VW Passat Mot

[Richardtr3a]

My Passat is going for the annual test and at 178,910 miles I am worried about the exhaust. If I give it a run at high revs I will be able to clean up the carbon deposits. I need advice on how far should I drive and for how long ?? It would be difficult to make it run extra hot unless I block off the radiator with some cardboard.

Is there an exhaust  carbon specialist on this Forum?  Please advise asap  because the MoT is tomorrow.

Thanks Richard & B

[Hamish]

Richard

You don’t need the temp gauge to read hot but you may need to fast run the engine ie high revs through the gears fast acceleration once you have warmed it up, diesels don’t like thrashing from cold.

you sometimes see vans accelerating hard and clouds coming out the exhaust- this is what you are trying to achieve.

then on the day make sure the car is up to temp. This is the temp gauge at normal long journey temps. And take it to mot place very short time before mot appointment time. It still may sit for a while but you have done what you can. others will hopefully have more experience. 
I run a 2L tdi audi 2012 so could be a similar set up to your vw 

should be ok unless you have visible emissions when warm.

if the back of the car is smoke dirty ? Clean the car.

I do typically give the car its annual wash just before mot. So it looks cared for 

Edited February 8, 2023 by Hamish

[Motorsport Mickey]

Motorway...select a gear that will allow steady 3500 revs. That should still be below your "red line" on your tacho. 

...drive between 2 junctions (I have 2 within 3 miles of each other)

...don't worry about the constant humm from engine and exhaust...it will sound very busy...it is

...keep an eye on the temp gauge

...if you decide it gets too hot...change up reduce revs and cruise to reduce/steady temp. 

...take no notice of smoke and dead mice that come out of exhaust.

Mick Richards

[Kiwifrog]

I believe the technical term may be “ ItalianTune Up”, I’ll get my coat…….

[PodOne]

Can't say I've ever had any issues over the years with emissions on high milage diesels I've owned.

However I usually do a oil service and take them for a local run to get them up to temperature and take them for the test as the rest of the time they see the motorway every day which helps to EGRV stay clean along with the exhaust system. So a couple of junctions on the motorway at 70mph plus might be useful if the car is used for mainly short journeys to just blast crud out. 

The garage I use is fair and as long as there isn't any black smoke or deposits on the bodywork he doesn't thrash the arse out of the motor generally just a fast idle and that's it.

Best of luck I hope she sees 200,000 next year to help the environment!

Andy

[Richardtr3a]

I tried a fast run just before the test this morning. ( Italian tune up ) 

I left the VW with the tester while I walked the dog. I did spend more than two hours this morning cleaning the inside with a Hoover and the outside with a bucket and sponge. I left it with the MOT  workshop while I found a new footpath/track around the local fields. I was back with the VW after an hour. The car failed the MOT because the off side headlamp was too high and I received a Fail cert.

However they adjusted the headlamp and issued a Pass certificate. This is good news because I was worried about a fail and an expensive repair making the car on the way to the scrap yard.. So now I have another year with the Passat and it is a sunny afternoon so the TR needs a run.

Thanks for the advice   Richard & B

[Hamish]

Good result in the end. 

[james christie]

Good result even if the garage made a little on the side by adjusting the headlight!

Here the MOT stations (Centre de Contrôle Technique) are not garages and totally independent. So if your headlight is considered awry then you have to go away sort out the problem and bring it back for testing.

james

[BlueTR3A-5EKT]

3 hours ago, Richardtr3a said:

I tried a fast run just before the test this morning. ( Italian tune up ) 

I left the VW with the tester while I walked the dog. I did spend more than two hours this morning cleaning the inside with a Hoover and the outside with a bucket and sponge. I left it with the MOT  workshop while I found a new footpath/track around the local fields. I was back with the VW after an hour. The car failed the MOT because the off side headlamp was too high and I received a Fail cert.

However they adjusted the headlamp and issued a Pass certificate. This is good news because I was worried about a fail and an expensive repair making the car on the way to the scrap yard.. So now I have another year with the Passat and it is a sunny afternoon so the TR needs a run.

Thanks for the advice   Richard & B

Did the car pass last year?  

Have you touched the headlamps or crashed the front of the car?

Do you have goblins with screwdrivers in Sussex?

Edited February 9, 2023 by BlueTR3A-5EKT

[ianc]

I took Maddy's little High&Dry i20 for its MOT a couple of months ago to a garage at Oakley (north of Thame) which many of the Chiltern Group use for their TRs.

