NCT fail, emissions and headlight alignment

Bazzo · 12-06-2013 03:52PM #1

Car failed the test on lambda emissions & right headlight was high.

Got my usual mechanic to weld up the exhaust in the hopes it would be a leak and it'd be a cheap fix. His beam aligner was broken so I had to take it to a garage in town to get the headlights aligned. Was charged €25 for the alignment. No idea what's normal but this seemed like a lot for a couple mins work.

Went to the retest and the car failed on emissions again(fair enough, must be the sensor) but it ALSO failed on the headlights alignment. When I said to the guy in the test centre I'd just had them aligned he just said "what?" and handed me the keys before walking off. So... is it possible they just assumed I'd done nothing with the car in the NCT centre seeing as emissions is the first check? Or did I get completely ****ed out of my money by the garage in town? What do I do here?

biko · 12-06-2013 03:55PM

25 for headlight aligment is pretty standard.
Go back and show them the fail sheet, they should either refund you or do it right this time. Make sure you have right tyre pressure first (shouldn't really matter but hey).

Bazzo · 12-06-2013 04:05PM

biko wrote: »

25 for headlight aligment is pretty standard.

Fair enough, no idea how much it usually costs as I've been going to my usual mechanic for years and he does small things for me at no charge.

biko wrote: »

Go back and show them the fail sheet, they should either refund you or do it right this time. Make sure you have right tyre pressure first (shouldn't really matter but hey).

Intended on doing this, just on the off-chance that the lads in the NCT hadn't bothered to retest the alignment I didn't wanna land into the garage like a bull and look like a prick when it came out fine.

On the emissions, would it be unusual for a car with no leaks in the exhaust to fail on a high lambda reading(CO was fine)? Or is it equally possible that it's the sensor or a leak?

biko · 12-06-2013 04:13PM

Can you post the numbers from the fail sheet? That will help.

Bazzo · 13-06-2013 09:58AM

Don't have it with me at the moment, I left them in the car when I dropped it out to my mechanics.

I'll post it when I get it back as I'm interested in finding out anyways, but from memory the lambda reading was 1.07 both first and second time. CO I can't really remember, it was way below the tolerance at high and low idle both in the original test & retest though, if that has any impact? I understand if you need the actual numbers rather than vague references to what they were though. :pac:

nct tester · 13-06-2013 11:39PM

is there a hole in the exhaust??

Bazzo · 14-06-2013 02:05PM

nct tester wrote: »

is there a hole in the exhaust??

No, I initially had my mechanic weld up any possible leaks, it still failed the retest. After I dropped it back to him he thoroughly checked again for any possible leaks, there were none.

biko · 14-06-2013 02:16PM

Once it's fixed take it for an emissions test at a garage before going to nct again so you don't waste another nct appointment.
Some exhaust centres have emissions testing machines.

NCT fail, emissions and headlight alignment

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