1999 3rd Gen MOT Emissions Failure

[rxangus]

Thought this might be of interest...

As you can see, post July 95 cars should be tested with a 0.3% CO limit which I believe is near impossible for a standard setup FD!

Angus

[Griff]

Originally posted by airmanuk
Thanks for all the replies.

Interesting that JohnF\'s local garage passed it OK. Do you have the readouts still John, and do you know what they tested it against?

As for me, I am taking everyones advice, and head off to Dave\'s in Reading on Monday afternoon.

Regards

Neil

How did you get on at Dave\'s in Reading?

[airmanuk]

The car passed - Dave is the man. :bandit

Basically he tested the emissions system to make sure its worked as designed - which it does.

Interestingly the emissions are fine up to 2500rpm, at which point the air pump cuts out and hydrocarbons and CO readings go through the roof. Given that the standard CAT Emissions test is run at 2500-3000rpm, then the result of that would always be a fail.

The idea of modding the air pump solenoid to remain permanently on will probably work, although the reason I didn\'t try this at my local place was that my RX-7 manual on CD implied the pump didn\'t cut out until 3250rpm.

So why do VOSA not let the imported RX-7s run the test to the same criteria as the UK CAT equipped RXs? With them, as far as I know, the test is run at an RPM below 2500 such that the air pump stays on, and then there is no problem. The tolerances on the 3 readings are also car specific.

So there is no problem with emissions, just the VOSA don\'t know their arse from their elbow and get us to run the wrong test....:confused:

[Griff]

Typical isn\'t it!
Know one car, you know them all - WRONG!
I can\'t believe the VOSA try to test ALL cars based on the same rules. Maybe it makes sense.... but I don\'t the sense in that!

Glad you got it through and are legal again. I will use the same place when my car is in need of a test. Where in Reading is Dave\'s place?

I think it may be worth keeping a note on the forum of Dave\'s garage in case there are others having the same difficulties as you had.

[rxangus]

This emissions thing for post Aug 95 cars gets more difficult!

Just off the phone to Pip and asked him if the Apexi was the best way for me to get an MOT emissions pass. He says it is but that I would still need a cat as well. Don\'t really want to pay out for both so will just get a cat for now. At least it should take care off my fuel cut probs.

I\'m a bit annoyed really because it\'s basically impossible for a stock post July 95 import to pass an emissions test in the UK. I think that\'s something I would have taken into account before buying my car if I\'d known about it! I would have either bought a car with aftermarket ECU or a pre Aug 95......

Ah well

Angus

[davefrith]

I would have thought it would pass the MOT if it had a CAT ? and an air pump ?

[rxangus]

I think the issue is that the fast idle test speed for a post July 95 car is too high so the air pump will be off and the emissions will therefore fail.

Angus

[davefrith]

Just use a RX7 friendly garage

[rxangus]

Well yes but how do you find one? Do you call up and ask if they are sympathetic to rotaries? That\'s just forewarning them that it\'ll have emissions probs at test.

Alternatively do you try one MOT station after another until you get a pass at £40 a time......

Genuinely, how do people go about it???

[Andyp]

hey matey,

seems ya quite far away from Dave, I know it\'s expensive but another option is to have the apexi commander / ecu, turn the fueling right down, that\'s how most people get through

[rxangus]

Pip says that an Apexi/Commander alone is insufficient as you can\'t get the hydrocarbons down enough to pass the test so you still need a cat as well.

As I said it seems impossible to get a stock post July 95 car to pass the emissions test. That\'s what I wish I\'d known before I bought my \'96

[davefrith]

at the end of the day it seems your only option is to take the long drive down south

It will be expensive, but you knew owning a Rex would be, and its only once a year

Dave

[rxangus]

What if the air pump was wired to stay on regardless of revs? Am I right in thinking that this would let it sail through the fast idle emissions?

Angus

[maximtaylor]

I reckon that\'s a good option Angus.

When I got hold of a year 2000 rx7 recently, I noticed a rather odd looking non-standard bunch of wires and a fuse holder attached to the air pump wiring.

It had me perplexed for a while as to what it was, but must have been for getting the vehicle through emissions.

Which wires need to be put together I don\'t know

Regards

Max

[Martiny]

As far as I know, the air pump is on all the time below1800 rpm anyway.

You can find the air pump relay in the row of relays right in the fornt of the engine compartment. Just run a positive 12v lead there and connect to the + leg of the relay to keep the relay picked all the time, and there you are.

I did it to get mine through SVA, but I dont think it really helped!