MOT emissions test

[80Quattro]

My car was built in November 1991 but was not registered until November 1992. Since the introduction of the computerised MOT, it is automatically tested to the post August 1992 emissions standard.

The problem I've got is that I've replaced the cats with a straight pipe thinking it would be ok as the car was built before the cat test was brought in. I've had it MOTed today and it failed on the emissions. I've yet to speak to the tester, but I've been told that they won't pass it without cats on as the car would've had them originally. My understanding of it at the moment is that the tester is worried if the car is given a roadside check it will be very obvious it should never have passed an MOT.

As far as I can see, it should be tested to the pre August 1992 standard and there should be no need for it to have cats by law. Does anyone know how I would go about changing it with VOSA so that when the car is logged on for an MOT it gets tested to the earlier emissions standards?

[s2driveruk]

Hmm, odd one that. I'm 4 days the wrong side of the BET (basic emissions Test) but mine still passed minus cats last year - legitimately.

[gripper]

Sounds like the tester was being a bit of a knob to me !
Mine is similar as in came with cats and they were removed by the previous owner.
'92 vintage but mine was registered in March
Personally I would go somewhere else and get a second opinion.

I can recommend a garage where I get mine done and haven't had a problem, the guy even adjusted my beam on my newly fitted ellipsoids

[andy10v]

My 3b passes no cats, I asked the MOT tester if it needed a cat and he said no, it could however still fail if emissions exceed whatever standard.

Did he fail it on not having a cat, or failing the emissions test?

The catalyst test is part of the MOT test for most spark ignition petrol engined passenger cars with four or more wheels first used on and after 1 August 1992.

Exhaust info

http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual_710.htm

Emissions Info

http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual_730.htm

[80Quattro]

I'm going to speak to the tester tomorrow to try and try and understand it a bit better. The main problem is that it is a K reg, I'm slightly concerned that the manual says cars first used after august 92 need to pass the cat test. I'm hoping that because the car was built in 91 it will only have to pass the pre august 92 test.

I'm reading between the lines a bit here based on what I've been told. I think it wasn't far off passing the cat test and he would have been inclined to pass it if it had the cats still. However, as it just has straight pipes he does not want to pass it as if it was checked it would be very clear that it shouldn't have passed.

I would like to be able to get it put into the pre august 92 band if possible to save this hassle in future.

[s2driveruk]

http://www.motuk.co.uk/images/cat1.pdf

[quattro]

At the end of the day if its failed its failed, why don't you just buy a 100cpi cerametallic race cat and be done with it? less bull.sh.it than trying to get the log book changed! and probably a lot cheaper. £200 and you could be sorted!

[80Quattro]

Thanks for the help and advice. The reason I took cut the cats out was because they were cheap replacement ones and they were far too close to the ground. It was an MOT tester who told me I would be ok to do this so I do still hope he is correct, he did say I would probably have to contact VOSA which I haven't yet done. Putting a sports cat in would mean making up quite a few bits which I don't really want to have to do.

It would seem a little unfair that a car built and registered in 91 doesn't have to pass the cat test whereas a car built in 91 but not registered until November 92 does. The other thing is that if I changed the engine to one I could prove was built in 91, I would no longer have to pass the cat test. Ironic when my car already has an engine built in 91.

I'll see what the tester has to say about it and possibly contact VOSA to see if they can clarify things a bit.

[Trist28]

S2s do not appear in the list of cars on the emission test computer so the <3.5% non cat test works. Not sure on the V6 though. Makes no odds if it was fitted from new

http://www.motuk.co.uk/images/cat1.pdf

[80Quattro]

I'm getting somewhere with this now after speaking to the MOT tester, VOSA and the DVLA.

The reason the tester does not want to pass it is that his handbook states to test the vehicle based on the date of first use. I have spoken to VOSA and they have said that if I can provide the tester with evidence that the engine was built before August 92 then he should use the pre August 92 emissions standards. I get the feeling that he will still be very reluctant to do that though.

I then spoke to the DVLA in the hope that I could get the details changed on the MOT system so that when the car is logged on it comes up as being manufactured before August 92. They initially said that as they don't hold any emissions standards for cars built before 2001 that they would not be able to change anything. However, after looking into it a bit furthur he found that no date of manufacture was provided when my car was first registered so it was automatically recorded as the date of registration (I expect this is the norm). Therefore, if I can provide proof from Audi UK that the car was manufactured in November 91 then they will add a manufacture date to the V5C and hopefully that will change the emissions test required.

In the meantime though, does anyone have a pair of cats for an 80 V6 quattro that I can borrow?

[80Quattro]

I've just spoken to Audi UK, they have confirmed that the date of manufacture was 03/12/1991 and the date of delivery was 22/09/1992. I would love to know what it spent all that time doing but I expect I'll never know. Anyway, they are sending me a letter confirming those details. I expect the free retest period will expire before I manage to do enough to satisfy the MOT tester though.

[s2driveruk]

what was the outcome on this..?

[Sleeper_Avant]

new laws state that if it had a cat when new, it must still be fitted with one.

came into effect in april

Sean

[80Quattro]

The tester wouldn't accept that if the engine was built in 1991 then it should be able to be tested under the 91 limits. VOSA told me it was to do with how the DVLA had the car registered and the DVLA told me that it was nothing to do with them and I would have to deal with VOSA. VOSA did agree with my interpretation of the rules but the tester still wouldn't. As he is a friend of a friend I ended up in a really difficult position and just gave up. I had to spend £900 on a full exhaust system with a sports cat as new cats from Audi were over £1000 and the only non genuine cats available don't fit which is why I removed them in the first place.

The rules have changed now anyway so I believe that if you have a K reg or later then it will have to have cats apart from some special exceptions like the final run of carbed Minis etc.