Oh No MOT Failure!

[DaveT]

So my Stag failed it MOT yesterday !!

1. Nearside headlamp aim beam image kick up to the offside
2. Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content excessive (7.3)

On the headlamp problem, what does “kick-up” mean? Is this just the direction? In which case I’d translate that as the headlight beam on the passenger side is pointing to the right when it should be pointing to the left. Am I right? When I asked about adjusting the beam the guy at the MOT centre said that the headlamp was the wrong sort – i.e. foreign – and needs replacing. This is odd as it passed the MOT last year (different garage). I’ve had my Stag for about 15 months now.

On the emissions problem, I’ve been reading a few previous threads so have a few ideas. But the problem is that without going for a retest how do you know if what you’ve done has made any difference!?

Dave

[iani]

You could buy or borrow a Gas tester, gunsons do one for around £80, worked for me.


Ian

[staggering]

Dave - i had a similar fail which turned out to be a ign coil failure, BUT i did notice a misfire at the same time, so if u haven't noticed any "new" roughness may not be coil - may help though as fairly easy to change/check - good luck

Regards
Ian

[milothedog]

Hi Dave with the head light, it just means it needs aligning, the "kick up point" is the pattern that appears on the plate in the machine and in your case the pattern of light is outside the limits, provided your head light has the correct lens and the adjusters work it's a 2 minute job they will probably do for you for gratuity. What year is your car, if it's pre 74 it doesn't have to pass an emissions test other than a visual one.

Ian.

Sorry didn't read the post properly about the headlight, have you got the wrong one in the wrong position i.e. dipped where the main beam should be or vice a versa. does it have sealed beams, they are tested differently as well.

[whitev8stag]

My stags a 1974 and the guy at my garage said it didn't matter about the emissions....although he did test it was it was all ok...


Ben

[DJT]

1. Nearside headlamp aim beam image kick up to the offside

Dave,
Reading this, it indicates that you have a LHD headlamp fitted. RHD lights should have the beam 'kick up' to the nearside to prevent dazzling oncoming traffic. If this is the case, how it was missed last year is a mystery. If it were purely an alignment issue, then your garage is doing you a disservice. On my Stag two of the headlamps were slightly out this year and, with a Phillips screwdriver, it took all of 15 seconds per lamp to get it right. Mine is fitted with 4 x H4 lamps and they are wired so that all 4 are on dip. As a result all 4 have to be checked at the MOT. With the standard Stag setup, the inner main-beam-only lights don't get tested for alignment.

[Moraystag]

Mine failed last year on exactly the same two things Emissions and headlight adjustment. I was advised to have the car tested in the future at a garage that would be sympathetic as far as old cars are concerned, so I'll do that next time.
However I was also under the impression that from 1974 back the car did not require an emission test, but according to this web site anything registered and or used after Aug 1 st 1975 has to be tested anything before not

http://www.motuk.co.uk/manual_730.htm

Mike

[Princejohny]

Dave,
The two outer Stag lamps are the dipped lights. The top part of the beam pattern is cut off and shaped by a little metal shield inside. The top part of the outgoing illumination which would dazzle oncoming traffic is therefore removed. To help the driver though, a little light is let out to the left which lights up the kerb/ pavement further ahead. This is the kickup. If your kickup is to the right, it must have headlamp fitted for a country which drives on the right where the situation (and kick up) is reversed.

The main difference between dipped and main beam lamps is that the latter don't have the cut off shields.

Cheers Johny

[Princejohny]

I've used a Gunson gastester pro on my Stag after rebuilding the carbs. I've used it on other old vehicles and found you have to take several readings plus make sure both the machine and vehicle are warmed up. On the Stag, you will have to make up a Y shaped piece from somesome odd bits to make the twin exhaust into one orifice. You can't just put the Gunson's probe into each branch.

Johny

[DaveT]

Ian - I think they're sealed beams. Looking from behind, there's a wire that goes into the back of a metal dome.

