8 replies to this topic

[spi-bwk]

Hi, does anyone know the exact date from which a mini doesnt need a cat? Also, does it go off the VIN plate, reg plate, engine number?

Thanks

[minidaves]

1990/91 carb coopers 91on injections etc etc as from april it will need a cat to pass the mot if of use or not.

[MrBounce]

1990/91 carb coopers 91on injections etc etc as from april it will need a cat to pass the mot if of use or not.

This is actually incorrect. Although fitted, any Mini first fitted with a carburettor AND a cat does NOT need one for the MOT. My friend has a Mini 35 (carb) which of course is 1994, and he was told by his MOT tester that it was not a requirement and so he has taken it off. He now has an LCB & RC40.

Edited by MrBounce, 05 February 2012 - 11:40 AM.

[bluesprite]

I read that the exact date that cars legaly had to have a cat was 1 August 1992. I don't know if that meant that it applied to any car built after that date, registered after that date, or sold after that date. And even still it's not very clear, like if your car was sold before this date with a cat and had the cat removed before the date then can you leave it off, or how do you tell if your car was originially fitted with one if one of the previous owners fitted a stage 1 exhaust? If you wanted to risk it then you'd probably have better luck in a carb mini than an injection one, there's something about none of the later carbs having emmission data for cats.

[MrBounce]

I would suggest speaking to a DECENT MOT tester, preferably one who tests a fair few "classics". These are not standard run of the mill cars so they may well have more knowledge about the small print that other testers who concentrate on mainstream stuff don't. Hopefully somone on TMF can advise who is a tester?

[AVV IT]

1990/91 carb coopers 91on injections etc etc as from april it will need a cat to pass the mot if of use or not.

I'm afraid that this appears to be a common misconception, that appears to be based on a new reason for rejection stated in the MOT testing manual, that has been taken out of context.

From April 2012 the MOT testing manual actually states "A catalytic converter missing where one was fitted as standard" as a reason for rejection, only "On those vehicles that "qualify for a full cat emission test" (Section 7.1 Exhaust System part 3). No carb mini qualifies for the Cat emissions test, regardless of whether it was fitted with a Cat as standard or not, therefore a carb mini does not require a Cat for the test.

In short you only require a CAT to be fitted, if your car qualifies for the full Cat emissions test. As far as I'm aware only fuel injection models produced after a certain date (August 1992 possibly) therefore qualify for this test.

From what I can ascertain from the emissions manual this includes the following engines:

1.3l Auto TBi Engine Code X Sreial No 059845 onwards
1.3l Manual TBi Engine Code X Sreial No 059822 onwards
1.3l TBi Engine Code Y Sreial No 060488 onwards
1.3l MPi Engine Code Z

Carb models are not listed in the manual at all, they therefore do not qualify for the full Cat emissions test and the presence of a catalytic converter does not need to be checked at MOT.

If you have one of the engines listed that has been fitted into an earlier model, then it does not qualify for the test either, as according to the MOT testing manual "Vehicles fitted with a different engine must be tested to the requirements of whichever is older, the engine or the vehicle- e.g a 1995 car fitted with a 1991 engine of whatever make, test to 1991 standards for emission purposes " (Section 7.3 - Exhaust Emissions - Spark Ignition - General)

Edited by AVV IT, 05 February 2012 - 12:27 PM.

[minidaves]

i believe if it was fitted as orginal equipment it is required thats the new mot rule.

[AVV IT]

i believe if it was fitted as orginal equipment it is required thats the new mot rule.

No that's not the new MOT rule, that's the common misconception that I was talking about above!!

The MOT manual does not state that at all, it actually states that only as a reason for rejection for "those vehicles that "qualify for a full cat emission test" (Section 7.1 Exhaust System part 3).

Like many people you are taking the new reason for rejection of "A catalytic converter missing where one was fitted as standard",completely out of context and applying it to all models fitted with a CAT. If the car does not qualify for the full cat emissions test, then the presence of a catalytic converter does not need to even be checked at MOT.

Use this link to check it yourself: http://www.transport...lsandguides.htm

Edited by AVV IT, 05 February 2012 - 12:53 PM.

[Dan]

I read that the exact date that cars legaly had to have a cat was 1 August 1992.

Until the MOT change mentioned above is introduced, no car legally has to have a cat at all (except possibly some diesels). All it has to do is pass the cat emissions test, if you can make it pass by tuning it then that's fine. Until the MOT is updated, which will make some cars retrospectively illegal and so it will probably be contested in court sooner or later. What governs the MOT requirement for cars built between 1993 and 1995 is the model name of the vehicle and whether it's listed in the relevant appendix to the MOT. If the car cannot pass a cat test and it's name is not on the list of vehicles with special levels then it doesn't have to pass a cat test.