Anigmalistic
Dedicated Member
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2013
- Points
- 28
- Model of Z
- 1.9 Roadster
Hi guys,
Sorry for the desperate plea in the title but I'm really on the verge of crying here.
Vehicle is a 1998 1.9 Roadster belonging to my wife which we've owned since 2013. It failed it's MOT every year since about 2007 due to emissions, and each time there was a re-test after some fuel cleaner and a blast round the block which always passed.
Since we owned it the same thing happened, and each time the fail got more severe followed by a more marginal pass. Eventually last year they told me that it was too far gone and needed a new cat. This made perfect sense, the cat degraded further and further until it was fully gone.
We got a new cat and it passed. I asked him whether it was still a marginal pass and he said no it's exactly what we'd expect now, so as far as I was concerned that was problem fixed for another 5 to 10 years.
Only it's failed again. My wife only does short journeys round town so I assumed it might be a clogged cat, but a dose of cataclean and a REALLY good blast later and it's still failing, and not by a little bit, CO limit is 0.30 and ours is putting out 0.60. I asked whether the cat could have gone again and they said that it's unlikely to be the cat as those readings are higher (by a long way) than even an older car which didn't have a cat at all.
The thing is the Lambda and HC readings are well within limits, and there are no engine management lights on so it wouldn't appear to be overfuelling, the MOT testers had some scary sounding guesses such as valves sticking open, head gasket (but that was changed the year before last) or "some underlying mechanical issue" but really they're stabbing in the dark. The only other thing which I know is going on under the bonnet is when the guy changed the head gasket he said there were some little breathers on the injectors which were perished making the car smell of fuel after it'd been driven, but he reckoned if anything they'd make the car run lean and based on the other readings from the probe it doesn't look like this is causing it.
I'm at the point of despair, if something's broken I can fix it but I don't know where to start. I don't have the money to just start changing things willy nilly, it doesn't sound like the cat has simply failed again so I'm stuck.
If anyone has experienced anything like this I would really appreciate your input. The car is mechanically sound other than that, and was a wedding present to my wife so scrapping it would be a travesty and really isn't on the cards... but equally it can't just sit about on the drive if I can't get it fixed...
Thanks in anticipation,
Pete.
Sorry for the desperate plea in the title but I'm really on the verge of crying here.
Vehicle is a 1998 1.9 Roadster belonging to my wife which we've owned since 2013. It failed it's MOT every year since about 2007 due to emissions, and each time there was a re-test after some fuel cleaner and a blast round the block which always passed.
Since we owned it the same thing happened, and each time the fail got more severe followed by a more marginal pass. Eventually last year they told me that it was too far gone and needed a new cat. This made perfect sense, the cat degraded further and further until it was fully gone.
We got a new cat and it passed. I asked him whether it was still a marginal pass and he said no it's exactly what we'd expect now, so as far as I was concerned that was problem fixed for another 5 to 10 years.
Only it's failed again. My wife only does short journeys round town so I assumed it might be a clogged cat, but a dose of cataclean and a REALLY good blast later and it's still failing, and not by a little bit, CO limit is 0.30 and ours is putting out 0.60. I asked whether the cat could have gone again and they said that it's unlikely to be the cat as those readings are higher (by a long way) than even an older car which didn't have a cat at all.
The thing is the Lambda and HC readings are well within limits, and there are no engine management lights on so it wouldn't appear to be overfuelling, the MOT testers had some scary sounding guesses such as valves sticking open, head gasket (but that was changed the year before last) or "some underlying mechanical issue" but really they're stabbing in the dark. The only other thing which I know is going on under the bonnet is when the guy changed the head gasket he said there were some little breathers on the injectors which were perished making the car smell of fuel after it'd been driven, but he reckoned if anything they'd make the car run lean and based on the other readings from the probe it doesn't look like this is causing it.
I'm at the point of despair, if something's broken I can fix it but I don't know where to start. I don't have the money to just start changing things willy nilly, it doesn't sound like the cat has simply failed again so I'm stuck.
If anyone has experienced anything like this I would really appreciate your input. The car is mechanically sound other than that, and was a wedding present to my wife so scrapping it would be a travesty and really isn't on the cards... but equally it can't just sit about on the drive if I can't get it fixed...
Thanks in anticipation,
Pete.
