Myles Posted April 8, 2006 Share Posted April 8, 2006 We just got two modified k's through MOT. Mine (1.8, 180+bhp, 2001 factory built, originally 1.6k) was emissions tested - we chose an SLR as the nearest option offered by the system. I did fit the cat as a precaution, and after a bit of tweaking with the Emerald (taking tiny amount of fuel out), it passed with flying colours. This was the first 7 that has come through this MOT station this year under the new system. The second car (Tom7 - along shortly) is an older kit-built k with 200+ bhp and no cat. The system demanded a basic cat test (slightly tighter than the SLR one) but section somethingorother (Tom has the details) of the handbook states that this car should be tested against the emissions stated in the logbook - and on both our cars, the emissions details aren't printed. So visible-smoke it is. The tester says that in future, neither of our cars will need emissions testing on this basis. YMMV - but at least I know that mine can pass if necessary. Yay! Oh, and as an aside, I thought it slightly odd that the tester road tested the brakes this time - he's always done it on the rollers before. He did mention later that he'd put on his narrow trainers specially - guess that explains it... 😬 Project Scope-Creep is live... Alcester Racing 7's Equipe - 🙆🏻™ Alcester-Racing-Sevens.com Edited by - Myles on 8 Apr 2006 13:55:46 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Plato Posted April 8, 2006 Share Posted April 8, 2006 Dare I say - but i think the opinion of the tester was wrong?. all previous posts have indicated that reference is made to the VIN number and the testing requirements on the VOSA system not what is stated on the log book but a pass is a a pass for anotehr 12 months here is C7 TOP Powered by Special K, Tweeked by this lunatic here South Wales AO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grim Reaper Posted April 8, 2006 Share Posted April 8, 2006 Please could you post details of the relevant section Tom was referring to? My V5 has nothing printed in the emissions section either and if I could get away with a visible test and no cat it would save a lot of hassle replacing exhausts and changing maps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris__ Posted April 8, 2006 Share Posted April 8, 2006 Good stuff Myles, presume your handbrake worked okay too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myles Posted April 8, 2006 Author Share Posted April 8, 2006 DJ. We typed the VIN in and it came back (on mine - and Toms too, I think) without an engine type. In my case, this is possibly/probably because I registered the change in capacity last year from 1.6 to 1.8 - and there is nothing in the V5 update procedure that takes any account of *what* the engine is other than it being a tad larger than before... We hunted and hunted through the 200-odd combinations for something that was sensible - and decided it was a toss-up between a VHPD engine and the 'basic cat test' option. Once you've selected the engine, you can choose the model - but this is a nonsense and doesn't mean a damned thing for the test (i.e. you can tell the system that you've got an R500 engined live-axle classic for example). Anyway, I decided to go for the VHPD engined SLR as that was the closest that I could legitimately claim. As mentioned in earlier posts, my emissions (after a tiny tweak of the emerald) were excellent, so I'm as legal as I can be. Tom was more of a challenge - and we ended up with a 'basic cat test'. Checking the manual (Tom took the details - section 7.3 of the emissions chapter IIRC) identified a 'recent' change to the regs (denoted by a black vertical bar by the text). By following the flow charts, it came down to a bit of text that said that if all else fails, for kit/amateur built cars, test the emissions to the level stated in the logbook. The logbook for both of us has a blank section for emissions - so by the honest interpretation of the tester, this meant visual-smoke only. Clearly this is a YMMV situation - our tester said that in future years, he won't bother testing mine. Tom is on holiday for a week now - dunno if he'll be able to post the exact document sections until his return. Project Scope-Creep is live... Alcester Racing 7's Equipe - 🙆🏻™ Alcester-Racing-Sevens.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Throbin Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 Myles, Do we need to take the Log book to the test station then? Mine is also blank!! Getting more and more optomistic by the minute!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Carmichael Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 DJ. We typed the VIN in and it came back (on mine - and Toms too, I think) without an engine type. The emissions regs do not depend on engine type, unless you can prove that the engine fitted is older than the car and subject to lesser emissions levels - you'd need a pre-August '95 engine in a factory built car to avod a cat test legitimately and the onus is on you to prove it. Therefore I am with DJ in that I think you blagged a result and should be happy for 12 months. Again, any emissions info on the V5 is only if the vehicle was tested at a lower level than the prevailing standard at SVA time. Therefore no info on V5 should result in the standard cat test being applied. I take it Tom7's "slightly older" car is a kit-built post-August '98, in which case a cat test should have been applied with both idle and fast idle tests. Well blagged Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Support Team Shaun_E Posted April 10, 2006 Support Team Share Posted April 10, 2006 FYI, the system isn't smart enough to work out the exact model of car from the