I've just checked the lamps and the nearside outer lamp is the only one of the four that is not lucas, so it must have been changed at some point. I wouldn't know how to check whether it's a LHD or a RHD lamp. If I assume it's a LHD and needs replacing with a RDH, then what options do I have? Do i have to replace the whole unit, or can I just replace the glass front (or perhaps I can't do this if it's sealed)? I guess I can just get a replacement unit on ebay or from rimmers etc?

[V Mad]

If there is nothing obvious like a misfire, I suggest the first place to look for emissions failure is over rich mixture. If you have the Stroms, check that needle valves are working, and not allowing the carbs to flood (load of prev posts on that). Carb balace can also affect it.

I had a failure on emissions last year and noticed that the tester only checked one exhaust pipe; I told him that the correct procedure (on the stag type system) is to check both, and compare (average I think?). It was clear he didnt even know the MOT rules on that!

[DJT]

Ian - I think they're sealed beams. Looking from behind, there's a wire that goes into the back of a metal dome.

I've just checked the lamps and the nearside outer lamp is the only one of the four that is not lucas, so it must have been changed at some point. I wouldn't know how to check whether it's a LHD or a RHD lamp. If I assume it's a LHD and needs replacing with a RDH, then what options do I have? Do i have to replace the whole unit, or can I just replace the glass front (or perhaps I can't do this if it's sealed)? I guess I can just get a replacement unit on ebay or from rimmers etc?

Sealed beams or not, you can't change the front glass. If the lights are past their best (shows up as a blurred cut-off line in the beam tester) then you could consider replacing the lot with this: http://www.ejward.co.uk/h4-headlight...kit-p6057.html

Otherwise I would look at replacing both outer lights with a matched pair of H4 units: part number 519547a at Paddocks - £15 each (plus the usual add-ons) and another £2-50 for a bulb. Wire these up so that the dip filaments come on for dip, and the main-beam filaments come on with the original main-beam lights. This will improve the overall lighting.

I can recommend the EJ Ward relay kit though.

[DaveT]

Sealed beams or not, you can't change the front glass. If the lights are past their best (shows up as a blurred cut-off line in the beam tester) then you could consider replacing the lot with this: http://www.ejward.co.uk/h4-headlight...kit-p6057.html

Otherwise I would look at replacing both outer lights with a matched pair of H4 units: part number 519547a at Paddocks - £15 each (plus the usual add-ons) and another £2-50 for a bulb. Wire these up so that the dip filaments come on for dip, and the main-beam filaments come on with the original main-beam lights. This will improve the overall lighting.

I can recommend the EJ Ward relay kit though.

Thanks Dave. Yes, I was reading about these on the EJ Ward site earlier. Maybe this is a good time to do it.

[DaveT]

If there is nothing obvious like a misfire, I suggest the first place to look for emissions failure is over rich mixture. If you have the Stroms, check that needle valves are working, and not allowing the carbs to flood (load of prev posts on that). Carb balace can also affect it.

I had a failure on emissions last year and noticed that the tester only checked one exhaust pipe; I told him that the correct procedure (on the stag type system) is to check both, and compare (average I think?). It was clear he didnt even know the MOT rules on that!

I did have a flooding problem a few months ago, where the fuel was pouring through one of the overflows. But that seemed to cure itself all of a sudden so no more overflow.

[milothedog]

Sealed beams or not, you can't change the front glass. If the lights are past their best (shows up as a blurred cut-off line in the beam tester) then you could consider replacing the lot with this: http://www.ejward.co.uk/h4-headlight...kit-p6057.html

Otherwise I would look at replacing both outer lights with a matched pair of H4 units: part number 519547a at Paddocks - £15 each (plus the usual add-ons) and another £2-50 for a bulb. Wire these up so that the dip filaments come on for dip, and the main-beam filaments come on with the original main-beam lights. This will improve the overall lighting.

I can recommend the EJ Ward relay kit though.

I fitted a pair of JP's (Dipped ones) God knows how many MOT's my car had gone through previously , but when I rebuilt it after the respray I discovered it had 4 Main beams in it

Ian.