The test is €55 with the retest being about €9 and the CT last 2 years not one year. It covers some 250 points and you get either non retest warnings which allow the certificate to be issued but will be checked at the next test or faults that require a contra visit in the 2 months.

In addition the whole system is computerised and you cannot sell a vehicle legally without at least 18 months remaining on the ticket.

It is true with older vehicles that may not have been built to comply with the current legislation are smoke tested rather than analised for emmisions but this would not be the case on yours.

Until the UK go back to test centers then this "grey" area will remain and although you have the right to appeal, most of us will do like you and if we get a ticket at another station then will be satisfied and not bother. I thought this new computerised system was also going to indicate pre failures and the reason to the alternative garage, obviously not.

Regardless, at least you have the car MOT'd

Good luck

OLDMINIMAN

M J Young

Smokey and a bandit tester

MOT examiners work to emissions standards set by VOSA, they cannot fail a vehicle for excessive smoke if it has passed the emissions test.
Smoke tests are for visible smoke on early vehicles where they do not have to meet an emissions standard, or exempted vehicles, this is left to the examiners discretion, and it is down to his experience.
Several concerns are raised with this test, was the engine at its correct operating temperature, was the engine oil level correct, and not overfilled, and was the examiner actually a qualified examiner, and not just another non qualified garage employee testing your vehicle. I have come across all these in the past.
Simply put, your vehicle should have been tested for emissions, and not visible smoke, if you are unsure of an examiners qualifications, ask to see his card, this is like a credit card, with his photograph on it.

Thanks one and all

Thanks oldminiman, Mace, assassin (and anyone else I forgot to mention) for your support - I was honestly shocked at his report of 'blue smoke' and really, I should have taken it down there myself instead of letting the missus go on her own. Al I can do is suspect that, like assassin says, that they must have got some 16 yr old grease monkey on the job and not a tester, esp. as It just flew thru at another place "anything to report?" I asked casually...he just shook his head. "pretty good nick all round" he replied. I honestly thought it might have gone down or got an advisory on that old Sporty bugbear of excessive pedal travel, but i can live with the prospect of a master cylinder swap

But thats all for another time. So you lot have still got to put up with me for at least another year!!

Dave with a Sporty

Dave with a Sporty

SMOKEY

ARGH it all becomes clear now knowing your wife went with the car. Not knocking her in anyway just the garage for trying to take the p*ss!!!

Good luck

OLDMINIMAN

M J Young

REAL MOT's

Take a look at this link.

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-mot

Aparantly many local councils have their own MOT testing stations for council vehicles (i.e. buses and ambulances). Yet by law these test centres must be open to the general public. As they only carry out tests, and not repairs, there's no incentive for mechanics to find faults that don't exist.

I haven't used one yet but I am going to try it for my next mot.

I think you have a case for getting your money back dave.

www.centraloffroadclub.co.uk for free fun offroading in the midlands

MOT failure due to emissions

Well my 1991 Sportrak just failed on emissions. I went to the garage after and she was smoking but my wife that followed me to deliver the car said it wasn't smoking. I am now waiting for the garage to contact me about what they intend to do. Previous MOTs advised on cracks to the tyres so this year I took it to a different garage which also do tyres in BANFF. No advisories on tyres, odd?

M J Young

MOT failure due to emissions

Well my 1991 Sportrak just failed on emissions. I went to the garage after and she was smoking but my wife that followed me to deliver the car said it wasn't smoking. I am now waiting for the garage to contact me about what they intend to do. Previous MOTs advised on cracks to the tyres so this year I took it to a different garage which also do tyres in BANFF. No advisories on tyres, odd?

M J Young

If the engine has overheated,

If the engine has overheated, this could harden the valve seals. Otherwise, the pistons need to be removed and cleansed from impurities of which block oiling passages. Following maintenance instructions for oil changes will eliminate the need for engine repair of this type.
Cracks in tyres are unimportant, only when the vehicle is driven exclusively under dry conditions. The purpose of culling out such tyres is because excessive cracking exposes steel belts to moisture of which could cause the belts to sever, when excessively corroded