Failed MOT Advise sought (( Help!!!!!!!!!)

[Moraystag]

Gent's had my car put through MOT today although I got a friend to take it as I'm at work abroad. Unfortunately they have failed it on the following.

Emmisssions & adjustment of the passenger side headlamp,.

Correct me if youwill but I did not think a 1977 car would not have to go through an emmissions test.

The garage that did this say they cannot find an adjustment for the head lamp.

Obviuosly I'm trying to sort this out via a phone line and I am 4 hours ahead of them.

Any advice would be much appreciated

Mike

[milothedog]

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Hi Mike, your luck must change soon, Headlight adjustment is through cut outs in grill panels, Their talking S**T, Emissions for a 77 car has to be 4.5% CO or under unfortuniatley.

Ian.

[Andrew S]

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Hi Mike, yes emissions should be under 4.5%for your yearforthe test. The headlamp adjusters are accessible from the front grill andthere are 2 for each lamp and each have a large crossed head for screw driver. when you see them, for ease, the grill section can be removed by another 2 screws.

[mickjo]

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hi mike,

Sorry to hear it failed, the emmissions CO2 etc, is for post 74 reg cars I think. Mines 72 and the test is if it smokes whilst on tickover it fails, if clear it passes. Strange he couldnt find the light adjustment, probably couldnt be arsed to find it.

If you need a carb adjustment tool Im sure I can find mine.

Mick

[mattsay]

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Hi,

Yes sorry to say that emissions count on any car 1975 or over, anything older is visual only.

Probably save a fortune if you use a classic friendly MOT station - some of them adjust the mixture to pass the test and then they put it back for decent running.

Cheers.

[Moraystag]

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To be honest, the two things it failed on are not drastic, just blood annoying, at least they didn't fail me on brakes , bushes etc, but still a bummer



Mike

[Phil]

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Mine failed on both counts on Wednesday. Romoved the grill to adjust it is easier with it off, trouble is I didnt like the hand painted black hamerite on it so its all rubbed down at the mo.

August 1975 was the emmissiion cut off mines Sept so only just missed it.

I have an adjusting tool Not expensive ebay Spitfire graveyard I think. took it with me for the retest the examiner set the carbs up during the test

Phil

[V Mad]

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Hi Mike

One thing to check is that, on cars such as the stag, with a dual exhaust they must take a reading in each tail pipe and calculate the average emission. Therefore it is possible for one pipe to exceed the limit but if the other is well below it should pass.

Failing the emission test is not necessarily trivial. If you have the Stroms, mixture adjustment does not always cure the problem. Leaky needle valves, or high float levels may be the culprit.

[Tdm]

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In Tenerife no allowance whatsover is made for older (Classic) cars and the same emission criteria applies to all cars. My Stag failed on emissions several years ago and the carb mixture had to be weakened as far as it was possible - but it did solve the problem and allowed it to pass.
I could have "richened" the mixture again afterwards, but I have never bothered which has meant that the car has passed on emissions for the past 3 years. The one drawback I have means that I need full choke to start the car and have to leave it out half-way for about a mile or so when I can push it fully in and the car runs normally - albeit not quite as quick on pick up as it used to be.

[Moraystag]

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V Mad wrote:

Hi Mike

One thing to check is that, on cars such as the stag, with a dual exhaust they must take a reading in each tail pipe and calculate the average emission. Therefore it is possible for one pipe to exceed the limit but if the other is well below it should pass.

Failing the emission test is not necessarily trivial. If you have the Stroms, mixture adjustment does not always cure the problem. Leaky needle valves, or high float levels may be the culprit.

**** I hope I don't have to go through a full carb refurb before I get the bloody thing MOT. At this rate I'll be bankrupt shortly:X

[Moraystag]

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Gent's the guy said that the headlamp adjustment screw was seized, any suggestions??

[DJT]

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The adjusters are plastic screws. They are the same as the XJS and can be bought from James Paddock, part number jps577

Dave

[mjheathcote]

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It would have made more sense to me if the freeroad tax cut off was August 75 rather than pre 73 so if you have to pass a CO test you have to pay road tax.

That would bring much more Stags into the free road tax....including mine as it happens

[staggering]

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Maybe of help - and surprising - but my 76 failed on emissions a couple of years back - after much hasstle it turned out to be the coil "breaking down" and causing weak sparks and the resulting unburnt fuel. Replaced coil and tester said readings improved by 200 % :shock::shock: