Skoda Fabia Failed NCT twice on emissions :-(

BraveInca

Hi

My Fabia 03 has failed for the second time. Low idle is .31 (.3 is fail) and High idle is .38 (.2 is fail)

After the first failure the mechanic "fixed something in the exhaust", and put some of that engine cleaner stuff in, and I drove the car fairly hard for a week.

Low idle came down from .75 to .31 but high idle didn't budge.

Mechanic says he can do a fix with the CAT that "might" bring the emissions down to get a pass - or might not.

Within the last couple of months I've paid 600 on new lambda sensors and wishbones and I don't really want to risk any more.

Presumably if I trade it in with no NCT I'll get next to nothing.

If it had an NCT I can see 03 Fabias on Carzone or CBG advertised for more than 3K

Any advise ? And magical thing I could do to just get through the NCT?

andyseadog

BraveInca wrote: »

Any advise ? And magical thing I could do to just get through the NCT?

Leave 50 quid on the driver seat when you drop the car off to be tested?

Dilbert75

Had a car fail on emissions earlier in the year - high CO (turns out it had passed previous NCTs on the limit - suspicions aroused....). On inspection, the main cat (of 3) was dust and one of the pre-cats was empty, apart from a piece of charred catalytic stuff little bigger than a wine bottle cork. Obviously had had a problem in a previous life and these more expensive parts of the car were not replaced. Thankfully some second-hand exhaust parts became available and I passed with flying colours.

Suggest looking for the same. Failing that, if it is the cat, try www.onlineautomotive.co.uk or www.cats-direct-shop.co.uk for a new one.

Doc Farrell

it's probably the cat.
my advice is to find a mechanic with a proper emissions diagnostic machine that gets it right each time, every time.

the cat job will cost 300. why don't u find out exactly what the problem is and a guaranntee that it will pass.

or get a new mechanic.

actually get a new mechanic and gets QUOTES before getting work done.

sorry, i won't be following this thread. good luck.

BraveInca

andyseadog wrote: »

Leave 50 quid on the driver seat when you drop the car off to be tested?

I would if I thought it would work

BraveInca

Thanks for the replies.

Dilbert - I'm not competent to put in a new myself.

Doc - I accept your point about going and getting a proper quote. The thing is that both of the Skoda garages that I've spoken to will charge 100 plus VAT just to look at it (MLS in Pottery Rd and one in Sandyford, both of which have had bad reviews on here FWIW).

So... does anyone know of a proper Skoda garage who are reliable and won't charge me just to give me a quote ?

Nissan doctor

BraveInca wrote: »

Thanks for the replies.

Dilbert - I'm not competent to put in a new myself.

Doc - I accept your point about going and getting a proper quote. The thing is that both of the Skoda garages that I've spoken to will charge 100 plus VAT just to look at it (MLS in Pottery Rd and one in Sandyford, both of which have had bad reviews on here FWIW).

So... does anyone know of a proper Skoda garage who are reliable and won't charge me just to give me a quote ?

There is nothing unique about your skoda that requires the expense of a main dealer. Any number of independant garages can correctly diagnose your problem.

I also second the advice of changing your mechanic. If you have now been back twice with the same problem its because he isn't doing his job properly.

BraveInca

Nissan doctor wrote: »

Any number of independant garages can correctly diagnose your problem.

Do you happen to know of one (sth Dublin / Wicklow) ??

shamwari

OP, why was the lambda sensor changed?

BraveInca

shamwari wrote: »

OP, why was the lambda sensor changed?

The engine management warning kept coming on. Mechanic said that the computer was showing a problem with the lamdba sensors. Obv if I'd known there were also possible problems with CAT etc I would have thought twice before forking our 400 for this.

Bigus

Billy Crosbie of Auto exhausts will do the Cat and give you a print out of the emissions 01 405 9812 prob charge 200 euro

shamwari

BraveInca wrote: »

The engine management warning kept coming on. Mechanic said that the computer was showing a problem with the lamdba sensors. Obv if I'd known there were also possible problems with CAT etc I would have thought twice before forking our 400 for this.

Depending on what exactly happened with the lambda sensor, it might have screwed up the fuelling and that killed the CAT.

