Emissions test cost

Heckler

Prob posting in the wrong forum sorry.

Is 30Euros a fair price for a mechanic to run a 5 minute emissions test ?

Atlantic Dawn

Yes I'd think so, generally their machinery testing it would be expensive. Why are you testing the emissions?

wonski

Heckler wrote: »

Prob posting in the wrong forum sorry.

Is 30Euros a fair price for a mechanic to run a 5 minute emissions test ?

I would say so... Never done one meself, but providing it is good equipment I would expect it to be at least 30 if no more.

Heckler

Thanks for the replies.

Failed the NCT on emissions. Put dipethane through but brought it to my mechanic to see if it made any diffference. Turns out the Cat converter is worn.

I've been going to this mechanic for a while now and find him spot on.

Was kinda surprised at 30 euros for a 5 min check. Thought maybe a tenner.

This guy did a job for me for 300 euro less than an other garage quoted me so I know hes not taking the piss.

grogi

Heckler wrote: »

Thanks for the replies.

Failed the NCT on emissions. Put dipethane through but brought it to my mechanic to see if it made any diffference. Turns out the Cat converter is worn.

Why would you pay the mechanic do the test when you can show up at the NCT and have it done for €28 and be done if it already passes?

Toyotafanboi

grogi wrote: »

Why would you pay the mechanic do the test when you can show up at the NCT and have it done for €28 and be done if it already passes?

I know for some people it's a logistics thing. If the nearest NCT centre is a town away or on the other side of the city etc, lots of people would rather have the car prepared locally and pass first time, or do just one retest than make a few trips out of town.

Dakota Dan

Heckler wrote: »

Thanks for the replies.

Failed the NCT on emissions. Put dipethane through but brought it to my mechanic to see if it made any diffference. Turns out the Cat converter is worn.

I've been going to this mechanic for a while now and find him spot on.

Was kinda surprised at 30 euros for a 5 min check. Thought maybe a tenner.

This guy did a job for me for 300 euro less than an other garage quoted me so I know hes not taking the piss.

Why did he have to test it when he already had the nct results? If the test showed up the exact fault the nct tester would be able to tell you what it is.

biko

The reason it costs a bit is that the equipment used is very expensive.

Heckler

Dakota Dan wrote: »

Why did he have to test it when he already had the nct results? If the test showed up the exact fault the nct tester would be able to tell you what it is.

I put in dipethane hoping it would bring down the emissions.

Nope. As my mechanic explained when I asked him the same question.

It failed on emissions. That might not necessarily be a bad cat converter. Its their job to tell you it failed not to diagnose why it failed. It can be other than a bad cat.

The NCT tester was a foreign fella with bad english. He just gave me the paper and said "fail, Emissions". I asked him whats the fix for that in general he just shrugged and said "not a mechanic".

Heckler

grogi wrote: »

Why would you pay the mechanic do the test when you can show up at the NCT and have it done for €28 and be done if it already passes?

It needs one or two other small jobs done as well. The dipethane didn't do the job. It didn't pass.

Dakota Dan

Heckler wrote: »

It needs one or two other small jobs done as well. The dipethane didn't do the job. It didn't pass.

Dipethane is snake oil, was the car fuuly serviced before the test?

Dakota Dan

Heckler wrote: »

I put in dipethane hoping it would bring down the emissions.

Nope. As my mechanic explained when I asked him the same question.

It failed on emissions. That might not necessarily be a bad cat converter. Its their job to tell you it failed not to diagnose why it failed. It can be other than a bad cat.

The NCT tester was a foreign fella with bad english. He just gave me the paper and said "fail, Emissions". I asked him whats the fix for that in general he just shrugged and said "not a mechanic".

Not a mechanic? How did he pull that off as one of the requirements is to be a fully qualified mechanic to work there.

grogi

Dakota Dan wrote: »

Not a mechanic? How did he pull that off as one of the requirements is to be a fully qualified mechanic to work there.

lol. Of course he is a mechanic.

It is however not his responsibility to act as OP's mechanic and to tell the OP what the source of the problem is. Imagine the turmoil when he does and despite fixing the mentioned thing, the car still fails...

Dakota Dan

grogi wrote: »

lol. Of course he is a mechanic.

It is however not his responsibility to act as OP's mechanic and to tell the OP what the source of the problem is. Imagine the turmoil when he does and despite fixing the mentioned thing, the car still fails...

Lol, I already knew that.

porsche boy

Dakota Dan wrote:

Dipethane is snake oil, was the car fuuly serviced before the test?

Dipethene is absolutely NOT snake oil. if you understand what it does, it does it very well.
Servicing a car is not going to have any real effect on emissions, so thats a pointless comment also.

rex-x

Dipetane lads.... there is no h in it

TallGlass

Nothing to say. Just had to laugh at the NCT fella saying he wasn't a mechanic. Haha, you should have asked him then how he knew it failed then.

Most of the NCT lads are clear cut with you and tell you exactly why they failed what. Say they are struggling to get testers and going bottom of the customer service barrell now.

wonski

When it comes to emissions there could be many reasons why, so not surprised the tester didn't even bother with trying to give an answer based on machine readings.

TallGlass

wonski wrote: »

When it comes to emissions there could be many reasons why, so not surprised the tester didn't even bother with trying to give an answer based on machine readings.

True but on the flip side. This person is a mechanic and would I assume have a generally good idea about a fault based off the results. Similar to a doctor looking at blood test results in a way.

fullstop

Heckler wrote: »

Prob posting in the wrong forum sorry.

Is 30Euros a fair price for a mechanic to run a 5 minute emissions test ?

Where is this garage? Was looking to get this test doge a while back and couldn't find somewhere that had the equipment.

biko

There is a place on Old Dublin road, Renmore Motors

Cosmo K

porsche boy wrote: »

Dipethene is absolutely NOT snake oil. .

Dipetane is the definition of snake oil!

biko

Dakota Dan wrote: »

Dipethane is snake oil

porsche boy wrote: »

Dipethene is absolutely NOT snake oil.

Cosmo K wrote: »

Dipetane is the definition of snake oil!

I'm sure between the three of you at least one source can got.
Less bicker, more facts from sources.

wonski

TallGlass wrote: »

True but on the flip side. This person is a mechanic and would I assume have a generally good idea about a fault based off the results. Similar to a doctor looking at blood test results in a way.

If we using the medical analogy the testers are just nurses. Your own mechanic is the doctor

barneygumble99

It’s the hard driving in a low gear after putting in the dipetane that clears out a car and may in some cases help the emission readings, as opposed to dipetane itself.

For those who put in dipetane before the full test and the car passes emissions I can guarantee that in the majority of cases the car would have passed emissions anyway.

The only way a tester could definitively diagnose am emission reading failure is if it failed on lambda only, and the exhaust was leaking. Failure on HC or CO or both could be anything from a set of plugs and an air filter to valve stem seals and a cat replacement and 50 more causes in between.