VIN - I watched (and helped) as my MOT tester used the system. The Reg and/or VIN (not sure which) gives you the manufacturer i.e. Caterham. You then have to select the model (choice of "Seven S3" or "21"). You then select the engine capacity - tricky for me as 1900 isn't listed. We chose 1800 but then you select the model and Superlight wasn't listed (SLR was) so we went back and selected 1600 and Superlight was then listed - we took that option. You then have to select the VIN variants to determine the emissions rating. It is at this point that you can select factory vs kit and Cat vs non-Cat. The tester could inadvertently select the incorrect value from this list and therfore avoid an emissions test. If Tom's car was pre August 1998 then, as it was kit built, visible smoke test is correct. If his car was post August 1998 then he was a lucky chap as he should have had to pass at least a basic Cat test. The rules are pretty clear. Description here and the VOSA flowchart here - note the box in the bottom right of the document. Yellow SL #32 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shn7 Posted April 10, 2006 Share Posted April 10, 2006 This here may be of help. Expecially for cars built shortly before SVA was introduced. Seems CC/Vosa got something wrong in the data for the new computer system. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myles Posted April 10, 2006 Author Share Posted April 10, 2006 Well blagged Well earned really. As I said (somewhere), after a tweak to take a little fuel out at the idle and fast idle sites, mine passed easily with the std. 4-1 (short) catted exhaust. I've got the printout here: Fast idle: CO level: 0.0% (0.20% = pass level) HC level: 32ppm (200 = pass) Lambda 1.01 (.97 to 1.03) Natural idle: CO: 0.10% (pass = .30%) Project Scope-Creep is live... Alcester Racing 7's Equipe - 🙆🏻™ Alcester-Racing-Sevens.com Edited by - Myles on 10 Apr 2006 20:07:09 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tom7 Posted April 15, 2006 Share Posted April 15, 2006 Back from hols and admiring my new MOT certificate 😬 I have to agree with Peter that on the whole my result was well blagged. However, we have a very pro-Caterham MOT man, who, despite Myles being able to adjust his ECU for a pass with his cat exhaust, said he would ignore ANY emissions test as his conviction was that visible smoke is the only arbiter of an emissions pass for a kit car. My car was registered in Nov. '99, it was kit built and was no doubt subject to a basic emissions test required by SVA as it was supplied with a cat exhaust. The pages posted by Shaun E show perfectly well the clause that I exaggerated to make the case regarding the V5 information. If push comes to shove, I can also dig out the cat exhaust and adjust the Emerald to a pass. For the moment, the message remains tha if you are in easy distance of Stratford-o-Avon, I can recommend a good place for a MOT Oh, and you get a nice cuppa. Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owlscastle Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 I have just got my 2002 roadsport passed the computer test for the first time - no emissions test required, visible smoke test only. The way it was done is when you look for the engine type on the computer it mentions about some letters in the VIN number referrring to whether the vehicle is ameteur built or not. If it is amateur built the visible smoke test only is required. You need to get the MOT man to be helpful and refer to the "Emissions manual" which I managed to get a copy of the Caterham page. The page says "The VIN Code consisits of the 6th,8th and 9th digit of the VIN number. Where the 10th digit of the VIN is equal to or less than V and the 6th digit is C or K, the vehicle concerned should be considered as ameteur built and as such should receive a visual smoke test only" I think it helps if the V5 doesnt have any emissions value to test against. I also get the impression that all cars built from starter kits or CKD kits might have the required digits in the VIN number. I can fax/scan this page if anyone wants it. In summary, check your V5 and VIN code and you may get away with a visible smoke test witha friendly MOT man. Mine is in Faygate, West Sussex - very helpful. His sons both compete with the other type of seven Ritchie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shn7 Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 I think you got lucky given that for a 2002 car the 10th character of the VIN will be greater than V and thus should have resulted in a cat' test. Out of interest what is the 10th character? I've been through this recently and it turned out that the computer system has been fed the wrong info from CC. That V should really be W. Simon Lambert was speaking to VOSA about it as a result of my call to him. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owlscastle Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 It is a 2 - less than V ? As the sixth is K that was good enough for him Rithcie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shn7 Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 Hmm I wondered what later cars would have. I guess it relies on the tester knowing whether or not 2 V. Either way good news for you 😬. Steve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldbutnotslow Posted April 20, 2006 Share Posted April 20, 2006 Mine passed this week and it too is heavily modified on a VSTO. My tester seems to have identified my 2001 roadsport B as a "Seven S3" !!! Good enough for me *smile* Grant Taylor OBNS Motorsport 😬 183 BHP of Black and 'Stone Chip' excitement. 😬 here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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