My first post so be nice !
i have searched on this topic and i have had my 94 RX7 for 7 years now without problems at MOT time. Its had the non cat test for emmisions, however this year (same garage) it was given a cat test and failed ( of course !)....no cat, large bore exhaust.
the tester gave two reasons why it was different from last year
1. it now comes up on their electronic system as cat test
2. the MOT manual now states that an import has to have letter from the manufacturer saying its not designed to pass UK emmisons. This statement is new.
How do you guys get round this ? Anybody got a letter !!!
i\'m in welwyn garden city in herts, so if you pass on the name of any friendly RX7 MOT testers that would be great.
p.s they also failed it because it was too loud...again new wording in the testers manual. To be honest it was a bit noisey so have added an extra box to keep the MOT and neighbours happy ! But owning a modified jap import seems to be getting more hassle than its worth
Ive always taken my rex\'s to thames valley mot in reading. Bit of a trek but they\'re good with jap cars
What a good way of getting noisey fuel guzzling cars of the road without any fuss and I thought the MOT was a safety thing
thats fduking ridiculous how can they justify changing that? surely those rules were put in for a reason due to it being a jap car where the laws are different for emmisions and other bits but how can they expect everyone to pass an MOT unless they they pay for everyone to have a catfitted (just for the test). and also when did noise come into the equation (iv never heard of someone failing becfause they are to loud) i thought that was a track thing.
Rant over
Kris
^^ Moonwrap has had the same prob - same car , same MOT place , and now its failed as the car is too nosey
although im sure i heard somewhere that it has to be noisier than the same car .. so how many of these MOT places have tested a "out of factory" rx7 to know what a stock car should sound like ????????
Is it an import? If so check on the V5 for exactly when the car was registered. It may have a 94 plate but is it registered with the DVLA as post July 31st 1995. This is the cut off date for imports not having to go through the fast idle test. If this is not the case, you need to contact them and ask them to apply their rules properly.
Depending which department of the DVLA I speak to my car is registered in 1992, 1995 or 1997 which does create problems at MOT time.
I\'ve been told by my friendly mot tester, that this year its come in to effect that your car will fail if it does not have a factory (oe) exhuast. Its to combat all the cars out there with loud exhuasts. Ok, maybe we dont\' go round out silly oclock round the villages with booming exhausts, but I see plenty of small cars with these super load exhausts going round which is annoying.
I did forget to ask him whether my emmisions check came up on the screen though. Will try and remember for next year. I had heard it was late FD\'s had to be emmisions checked, and not early FD\'s like mine (1993). I dread to think how mine would be on an emmisions test as it doesn\'t have all the emmisions gubbins from factory now! lol
The noise thing isnt actually new. It just hasn\'t been taht rigorously applied before now.
The police have always had the power to issue \'unroadworthiness\' tickets for exhausts which were too loud.
Can we not argue that bigger exhausts are actually beneficial to our cars rather than put on for the sake of it?
The new emissions bit is a problem, and a bit sly tbh.
a factory fit ( oe ) exhaust - crickey - thats not gonna be simple to find is it !! LOL
Quote from: damehyndman;641114Is it an import? If so check on the V5 for exactly when the car was registered. It may have a 94 plate but is it registered with the DVLA as post July 31st 1995. This is the cut off date for imports not having to go through the fast idle test. If this is not the case, you need to contact them and ask them to apply their rules properly.
Depending which department of the DVLA I speak to my car is registered in 1992, 1995 or 1997 which does create problems at MOT time.
yep; checked this on v5 mine is 94. Pre 94 is definetly a non cat test, post 94 is the more stringent test.
its difficult for me to see how MOT stations can bend the rules now its all computerised, but there are obviously lots of uncatted 94+ RX7s around.
I will contact Mazda, maybe a letter with emmisons specs for 94 jap RX7import will keep the tester happy ?
I will also ring VOSA and double check about jap imports .
