MOT fun

[Sky]

Heyas,

Just got back from the MOT station, and failed on two points:

- rear fog lamp not red (whatever paint/film Motormall put on it has flaked off enough that the light looks white)
- emissions: yes I\'ve read all the blurb in the past about this. My car\'s stock except for a RE-Amemiya catback and PowerFC/Commander. On the fast idle test I scored 7.49% CO, 420ppm HC and 0.787 lambda, when I needed 0.3%, 200ppm and 0.97-1.03. I don\'t have it here, but on natural idle lambda was at about 1.26, apparently. This is all with PowerFC on stock map. I\'m (pretty) sure they did the right tests (\'97 car), and I get a free re-test within 10 days.

Thus, I have two questions:

- what can I use to paint over the light again (it\'s a reversing light painted red with switch)

- I\'ve still got the stock ECU around somewhere (hurrah \\o/). If I just make a switch, is that likely to lower those figures enough for a pass, or do you think there\'s something else wrong (7.49%? I\'m guessing he did just over 2.5k for revs which means no air pump)?

What else can I do? And failing that, anyone know an FD-friendly MOT place near (ie, within an hour) of Margate?

Any advice appreciated,

Rick

[johnf]

Yopu could consider red vinyl over the light - pop into a local sign

shop I\'m sure for a cuple of quid they would help.

I would consider vinyl more durable than paint.

[cavity]

whats a MOT station, and why would you take your car there? over here the only reason we have to have a car inspected and emissions tested is if the police dont like it

[Sky]

Over in good ol\' Blighty, we need an MOT test every year, which covers general roadworthiness of your vehicle. It\'s illegal to drive a car without a valid MOT certificate, unless you\'re driving to an MOT testing centre.

My MOT expires on Friday, and I was hoping to make the FDUK meet on Sunday

[20B_boy]

As you have Power FC take it to a Rotary shop, they\'ll get it thru for you with a bit of trickery.

[scooby_si]

so which year etc car do you have as i recall that does effect emission required etc although since you say you have read previous threads you probably know more than me on this.
The standard ECU i dont think will help as motormall had to stick a power FC on to get mine thru emissions, then taken off once passed, so yer best bet is if you have to get emissions down to take it somewhere either friendly if you know what i mean or that is RX7 friendly & knowledgeable who can either get it thru by whatever means or give you a quick lean map to get emissions better. That\'s how it was described to me when they stuck power FC on to get mine thru but needless to say wouldn\'t want to run on a lean map
Si (dont take any of that as 100% but it\'s my limited understanding....)

[scooby_si]

damn i gota type them smilie links quicker lol
Si

[Sky]

The nearest proper rotary shop is Reworx I guess, but Portsmouth is a 3hr haul for me (and corresponding £50 in petrol for the round trip I guess). Unless DS Engineering can manage it - not sure how they are at PowerFC trickery, they\'re certainly a lot closer (1hr or so).

I know it passed last year when it came in with a stock (16-bit) ECU and I\'ve changed nothing on the car since, so I\'m quietly hopeful. I\'m fairly sure Motormall didn\'t do anything special to get it through, since when I changed ECU it seemed fairly obvious no one\'d been in there before.

And you\'ll notice, Si, that I did specify year :bandit. It\'s a 1997 type RS.

Thanks for the advice guys, I\'ll see how it gets on at re-test then book it in somewhere if it needs it.

[scooby_si]

hmm i presume they would of needed to thou as anything post 95 has a harsher emissions test to pass
The ECU was what they told me they had to do so i would of presumed it was the norm but who knows.....http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008\' target=\'_blank\'>http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/4/4_12_6.gif\' border=0>
Good luck anyways.....
Si

[Sky]

I\'m not sure - I think they would\'ve mentioned it. I bought direct from Motormall, so I talked to the people there a lot and went to look at my car a few times once it\'d arrived (I\'m pretty much local to it).

Is (was) your car stock?

[scooby_si]

only back box & induction so i guess that could make only a slight difference.....
Si

[Sky]

Just a quick note to say I managed to scrape through the MOT re-test Saturday morning with a stock ECU in the car.

Thanks for the advice everyone,

Rick