The owner tested the headlamps, saw one was too high, the other too low, adjusted both and issued a clean MOT - no messing with an advisory (too much buggeration for him, I guess).

Ian Cornish

[Richardtr3a]

1. Yes it was  passed last year
2. No alterations or knocks /accidents and only 3k miles in the year
3. I have been called a Goblin sometimes
4. High&Dry are reliable
5. No advisories for me, a straight fail and after 5 minutes a straight pass

My local TR group has a breakfast meet on Saturday morning. Will I need the hardtop ??

Thanks Richard & B.

[Kiwifrog]

I imagine for some obscure bureaucratic reason the station has to have a certain percentage of fails

[Richmac]

Glad to hear your passat lives for another year. Why were you worried? Should I be worrying my car has 227000 miles and I never take any special action before the mot? I don't know but a lorry must clock up more being on the road all day every day. I wonder what mileage should be expected before they give up the ghost?

[brenda]

Hi the the hgv that I drive has just over 700,000 miles on the clock same engine, gearbox and diff. A few other parts have been changed, It is inspected every five weeks. I can honestly say that it has never failed a MOT, if a hgv fails it gets a marker on it no matter how small a fail and vosa have it on there records ready for when they pull you over for road side checks even when a fail has been rectified and the truck has a new mot.

Mike Redrose Group 

[stuart]

19 minutes ago, brenda said:

Hi the the hgv that I drive has just over 700,000 miles on the clock same engine, gearbox and diff. A few other parts have been changed, It is inspected every five weeks. I can honestly say that it has never failed a MOT, if a hgv fails it gets a marker on it no matter how small a fail and vosa have it on there records ready for when they pull you over for road side checks even when a fail has been rectified and the truck has a new mot.

Mike Redrose Group 

The dreaded "wheel tappers!"

Stuart.

[Richmac]

2 hours ago, brenda said:

Hi the the hgv that I drive has just over 700,000 miles on the clock same engine, gearbox and diff. A few other parts have been changed, It is inspected every five weeks. I can honestly say that it has never failed a MOT, if a hgv fails it gets a marker on it no matter how small a fail and vosa have it on there records ready for when they pull you over for road side checks even when a fail has been rectified and the truck has a new mot.

Mike Redrose Group 

Wow on that basis I can't think of a reason why a car engine should not last the same mileage? I guess they rev higher but wouldn't be under the same loads. Do you change all the oils regularly including diff and gearbox? 

[brenda]

Richmac,  the engine oil is changed 30,000-40,000 gearbox and diff 80,000-100,000 all depends on if we’re working fully load 44 ton and it falls in with the five week inspection, wheels don’t stop in between the five weeks unless it’s broken and has to stop.

Mike Redrose Group 

[Motorsport Mickey]

55 minutes ago, Richmac said:

Wow on that basis I can't think of a reason why a car engine should not last the same mileage? I guess they rev higher but wouldn't be under the same loads. Do you change all the oils regularly including diff and gearbox? 

Whoa, you can't compare between heavy haulage trucks and 40 year old plus cars.

Depending upon the age of the truck it may have "plateau honed bores" which do not get bedded in until 55-60k on the clock, we used to give our demo trucks to  "pet" haulage firms who liked our product to put these sort of mileages on, to maximise their power and efficiencies before offering to actual customers for demo. ! It's also likely to have line injection running at 1700 bar (yes 1700) which offers incredible injection and atomising all which goes towards reducing possible diesel flow down the bores and contaminating the oil, which wears the bores and piston rings etc "screwing the pooch" for starship mileages.  

Oil change intervals are enormous, depending upon the marque of truck and mileages a 3 month oil change is not unusual, at up to 60,000 mile in between, and annual mileages of 200-300, 000 range often running with 3 drivers (otherwise can't make those mileages) through 24 hour days.

Mick Richards   

[stuart]

14 hours ago, Motorsport Mickey said:

Whoa, you can't compare between heavy haulage trucks and 40 year old plus cars.

Depending upon the age of the truck it may have "plateau honed bores" which do not get bedded in until 55-60k on the clock, we used to give our demo trucks to  "pet" haulage firms who liked our product to put these sort of mileages on, to maximise their power and efficiencies before offering to actual customers for demo. ! It's also likely to have line injection running at 1700 bar (yes 1700) which offers incredible injection and atomising all which goes towards reducing possible diesel flow down the bores and contaminating the oil, which wears the bores and piston rings etc "screwing the pooch" for starship mileages.  