Do you guys think even with a cat fitted it would pass ? i guess the only other way is a mappable ECU to lean out for emmsions testing........a great excuse to tell the missus when i blow £500 on a power FC !!:D
the exhaust noise is more subjective, your average TVR or porsche turbo is pretty loud, this is a similar type of vehicle for comparison. But if your running a single box, 4 inch system i think your chances are slim ! i have a super dragger back box and let in another intermediate box, small oval silencer (£50), the difference was noticeable and it really cut out the loud spits/bangs at idle, but still a nice throaty warble.
Mazda UK are extremely unhelpful these days, all they will give you is a certificate of conformity that you have to pay £60 for. They use to send out letters confirming production and registration dates in Japan, but not any more. Don\'t waste your time with these certificates as this is not what the DVLA require they want proof of WHERE and when the car was first registered in Japan. I had all this hassle earlier this year. The DVLA were extremely unhelpful and had no interest in sorting it out the problem. They eventually relented after endless phone calls and letters from Mazda etc eventually they told me to go and re-register the car. So my V5 says 1997, the emissions computers says Dec 1995 whilst the car is actually August 1992. Utter ****wits!
VOSA should confirm imports registered up to and including 31/7/1995 not fast idle test. Cars registered 1/08/1995 fast idle test. Maybe your V5 says 1994, but their database something else. This is the case with my car.
The MRC have good relations with Mazda, maybe contact Clive or Lisa for further assistance?
Good luck!
Quote from: damehyndman;641114Is it an import? If so check on the V5 for exactly when the car was registered. It may have a 94 plate but is it registered with the DVLA as post July 31st 1995. This is the cut off date for imports not having to go through the fast idle test. If this is not the case, you need to contact them and ask them to apply their rules properly.
Depending which department of the DVLA I speak to my car is registered in 1992, 1995 or 1997 which does create problems at MOT time.
yep; checked this on v5 mine is 94. Pre 94 is definetly a non cat test, post 94 is the more stringent test.
its difficult for me to see how MOT stations can bend the rules now its all computerised, but there are obviously lots of uncatted 94+ RX7s around.
I will contact Mazda, maybe a letter with emmisons specs for 94 jap RX7import will keep the tester happy ?
I will also ring VOSA and double check about jap imports .
Do you guys think even with a cat fitted it would pass ? i guess the only other way is a mappable ECU to lean out for emmsions testing........a great excuse to tell the missus when i blow £500 on a power FC !!:D
the exhaust noise is more subjective, your average TVR or porsche turbo is pretty loud, this is a similar type of vehicle for comparison. But if your running a single box, 4 inch system i think your chances are slim ! i have a super dragger back box and let in another intermediate box, small oval silencer (£50), the difference was noticeable and it really cut out the loud spits/bangs at idle, but still a nice throaty warble.
i\'ve got my dates slightly wromg...memory going with age.
its pre 93/92 for non cat test.
from mot MANUAL\'
The catalyst test is part of the MOT test for most class IV spark ignition petrol engined passenger cars with four or more wheels first used on and after 1 August 1992.
the bit that is new relating to imports;
The vehicle will be tested according to its age from first use-The only exemption to this is if the vehicle owner can present to the tester at time of test a letter from the vehicle manufacturer stating that the particular engine as originally installed could not meet the equivalent British emission standards. If this is the case, then test to the next lower emission standard.
e.g. A 1995 car first used in Africa has a letter from the engine manufacturer stating that the particular engine (engine number to be stated) cannot meet Catalyst emission limits, then use the pre cat limits of CO 3.5%, HC )200ppm
I thought the pre 93/92 dates were for UK cars rather than imports?
Imports pre 31/7/1995 Non-CAT test (No fast idle)
Imports post 1/08/1995 Standard test (Fast idle)
UK Registered Post August 1992 Standard test (Fast idle)
Check the DVLA database and your V5 match up then check with VOSA