Mot fail Lamda

Mot fail Lamda

Author
Discussion

Jet Fixer

Original Poster:

96 posts

253 months

Friday 2nd July 2021
quotequote all
Hi all. First mot for my mk1 tuscan and its failed on lamda. Pass figure on his analysier shows as 1.030 and best we could get was 1.125. Anyone have any ideas on what to do.

I have no idea if the cats have cat in them. I will look at this when it cools down.

Any thoughts appreciated.

PetrolHeadPete

755 posts

201 months

Friday 2nd July 2021
quotequote all
So excessively lean (by A LOT!)
Does it pop and bang much?

LucyP

1,773 posts

71 months

Friday 2nd July 2021
quotequote all
The cat won't affect the lamda readings. CO yes, lamda readings no. Probably a blowing exhaust. Start by looking for exhaust leaks.

Did the MOT tester try and diagnose the fault? If you unplug the lamda sensor and the emissions reading on the MOT analyser don't alter, then the lamda sensor is faulty.

Was the probe sufficiently far into the exhaust?

Jet Fixer

Original Poster:

96 posts

253 months

Friday 2nd July 2021
quotequote all
The thing pops and bangs at higher revs on over run.

As for fault finding the lambdas are impossible to get to so just a straight mot he didnt look at it much.


TwinKam

3,276 posts

107 months

Friday 2nd July 2021
quotequote all
Do you have a print out of the individual gasses? Lambda is simply a calculated value which should equal 1.0 if all is well, knowing which gas is adrift would help diagnosis.

Edited by TwinKam on Saturday 3rd July 00:02

astonman

799 posts

222 months

Saturday 3rd July 2021
quotequote all
My understanding is that the MOT tester should carry out an extended test on the speed six engine.The min lamda for this engine is 0.9 and the Max 1.2, you appear to be in this window?

astonman

799 posts

222 months

Saturday 3rd July 2021
quotequote all

astonman

799 posts

222 months

Saturday 3rd July 2021
quotequote all

astonman

799 posts

222 months

Saturday 3rd July 2021
quotequote all

astonman

799 posts

222 months

Saturday 3rd July 2021
quotequote all
The above has stressed my IT skills!
But you can see that the table gives different parameters for the extended MOT test from a modern engine.
The document is " In service emission standards", for road vehicles,DVSA. 19th edition,published in 2017.

Snaaakeey

183 posts

84 months

Saturday 3rd July 2021
quotequote all
The place around the corner that I have started taking my Tuscan to had trouble with the emissions test last year and this year. They where scratching their heads as the owner said he could tell it was fine (apparently worked on a Tuscan racer in his youth) but could not get a good reading. I had read before on this forum that the speed 6 can be difficult if you don't know what your doing and a quick google to jog my memory sorted the problem! Stuff some wadding/ rag around the probe to block up the can opening and all was well. Not sure exactly why but the reckoning was the exhaust has quite a bit of suck back between strokes (stick your hand over it to see) this combined with the diameter of the can and the depth of the probe into the can possibly screws with the reading as it sucks too much air back into the pipe. This could all be rubbish I'm spouting but the rag up the pipe solved the issue last year and this year. His machine did alter its test to a much longer one I seem to remember. The rag started to get a bit toasty! No idea if this was your problem but it may help. Apparently the focus ST suffers from a similar issue.

TwinKam

3,276 posts

107 months

Saturday 3rd July 2021
quotequote all
This is why the breakdown of gasses is so necessary... many a car fails on the 'lambda' value because of a small airleak upstream in the exhaust system causing the oxygen content at the tailpipe to be too high... nothing to do with the combustion products, nor the efficiency of the CAT, just that the tailpipe sample is 'too clean' as it's being diluted by drawn in air... oh the irony!
The effect on a car with lots of valve overlap is the same although the cause is different, as outlined in the previous post, preventing air being drawn back up the tailpipe and into the probe proves that.
But we don't yet know what the OP's breakdown of gasses is....

astonman

799 posts

222 months

Saturday 3rd July 2021
quotequote all
Never the less,his lamda
of 1.125 was between 0.9 and 1.2, so should have passed, according to the official emission standards,set for the speed six engine??

Jet Fixer

Original Poster:

96 posts

253 months

Saturday 3rd July 2021
quotequote all
I have spoken to the mot station and the guy is happy to look at the document and it should pass based on the new figures.

Additionally today i have done a balance of the itb’s and reset the adaptive maps. What a different car. For now anyway.

Lets see what next week brings when i go for the retest

Jet Fixer

Original Poster:

96 posts

253 months

Saturday 10th July 2021
quotequote all
So went back to the same mot station and they guy couldnt change the figures on his emissions test kit but dug out an old tester for me and hey presto it passed

Just for info the co and hc were both at 0 and the lambda danced around 1.1 to 1.3 on one exhaust and the other was 1.2

Stunned Monkey

354 posts

221 months

Tuesday 27th July 2021
quotequote all
If the sensors read what the MOT tester apparently read, your adaptives will be maxed out. I find it hard to believe...

In other news, the exhaust will sound much better if you combine the banks, and it will help even up the mixture as seen on both pipes