Oil change intervals are enormous, depending upon the marque of truck and mileages a 3 month oil change is not unusual, at up to 60,000 mile in between, and annual mileages of 200-300, 000 range often running with 3 drivers (otherwise can't make those mileages) through 24 hour days.

Mick Richards   

Yes Ive driven brand new demonstrators with say 400hp and they wouldnt pull as well as my regular 280hp with starship miles on it.

Stuart.

[Richmac]

21 hours ago, Motorsport Mickey said:

Whoa, you can't compare between heavy haulage trucks and 40 year old plus cars.

Depending upon the age of the truck it may have "plateau honed bores" which do not get bedded in until 55-60k on the clock, we used to give our demo trucks to  "pet" haulage firms who liked our product to put these sort of mileages on, to maximise their power and efficiencies before offering to actual customers for demo. ! It's also likely to have line injection running at 1700 bar (yes 1700) which offers incredible injection and atomising all which goes towards reducing possible diesel flow down the bores and contaminating the oil, which wears the bores and piston rings etc "screwing the pooch" for starship mileages.  

Oil change intervals are enormous, depending upon the marque of truck and mileages a 3 month oil change is not unusual, at up to 60,000 mile in between, and annual mileages of 200-300, 000 range often running with 3 drivers (otherwise can't make those mileages) through 24 hour days.

Mick Richards   

Oh ok loads of reasons why a lorry engine would last longer than a car engine sounds like they are chalk and cheese. Every day is a school day. However I wasn't comparing with a 40 year old car but Richards Passat. He doesn't say how old but take a guess at 10/15 years. So what kind of mileage might be expected for Richards passat before the engine was toast? 

Regards Richard 

[Motorsport Mickey]

25 minutes ago, Richmac said:

Oh ok loads of reasons why a lorry engine would last longer than a car engine sounds like they are chalk and cheese. Every day is a school day. However I wasn't comparing with a 40 year old car but Richards Passat. He doesn't say how old but take a guess at 10/15 years. So what kind of mileage might be expected for Richards passat before the engine was toast? 

Regards Richard 

Fast rewind to ...

"incredible injection and atomising all which goes towards reducing possible diesel flow down the bores and contaminating the oil, which wears the bores and piston rings etc "screwing the pooch" for starship mileages..."

The building blocks for lllooooooooonnnnnnggg engine life are set into the footings of the engines life by preventative maintenance which goes back to it's life prior to maybe 100k mileage.

Example; our company cars of our Iveco (stands for International Vehicle Company...a compendium of European manufacturers of the 1970s. Major shareholder FIAT) truck dealership group, with a "metal to market" park of somewhere about £40-50 million pounds per year. We had enough clout to be able to choose our own car models to run, and thwart all the pleadings from Fiat head office to run their home group products ( I did for 4 years but that's another story) .Our car purchases were spread over Audi, BMW, Volkswagen, Range Rover, and Ford products and they were run on a 4 year 30,000 miles per year operational lease scheme, separate service/repair contracts with local dealers to the various 8 different bases. The various car models were compared by a sophisticated logged computer system which itemised and compared the various models and cars looking for anomalies...which we found.

Whilst the mpg varied between the models and the drivers (own right foot afflictions) there was an acute increase across the board at the 100k mark. Because we serviced heavy trucks we had an in house injector shop with the capabilities of testing injectors under pressure, so specimen injectors were removed (almost all the same make) from a selection of the cars and tested which showed marked deterioration from the original specifications. Inspection of engine bores (borescope) showed wear patterns advanced upon the thrust sides and compression tests showed increasing wear compatible with mileage covered. The injectors were wearing out across the disparate car models used and causing bore wear. Conclusion was a set of new injectors at 100k would help arrest the wear and reclaim some lost mpg, cost about £1k. Action taken...reduce contracts to 3 years at 30,000 per annum and move the cars on without further increased costs. 

Engines are wearing items and sit on one end of a see saw which has costs added to it which gradually weigh it down until the balance point is reached. Preventative maintenance can extend engine lives and owners are in control, beware the swift reversal of cost/benefit.  

Mick Richards     

[Richmac]

Thank you Mick for the comprehensive reply which if I understand correctly to prolong engine life replace the injectors every 100k miles. Very interesting but too late for me and Richards passat