14 replies to this topic

[Neville1971]

Hi all,

I'm new to the classic mini world after having just purchased a 1988 Mini Jet Black which has been stored for around 2 years.
I took it for its MOT and it failed on a couple things but the puzzling one for me was emissions.
How does everyone resolve this?
Thanks in advance.
Neville

[1984mini25]

Find an mot station/tester who understands old cars, and has no problem adjusting the mixture during the test for it to pass.

[greenmini1275]

I've never had any problems with any pre 1991 mini, they usually make a comment about it not having a cat, I remind them that it doesn't need one before 1991 and they usually just shrug it off, but yeah go to an MOT centre who is run by an old fella, in a back street MOT centre. Don't go to Halfords because they're all 12 years old and compare your car to 3 year old cars.

[Van13]

Van failed on same last week tester complete idiot took it home whipped air filter out took it back passed

[deanc]

an extra 10 pounds usually does the trick

[slidehammer]

I agree with the above we are up against MOT testers that don't really understand they are testing an engine designed in the fifties that will never be that clean. The causes can be any from incorrectly set mixture, blocked breathers / air filters or most expensive of all a worn out engine with blow by, where burn oil is messing the emissions reading up. Sometimes a good run can clear out the engine and bring the emissions down to a passable level.

[minifreek1]

Could try a basic service like air filter and plugs, then take it for a good blast on your way for the retest....

[Neville1971]

Thanks everyone.
It has had new air filter and plugs and it is in a back street garage with an old guy haha. She, the mini, has only done 28k miles!! From new. It was used for a lot of years by an old guy who brought it out occasionally during the dry weather to potter around locally.

When I go back I'll have a quiet word in his ear before the test about the old girl, that is my mini.

Thanks again.
I'm certain I'll have more questions soon.

[cal844]

Give it a full service and then give it a good run, then do emissions test

[Mito]

The pipe between the carb and engine breather became detached on mine and it went through emissions just fine

[sonikk4]

Lean it off, do the test, once passed then tweak it back again.

[KernowCooper]

The limit for your age car is CO  3.5% and 1200PPM HC, did it fail on excess CO or HC? fully engine tune and Carb setup should sort it, and remember under the MOT regs if it fails the idle test they are supposed to take the revs up to 2000rpm and re-do the CO test again.

[Neville1971]

Hi all,

Just to let everyone know that the mini went back and I had a few words with him about it's age etc...
He initially laughed but then said he would tweak it........
Low and behold she has now passed her MOT.
She started and ran better before he "tweaked" it but I'll get that sorts out in due course when she goes on a rolling road.

Thanks for your comments.

[KernowCooper]

So its been weakened off for the test, just richen it up and use the lifting pin if you don't have a CO meter access

[tiger99]

A good internal clean may help, in addition to the various good advice above.

The recent discussion on the use of water injection to clean the combustion spaces may be worth considering. Basically, all you need do us run the engine at fast idle or a bit more and spray water into the intake (air filter removed) from a gardener's weedkiller spray or any form of hand spray gun. Take it easy and don't drown the engine.

That will remove a lot of crud, and may improve the emissions. Give it a short run afterwards to disperse any remaining water.

Worth doing maybe every 6 months. But you could fit "proper" water injection as a performance and emissions improver, and increase the compression ratio somewhat. At one time kits were available to do just that.