I don't blame you feeling peeved with the costs you've already faced and may be facing. There's little worse than a car which produces one expensive fault after another.

Nissan doctor

BraveInca wrote: »

Do you happen to know of one (sth Dublin / Wicklow) ??

I wouldn't have any first hand knowalage of anyone down that way but I'm sure you'll get a few suggestions here though..


On the 1.2 3 cylinder vag engine it very common for coil and timing issues to throw off the fuelling, leading to the cat failure which in turn gives incorrect readings to the lambda sensors. Its all to common for someone who only knows how to read the words that come up on the diagnostic screen to see a lambda fault and assume its the lambda sensor itself without reading all the perameters to properly diagnose the problem.

quenching

Bigus wrote: »

Billy Crosbie of Auto exhausts will do the Cat and give you a print out of the emissions 01 405 9812 prob charge 200 euro

I can recommend Billy also, he's in Dublin 12, full details here.

gurramok

If you really want to go to a Skoda dealer, go to Prussia st. I've found them honest over the years. Unfortunately when cars go wrong, its very frustrating and pricey to fix them.

Bigus

gurramok wrote: »

If you really want to go to a Skoda dealer, go to Prussia st. I've found them honest over the years. Unfortunately when cars go wrong, its very frustrating and pricey to fix them.

No point in going to this skoda dealer they're gone into liquidation

gurramok

Bigus wrote: »

No point in going to this skoda dealer they're gone into liquidation

They're still there and operating under a garage name.

Bigus

gurramok wrote: »

They're still there and operating under a garage name.

As an official Skoda Dealer ?

gurramok

Bigus wrote: »

As an official Skoda Dealer ?

No and I know I should have not said "Skoda dealer" in the previous post as its wrong a technicality. They are still specialists in fixing Skoda cars hence recommending them. There is even a Skoda badge on their garage logo and Skoda cars for sale in the building so near enough to being a dealer

JP Liz V1

Sorry to drag up an old thread but aunt's SKODA failed for 3rd time on high emissions, cat replaced, oil changed, cleaner added to petrol, any other advice help greatly appreciated please

Atlantic Dawn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118154418#Comment_118154418

Have you got the full details of the figures it failed on? Will help to see how bad it is and whether it's too far gone. Also, do you know if it's burning oil?

JP Liz V1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118154483#Comment_118154483

No oil burning and the oil was changed

Atlantic Dawn

So are highlighted figures the most current test results it failed on? What are the other results from?

Supercell

OP given the area you mention above i'd highly recommend popping over to T & A Byrne Autos on Kill Avenue. Dead sound and will not rip you off. I get my car done every year there (its an 07 and yet to fail an NCT).

One time my battery was totally flat and I got it jump started and brought over to them to check out. Turns out my duaghter had left a back seat light on overnight and killed the battery, he charged it up and i collected the next day for no cost, doesnt get more honest than that! His service costs are very fair based on my experiences with other places.

JP Liz V1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118156336#Comment_118156336

It has failed 2 times on emissions now

Atlantic Dawn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118157481#Comment_118157481

Yes I'm thinking the first was before all the work was done because some of the readings are off the scales, lol.

Do you know on the 2nd results which have failed? The fail ranges differ depending on when the car was made so not sure which it has failed on but figures look very close to passing.

After the fixes were made what kind of driving was done on the car by your aunt? If it was driving miss daisey style in urban areas things may have not fully cleared up to pass, it could be worth just giving it a good Italian tune up driving it in high revs for a 20 minutes or so to clear the system out. Another tip is on the day of the test not to sit parked up before it with the engine running as this will give high readings.

JP Liz V1

It is 07 and she does not drive Fast and Furious style but even her mechanic is stumped

wotzgoingon

Before going on the Italian tune mentioned above put dipetane in the petrol tank. Pour half the bottle in and not the tiny amount the bottle tells you to use. Maybe you drive the car hard with dipetane in it if your aunty doesn't feel like driving the car hard. And then on day of retest put the rest of the bottle of dipetane in tank and drive the car hard on the way to the retest.

barneygumble99

More than likely a combination of a burnt valve(s) and valve stem oil seals needing to be replaced. Putting dipetane into it, you might as well burn your money.