Audi TDI Diesel emissions MOT failure

[richardab1967]

I have a 2001 Audi A4 Avant 1.9TDI.

Its an old car now, but still regularly gets 55mpg and only has 117000miles on it and is generally in very good nick.

I knew last years MOT changes were effecting diesels and did a bit of research at the time about DPF, but mine was pre DPF so I wasn't so worried.

Its just failed MOT on the new emissions standards. Previously it had struggled to make the required level smoke coefficient level of 3.0, but a good blast and some injector cleaner got it through, this year the requirement is either default of 3.0 or whatever is on the VIN plate, whichever is the lower. Mine says 0.6 !

Theres not a chance in hell it will ever get down to this level, it probably never did from new (diesel gate scam maybe). The garage has said we could spend a pretty penny and maybe get it down to 1.7, but 0.6 is impossible.

So the car is scrap, which seems madness as its a really sound car and is being penalised because Audi put an unrealistically low number on the VIN plate that it's now being held too.

The reason for posting, is, have I got this right?, is there no way out?, I am surprised how little I am seeing on the forums about this (quite a bit about DPF, but not the stupidly low smoke coefficient values on some engines). Surely this would be effecting alot of Audi/VW/Skoda of a certain era.

[Jakg]

I'm not saying this will work or is even correct, but I've seen it mentioned in the past.

What if the value on the data plate isn't readable? Like if it's been, say, scratched off?

[richardab1967]

Yes, I read that somewhere too. I doubt the same garage would be fooled by this!, maybe another garage, but its MOT failure sheet is on the system so it seems like a long shot