1.4i-Dsi Jazz, Mot failure on emissions.

[guest5159]

Hi all,

New member here and after a little advice. My wife owns a 2004 Honda Jazz 1.4i-Dsi sport and it is a cracking little car that has served us very well. It has 53k on the clock, but today it failed its mot on the emissions. The Mot test was undertaken at a Honda main dealers.

The readings were as follows;

1st Fast idle test

CO 0.67% (Max 0.30) FAIL
HC 256 ppm (Max 200) FAIL
Lambda 1.02 (Max 1.03) PASS

2nd Fast idle test

CO 0.34% (Max 0.30) FAIL
HC 66 ppm (Max 200) PASS
Lambda 0.98 (Max 1.03) PASS

Natural idle test

CO 0.37% (Max 0.50) PASS.

Overall emissions result FAIL


Also picked up on the MOT test was that the engine management light was illuminated. The fault code was read as P0420 CATALYST SYSTEM EFFICIENCY BELOW THRESHOLD.

Around 9 months ago the car was fitted with a non Honda front pipe and catalyst after a leak developed.

Honda are now stating that the emissions failure and EML illumination are due to the Cat either being faulty or being a non genuine part.

At a quoted cost of just under £1000 to replace the cat (not far off what the car is worth), I need to investigate all options before I go back to Honda! Would a dose of fuel additive and an 'Italian tune up' be a wise thing to do, or am I looking with parting with a wedge of cash just before xmas? My wife uses the car to commute, her journey being around 25 miles round trip, but it is all A and B roads and the car rarely, if ever gets thrashed.

Thanks in advance,

James

[mylesm]

does it mainly do short trips take it for a really good hard drive just before the test might be surprised by test then

[madasafish]

Agreed.

A 20 mile run at 70mph with bursts of hard acceleration at 4,000 rpm in a low gear may work wonders.

[VicW]

and the car rarely, if ever gets thrashed. James

I suggest that you take it out and thrash it ! Get it warm and then take it for a run accelerating hard in the gears, at least 5000rpm, over a distance of at least 15 miles.
An ideal route is a stretch of dual carriageway between two access points, join the dual carriageway at one, accelerate hard up to 70mph then leave the dual carriageway and return in the other direction accelerating hard again . Repeat the process.
Retest.

Vic.

[madasafish]

And use Shell V Power Nitro in it. It is proven (yes really) to clean engines and reduce emissions due to its additives.

[Eddie Honda]

Cats are no good cold. Make sure it's tested straight after the suggested thrashing. 

[degzi]

As mentioned get it warmed up good, it won't be anything bad, if it's still struggling change the spark plugs.
Then learn to take it to local mot place who know what they are on about instead of honda monkeys.

Trust me i got a smokey audi through 5yrs worth of mot failures on emissions.   

[guest5159]

Hi,

thanks for all the replies. Well, I followed your advice and it sailed through the retest. Rather than take it back to the main dealer, I took it to a 'friendly' back street garage, who had the time to let the car warm up thoroughly, see what the emissions were like prior to testing (when cold) and then, when up to temperature do the test.

On both fast idle tests, the CO reading was down to 0.14% or roughly half of what it had been when cold. The natural idle test showed a reading of around 0.28% which was a massive improvement.

I must admit to being a little bit disappointed with the service I got at Honda. I think that they gave it the absolute basic test and then decided not to bother any further, unlike the retest garage. And to then suggest that I part with the best part of a grand to rectify the 'fault'? Hmm, not impressed at all.

Anyway, thanks for the advice and the car now has a nice shiny MOT certificate for xmas!

Merry Christmas everyone.

James

[guest4161]

No doubt the original test venue were hoping to make a big bucks repair bill off you!

[Rory]

I must admit to being a little bit disappointed with the service I got at Honda. I think that they gave it the absolute basic test and then decided not to bother any further, unlike the retest garage. And to then suggest that I part with the best part of a grand to rectify the 'fault'? Hmm, not impressed at all.

Taking a pretty old car, with non-standard MOT related parts fitted, to any franchise dealer is asking for trouble.

[guest4512]

Hi,

thanks for all the replies. Well, I followed your advice and it sailed through the retest. Rather than take it back to the main dealer, I took it to a 'friendly' back street garage, who had the time to let the car warm up thoroughly, see what the emissions were like prior to testing (when cold) and then, when up to temperature do the test.

On both fast idle tests, the CO reading was down to 0.14% or roughly half of what it had been when cold. The natural idle test showed a reading of around 0.28% which was a massive improvement.

I must admit to being a little bit disappointed with the service I got at Honda. I think that they gave it the absolute basic test and then decided not to bother any further, unlike the retest garage. And to then suggest that I part with the best part of a grand to rectify the 'fault'? Hmm, not impressed at all.

Anyway, thanks for the advice and the car now has a nice shiny MOT certificate for xmas!

Merry Christmas everyone.

James

Name and shame mate