Expired MOT Experiences

[ballbagbagins]

Hi everyone, the mot on my second car has ran out. This is the first mot due in my ownership. The car is a 2002 petrol and it doesn't currently have a cat. The car has a none standard engine and turbo and has been mapped. The car and donor would have had a cats fitted.

I'm assuming that the car will fail the emissions test if put through a test in its current state. The car doesn't smoke but the exhaust gases smell strong.

I'd rather not put it in for a test now only for it to fail and me have to find a solution within seven days or lose my free re-test.

According to the government website around driving the car without a mot,

"the only exceptions are to drive it:

-to or from somewhere to be repaired
-to a pre-arranged mot test".

Do you think this means I could drive to an exhaust place and get a cat fitted now, ie, without a mot fail sheet?

Anyone been in a similar situation?

20 years ago I would have had a different attitude to this but middle age has changed me

[zeberdee]

You can drive it to an exhaust place if it’s for a repair , but it MUST be a pre booked appointment .

If it was me , i’d get it MoT’d , then do your repairs .

I know you’ll loose your free retest , but you’ll have a definite list to work to .

👍

[Rich]

Ok. A lot going on here. First, it’s 10 working days for a retest. Not a week. Second, what is the registration month of the car, 2002 puts it right in the middle of it needed to confirm to engine-swap emissions standards. Moving on from there, what year is the donor engine from. Is there any possible leeway in that, we’re there model years outside of cat testing you could ‘potentially prove’ the provenance of? However, if the car is registered after the 1st September 2002 this all becomes moot and the vehicle must have a cat fitted and confirm to the relevant emissions standard. All info available in the test manual found on the Gov.uk website

[ballbagbagins]

Aug 4, 2023 14:09:50 GMT Rich said:

Ok. A lot going on here. First, it’s 10 working days for a retest. Not a week. Second, what is the registration month of the car, 2002 puts it right in the middle of it needed to confirm to engine-swap emissions standards. Moving on from there, what year is the donor engine from. Is there any possible leeway in that, we’re there model years outside of cat testing you could ‘potentially prove’ the provenance of? However, if the car is registered after the 1st September 2002 this all becomes moot and the vehicle must have a cat fitted and confirm to the relevant emissions standard. All info available in the test manual found on the Gov.uk website

Hi Rich, car was registered in July 2002. I don't have details or paperwork for the donor car. All I know is the make and than make and model, not even year. The car has passed through a few owners since it had the engine swapped.

[zeberdee]

You will be tested on engine age , not vehicle age .

What engine is it & what was it fitted in originally ?

There’s a chance it won’t need a cat .

[Rich]

Aug 7, 2023 9:16:30 GMT zeberdee said:

You will be tested on engine age , not vehicle age .

What engine is it & what was it fitted in originally ?

There’s a chance it won’t need a cat .

Has to be proven by the presenter. As the car is registered just in time to scrape under that loophole. The ‘proof of age’ can be from ‘a garage’ that ‘fitted the engine’. Read that between the lines as you will ballbagbagins

[mk2cossie]

Aug 7, 2023 9:16:30 GMT zeberdee said:

You will be tested on engine age , not vehicle age .

What engine is it & what was it fitted in originally ?

There’s a chance it won’t need a cat .

2002 will need a cat, even if you can get proof of the donor engine age.
Fail is for "catalyst missing where fitted as standard" and pretty much any petrol engine car had a cat fitted from 1995 onwards in Europe

[zeberdee]

Aug 7, 2023 13:15:55 GMT mk2cossie said:

Aug 7, 2023 9:16:30 GMT zeberdee said:

You will be tested on engine age , not vehicle age .

What engine is it & what was it fitted in originally ?

There’s a chance it won’t need a cat .

2002 will need a cat, even if you can get proof of the donor engine age.
Fail is for "catalyst missing where fitted as standard" and pretty much any petrol engine car had a cat fitted from 1995 onwards in Europe

Taken from the testers manual ,


Vehicles fitted with a different engine
If a vehicle first used before 1 September 2002 is fitted with an engine that’s older than the vehicle, you must test it to the standards applicable for the engine. The vehicle presenter must have proof of the age of the engine.

If a vehicle first used on or after 1 September 2002 is fitted with a different engine, you must test it to the emissions standards for the age of the vehicle.




It’s a long shot , but as Rich says above , if you can prove the engine doesn’t need a cat test , you don’t need a cat .

Creative invoice writing could be the solution .

[welshpug]

what about an engine that did not exist in a production vehicle?

I have a 2.2 XU in my Citroen ZX, Peugeot/Citroen never made a 2.2 XU engine..

[mk2cossie]

Aug 7, 2023 16:08:16 GMT welshpug said:

what about an engine that did not exist in a production vehicle?

I have a 2.2 XU in my Citroen ZX, Peugeot/Citroen never made a 2.2 XU engine..

What do I know, take a chance and see.
I've only been testing 20 years, and seemingly don't know the procedure. So go for it, I really couldn't care less

[ballbagbagins]

Found out the donor car, a w reg year 2000 audi s3. That means it's a 8l in audi speak. Just checked on ebay and you can buy post cat lambda sensors for the 8l as well as used cats and new de-cat pipes.

So my car will need a cat as the donor had one?

[Rich]

Aug 7, 2023 13:15:55 GMT mk2cossie said:

Aug 7, 2023 9:16:30 GMT zeberdee said:

You will be tested on engine age , not vehicle age .

What engine is it & what was it fitted in originally ?

There’s a chance it won’t need a cat .

2002 will need a cat, even if you can get proof of the donor engine age.
Fail is for "catalyst missing where fitted as standard" and pretty much any petrol engine car had a cat fitted from 1995 onwards in Europe

Whilst I agree with what you are saying, the interpretation on that is as broad as it is long, because DVSA, and does not specifically state weather it’s the CAR that needs one where fitted as standard or the ENGINE in the case of a document engine swap. Realistically given the age of the engine in OP’s car, I’d just fit a cat and be done with it I think as it’s just less headache long term.