Transit van emissions

[Woodmonkey]

My trusty 14 year old transit van is up for its mot soon. It passed last year but got an advisory on the emissions. Is there anything I can do to increase its chance of passing h this time round? I've been told to take it for a drive so the engine's warm when they test it... Any other suggestions?
Thanks
Rich

 

[MMUK]

It won't be tested on emmissions as such, it's smoke output when the accelerator is pressed. I gather it's a MK5 with the 2.4l banana engine? Mine used to chuck out as much soot as a steam train until I removed the EGR control rod and cable tied the butterfly open

Take it for a good drive on the way to MOT as well, get the engine up to normal operating temperature.

 

[Woodmonkey]

What does that rod do? Being mechanically illiterate is it wise for me to start removing parts of the engine?!

 

[carlb40]

You can blank off the EGR - exhaust gas recirculation valve. It helps with a slight power increase, nothing that will be noticed plus it helps with the emissions. It is a standard mod done by many with diesel engines. You can get the kits on ebay for not much. Takes a few minutes to fit.

EDIT

Here you go.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STAINLESS-EGR ... 1e8587b6bc

 

[MMUK]

You can blank off the EGR - exhaust gas recirculation valve. It helps with a slight power increase, nothing that will be noticed plus it helps with the emissions. It is a standard mod done by many with diesel engines. You can get the kits on ebay for not much. Takes a few minutes to fit.

EDIT

Here you go.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STAINLESS-EGR ... 1e8587b6bc

You don't need to go to that expense, just do what I have shown above

 

[JustBen]

All my cars gave quite significant lower figures when they were running on biodiesel or cooking oil.

 

[Woodmonkey]

That's interesting, where do you get biodiesel from?

 

[carlb40]

That's interesting, where do you get biodiesel from?

Try this site

http://www.biodieselfillingstations.co.uk/

 

[JustBen]

You have to be careful about buying biodiesel as a lot of it isn't made very well and could cause problems.

I'm pretty sure your engine can run on straight oil though.
Have a look here http://www.vegetableoildiesel.co.uk/mybbforum

They used to have a list of engines and what they would run. I'm not sure if they still do.
They have a huge amount of knowledge on there.

 

[toolsntat]

http://fordtransit.org/forum/ :wink:

 

[MMUK]

The MK5 and earlier diesel Transits will run on pure veg oil. HOWEVER, the veg oil clogs filters so the fuel filter will have to be replacd every 2k miles or so.

 

[MMUK]

http://fordtransit.org/forum/ :wink:

Some good info on there but also a lot of idiots unfortunately.......

 

[JustBen]

It's true that the filters need changing more often but when your paying £1 per litre for new oil or a few pence if you collect use and refine yourself.

I used to make my own bio and it was costing me 10p a litre and even cheaper if I ran UVO.

It's good but messy.

 

[Woodmonkey]

Good info thanks guys

 

[tsb]

My van has just past its Mot again this week and I've always been told to drive it on the way to the mot in a lower gear than normal for a couple of miles to help with the emission test.
A slight deviation from the original question but why does my van have a cat converter on the exhaust. I have heard they do nothing regarding emissions when its a diesel

 

[MMUK]

On a diesel engine, it isn't what you would commonly term a catalytic converter. Newer diesel engines are fitted with a Diesel Oxidation Catalyst unit which works differently to that fitted on a petrol engine. Because diesel engines are set to run lean, you don't get unburned fuel entering the exhaust like on a petrol engine. Also, diesel engines run cooler than petrol engines so a normal catalytic converter would not work efficiently. The DOC relies on a chemical reaction to break down carbon monoxide, sulpher and hydrocarbons.

Newer diesel engines are also fitted with diesel particulate filters.

 

[cutting42]

It's true that the filters need changing more often but when your paying £1 per litre for new oil or a few pence if you collect use and refine yourself.

I used to make my own bio and it was costing me 10p a litre and even cheaper if I ran UVO.

It's good but messy.

Not forgetting to pay the duty of course 8)

Doh, just looked it up and found out you don't need to pay duty under 2500 litres per year - which is a lot. Might have to look into this more.

 

[JustBen]

It's true that the filters need changing more often but when your paying £1 per litre for new oil or a few pence if you collect use and refine yourself.

I used to make my own bio and it was costing me 10p a litre and even cheaper if I ran UVO.

It's good but messy.

Not forgetting to pay the duty of course 8)

Doh, just looked it up and found out you don't need to pay duty under 2500 litres per year - which is a lot. Might have to look into this more.

 

[Alex H]

but why does my van have a cat converter on the exhaust. I have heard they do nothing regarding emissions when its a diesel

From;http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catalytic_converter#Diesel_engines

"For compression-ignition (i.e., diesel engines), the most commonly used catalytic converter is the Diesel Oxidation Catalyst (DOC). This catalyst uses O2 (oxygen) in the exhaust gas stream to convert CO (carbon monoxide) to CO2 (carbon dioxide) and HC (hydrocarbons) to H2O (water) and CO2. These converters often operate at 90 percent efficiency, virtually eliminating diesel odor and helping to reduce visible particulates (soot). These catalysts are not active for NOx reduction because any reductant present would react first with the high concentration of O2 in diesel exhaust gas."