emissions fail- is there an alternative? (1 Viewer)

camperlove

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I discovered I had too much oil in van after it failed an early mot on emissions.
Had it drained. Was told to put in half a tank of diesel, a bottle of injector cleaner, drive 100miles. At least 4 times in the 100 miles, I must drive in 3rd gear, 50mph, for 3 min at a time.

My van really does NOT like to do 40mph in 3rd gear for 20 seconds. Its a real strain driving, and I wonder if im damaging anything, get nervous and change gear. Its just to hard to get it up to 50mph.

Is there anything else I can do? ie When my 100miles is up, can I just put in another bottle of injector cleaner, and drive another 100 miles, and that will have the same end result, instead of straining myself and van. Many thanks.
 

TheBig1

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The best way is "the italian tuneup" where you drive it like you stole it for a few miles. That will really help the engine. If you cannot or dont want to do this then there are systems like teraclean, which is done by a specialist and cleans the deposits from the system chemically
 
Feb 22, 2011
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No views on "Italian tune up" but only ever do it to a hot engine. Done to a cold engine will quickly lead to premature failure.

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camperlove

camperlove

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No views on "Italian tune up" but only ever do it to a hot engine. Done to a cold engine will quickly lead to premature failure.
don't understand the Italian job. please explain.
 
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camperlove

camperlove

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Driving the vehicle like you stole it - high engine revolutions for longer than usual - as you were originally informed (y)
is this harmful to my engine or clutch or anything else important? Will 40mph do some good, although its not 50mph?

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MC 55 FUN

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is this harmful to my engine or clutch or anything else important? Will 40mph do some good, although its not 50mph?

That very much depends on the condition, mileage & age of your engine & clutch / drivetrain, if you're not happy with the Italian tune up method, go for the chemical clean as mentioned by @TheBig1
 

funflair

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Its not about the speed as all vehicles are geared differently, what the guy is trying to say is pick a lower gear than normal so that you can let the revs go quite high without breaking any speed limits.

Martin
 

scotjimland

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Using Shell V-power diesel will also aid cleaning the injectors.

Shell V-Power Nitro+ Diesel is formulated with a powerful cleaning agent designed to prevent and remove performance robbing engine deposits that can be left behind by non-premium fuels. Our advanced formulation is designed to work under the extreme conditions of the fuel injection system, breaking down and cleaning-away harmful gunky deposits.

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Lorryman100

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The premium fuels are excellent for new engines as long as it used regularly. It helps maintain the injector spray pattern which ideally is a fine mist. As the injectors clog up with carbon this mist turns into a spray or dribble which affects emissions and power as not all of the fuel gets burned. For an older engine the best option is to use a diesel cleaner like Forte professional and run that through the fuel system. We used to fill the fuel filter with it and run it through neat on a hot engine, brought the emissions down to near enough zero. Ask a local garage to do this for you as well as the MOT and they will get it to pass.
 

Badknee

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:sneaky: Sticking the lambda probe in the exhaust of a much newer car than my 1992 Mazda parked next to it and revving the arse off that usually does it for me at mot time. :whistle::LOL::LOL::LOL:
 
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camperlove

camperlove

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The premium fuels are excellent for new engines as long as it used regularly. It helps maintain the injector spray pattern which ideally is a fine mist. As the injectors clog up with carbon this mist turns into a spray or dribble which affects emissions and power as not all of the fuel gets burned. For an older engine the best option is to use a diesel cleaner like Forte professional and run that through the fuel system. We used to fill the fuel filter with it and run it through neat on a hot engine, brought the emissions down to near enough zero. Ask a local garage to do this for you as well as the MOT and they will get it to pass.
Thanks. So do I just empty the bottle into the tank half full with diesel? Forte say its only for retail sale, but I found it on amazon.

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as been said its the revs and load that will help to clear the exhaust of soot,
if you have a rev counter try and get it above 3000 rpm on a steep hill and hold it there in what ever gear she will do it in,
make sure she is hot and if you look in your mirrors you should see a plume of smoking soot being left behind you,
when you do the smoke test make sure the engine is fully warm and on the way get the revs up to clear the soot before the test otherwise the smoke meter sees only soot and not smoke so you get a fail,
forte injection cleaner is fine and is similar to many other brands out there,
a good hill near you is wrotham hill on the M20, a Diesel engine likes to work for its living and not to be trundle around without much load:D
 
Nov 18, 2011
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Using Shell V-power diesel will also aid cleaning the injectors.

Shell V-Power Nitro+ Diesel is formulated with a powerful cleaning agent designed to prevent and remove performance robbing engine deposits that can be left behind by non-premium fuels. Our advanced formulation is designed to work under the extreme conditions of the fuel injection system, breaking down and cleaning-away harmful gunky deposits.

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You beet me to it I use this before a MOT usually fill my tank from MT then run up Sutton bank a few times
That will do the job
 
Nov 18, 2011
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I discovered I had too much oil in van after it failed an early mot on emissions.
Had it drained. Was told to put in half a tank of diesel, a bottle of injector cleaner, drive 100miles. At least 4 times in the 100 miles, I must drive in 3rd gear, 50mph, for 3 min at a time.

