Need help to get car through NCT

BOSTIK

Hi all,

Looking for some advice. Test results from last week:


Lambda = 1.00 (fails if not between 0.97 and 1.03)
Low idle (710 rpm) CO 0.08% (fails above 0.50)
HC 82 ppm (fails above 0 ppm)

High idle (2,520 rpm) -- CO 0.48% (fails above 0.30)
HC 118 ppm (fails above 200 ppm)


2001 Corolla 1.4VVTI, 247,000 miles. Serviced at 239,000 miles. Gets about 550 miles from 50litre tank. Likes a drop of oil, about a litre every 1,000 miles or so.

Got a bottle of Cataclean a week before the test, would have driven an additional 500 miles after that before the test date. Car appears to be running well, noticed an improvement after this treatment.

What do I need to do here? New CAT? Terraclean? Fix the ashtray?
Would like to keep the car going, think there's still plenty of life in it.

Special Circumstances

Am I right in saying the high idle CO is the only fail, I know the low idle hc is not zero but didnt think they actually failed on that.

joujoujou

What's the engine's temperature on the fail sheet?

Cee-Jay-Cee

Service the car again with new oil and filter as well as new spark plugs and new air filter.

Make sure the engine is fully up to temp before the test, arrive 5 minutes before your due time so the engine isn't cooled down to much. A good 15 minute drive before the test should ensurea it's a proper temperature.

The levels are only marginally above the limit so all the above should get you through.

BOSTIK

HC at low idle is N/A, meant to include that. So the car just failed on CO at high idle.

Engine/oil tem was 88°C

BOSTIK

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

Service the car again with new oil and filter as well as new spark plugs and new air filter.

Make sure the engine is fully up to temp before the test, arrive 5 minutes before your due time so the engine isn't cooled down to much. A good 15 minute drive before the test should ensurea it's a proper temperature.

The levels are only marginally above the limit so all the above should get you through.

Will do that, thanks. Was waiting for 15 minutes for the car to be tested, had it idling for that time, so the benefits of the hard spin earlier were reduced.

joujoujou

How long did it wait to be tested? Between you came in and handed keys over to a tester?

Aforementioned failure is not really something significant, even for oil burning engines.

Edit: saw your reply above.

Just keep it hot.

Cee-Jay-Cee

If you find that because of delays your having to wait and the engine is cooling down, just say to the tester to give it a good Rev as he drives it in as the CO was a little high in the high idle last time or better still bring someone with you and leave them in the car with the engine running, they can get out when the tester comes out to take the car.

B00056718

Would a drop of Dipetane help?

mik_da_man

B00056718 wrote: »

Would a drop of Dipetane help?

That should help.
However a litre of oil every 1000 miles seems very high...

BOSTIK

mik_da_man wrote: »

That should help.
However a litre of oil every 1000 miles seems very high...

According to the Corolla manual which accompanied the car, a litre per 1,000 kilometres is considered normal.

Have it booked for a retest in January, will get it serviced and scrutinised before then.

marketty

I had a similar fail recently on mine. Apparently temp of 88C, which mine was also, is too low. I was told by a mechanic friend to demand they do the retest for free as they didn't get car up to temp the 1st time, at least 90. Didn't bother with that, but I revved the bejaysus out of it when bringing it back for retest (up through the gears hitting redline each time, then a blast on the motorway in 4th gear approx 5000rpm for a good 20 mins!). I think the CO 1st time was around 0.7, 2nd test it was down to 0.02! Also used dipetane before the second test, but on a petrol car I'm not sure how much difference it made.

Odyssey 2005

Bring spare keys to the test centre and sit in the car with it high idling until the tester takes the car for the test. That will keep the oll temp up.

BOSTIK

Your story sounds promising, marketty. Will heed advice given and see how she fares.

joujoujou

BOSTIK wrote: »

According to the Corolla manual which accompanied the car, a litre per 1,000 kilometres is considered normal.

[...]

^^ This. ^^

Even higher oil consumption wouldn't give a problem - tested myself on the same engine drinking 1.5 litre per 1000km.

BOSTIK

Update:

Changed oil, oil filter, spark plugs and air filter. Got a good hard run in 3rd gear for half an hour before the test, revs about 4,500 rpm. Car was tested immediately on arrival. Some dipetene had been added to the petrol.

Oil Temp 82°C
Lambda = 1.01 (fails if not between 0.97 and 1.03)
Low idle (560 rpm) CO 0.16% (fails above 0.50)
HC 34 ppm (fails above 0 ppm)

High idle (2,890 rpm) -- CO 0.39% (fails above 0.30)
HC 90 ppm (fails above 200 ppm)


So another visit required. The tester suggested that the throttle body was causing the problem and said that the revs were fluctuating during the test. Car will be re-tested next week.

All advice welcome. Would that expensive clean burn petrol, the stuff that's about €5 a litre, help?

joujoujou

Clean throttle body as well as ISC valve, it may eliminate uneven revs.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=93091972

boardsuser1

I failed the emissions test on the throttlebody, how does a novice clean a throttlebody

BOSTIK

Update:

Successful at 3rd attempt. Throttle body and CAT are fairly healthy. Switch of lambda sensor and a stomachful of Wynns Clean Burn elixir did enough to scrape the High Idle CO through, just under 0.3.

Alrighty then!

joujoujou

Good on ya!