My van really does NOT like to do 40mph in 3rd gear for 20 seconds. Its a real strain driving, and I wonder if im damaging anything, get nervous and change gear. Its just to hard to get it up to 50mph.

Is there anything else I can do? ie When my 100miles is up, can I just put in another bottle of injector cleaner, and drive another 100 miles, and that will have the same end result, instead of straining myself and van. Many thanks.
Find a very steep hill a long one and go up and down it a few times v power diesel
A full tank should clean it out good luck
Bill

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mjltigger

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I don't think you shared the vehicle type and age but I absolutely reccoment the Italian tune up for any age of engine. In my car is yet and use motorway slip roads.. I can hit something which might be marginally above the legal motorway speed limit in 3rd gear which leaves a nice ploom of smoke and gives me a much cleaner run and better mpg for the rest of the journey. In the van I'm a little more circumspect but it's a similar procedure .. nice warm engine and rag it a bit till the smoke doesn't appear in my mirror

In days past running older derv burners on veg oil I would fill the fuel filter with meat kerosene at service time. Slightly harder to start and smokes very badly for a minute or two but absolutely no smoke after that in normal driving.
 

Autowbars

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Lower gear than normal, higher revs than normal on any road, flat or uphill, you will see the crap coming from the exhaust.
Always do the same on the way to the test station, don't arrive too early as its lets the engine cool down.
 

TheBig1

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I only live 3 blocks from the MOT centre so instead take a drive up and down the local dual carriage way, timed to be at the test centre 10 minutes before he opens at 8. always book the first appointment of the day too

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camperlove

camperlove

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thanks everyone. I don't have a rev counter, and its an old van 1998. But im understanding. Lots of hills and more revs will do, ie any gear, one, two, three or 4, but as long as HE is under more stress than normal. I cant warm the van up before an mot because you drop van off in the morning along with everyone elses, and get a call when its done. When my first 100 miles is up I will put in the forte stuff, ......Im going to be a familiar site on detling hill the next few weeks.
 

TheBig1

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is this some form of diesel sold from the tanks at a petrol station?
its a shell forecourt diesel product. basically the most expensive diesel available at the pump

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scotjimland

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is this some form of diesel sold from the tanks at a petrol station?

From most Shell stations .. (not all, some of the small outlets don't stock it)

look for it next to the regular diesel ..

Be very careful, there is also V Power Unleaded Petrol..

petrol-pumps-in-a-shell-petrol-station-dtdbk3.jpg
 
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camperlove

camperlove

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Thank you all. I have sometimes in eu and here in the uk seen two black hoses for diesel...most fuel stations only have one diesel hose. I usually then just drive on to another station , till I see only one black hose, I know that's mine, because I never understood why there two black hoses. Now I understand, I should really top up with the hose which says v every now and then to keep the engine emissions down.

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camperlove

camperlove

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so after this 100 miles, trying to keep the revs up as long as I can, I will put in the v fuel to half a tank, and chuck in the forte cleaner......do as many hills as I can, in as many low gears and revs high I can stand...........and keep fingers crossed. or get that company to clean it for me at great expense......
thanks to all. but you know what...........I swear down, by the time im 60, Im half way to getting my mechanics certificates.
 
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Thank you all. I have sometimes in eu and here in the uk seen two black hoses for diesel...most fuel stations only have one diesel hose. I usually then just drive on to another station , till I see only one black hose, I know that's mine, because I never understood why there two black hoses. Now I understand, I should really top up with the hose which says v every now and then to keep the engine emissions down.
Yes I do regularly and I usually burn off a full tank it won't do any harm
Bill
 

Brakers

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I cant warm the van up before an mot because you drop van off in the morning alongwith everyone elses,

It should not matter when you drop your vehicle off as the test states the vehicle should be at operating temperature before doing the test if they are doing it correctly.
Best wishes Tony

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GWAYGWAY

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From what you say I get the ides that YOU are babying the engine. You will not damage an engine by giving it a bit of welly, they have a governor to stop you over revving it. More damage is caused to a diesel engine by treating it too gently and it builds up a load of gunge in the Particulate filter. The 'Italian Tune up' is the best way to clear it out. It depends on a LOT of very hot gases going through the system and burning out the carbon that has bunged it up.
YOU WILL NOT BLOW IT UP if it is a sound engine, if it ain't then it will go anyway.
You mention Detling Hill, well that will make if work but ONLY AFTER the 50 limit on the steep bit then give it some welly all the way the M2 roundabout then back up there again, that should clear it out.
 
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camperlove

camperlove

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I cant warm the van up before an mot because you drop van off in the morning alongwith everyone elses,

It should not matter when you drop your vehicle off as the test states the vehicle should be at operating temperature before doing the test if they are doing it correctly.
Best wishes Tony
yes thank your for that specific input, but here are differences, like others stated on other threads........my printout does not state the operating temp, nor the length of time it was tested for. Its all blank. But all this info anyway is manually inputted......ie....... temp reading is xxx.....now fill it into the computer. but temp reading could be yyyy anything could read out anything
 
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I think my poor van has had a Scottish tune up , hills where all you can see is sky and not been in 5th gear for two days. Van is running better than ever dont think it was ever used or pushed hard before. As long as they are warm diesel engines love working hard, if struggling in a gear much better to change down and rev a bit more less strain.

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