Had your DPF removed? Time to put it back on

[Diamond Hell]

Cos you're now staring down the barrel of a new MOT rule:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-rules-for-mot-to-test-for-diesel-particulate-filter

Tests for diesel cars and lorries are to be tightened up to ensure vehicles have a critical exhaust filter if one had originally been fitted as standard, Roads Minister Robert Goodwill has announced.

Garages and testing stations will be required check for a diesel particulate filter (DPF) in the inspection of the exhaust system as part of the MOT test (or annual test for heavy vehicles) from February 2014.

The vehicle will automatically fail the MOT test if the filter had been fitted as standard but is found to be no longer present.

The filter works by trapping solid particulate matter from exhaust gases. This type of filter has been in use for more than 20 years and helps meet European emission standards, improving air quality and health standards.

Some firms offer services to remove the filter, claiming it will improve the economy. But it is an offence to drive a vehicle that has been modified this way, as it will no longer meet the emissions standards the car achieved when it was approved for sale in the UK.

Roads Minister Robert Goodwill said:

    I am very concerned that vehicles are being modified in a way that is clearly detrimental to people’s health and undoes the hard work car manufacturers have taken to improve emissions standards. It has become apparent the government had to intervene to clarify the position on particulate filter removal given the unacceptable negative impact on air quality.

    This change to the MOT tests makes it clear – if you have this filter removed from your car it will fail the test.

The filters need to be ‘regenerated’ regularly through burning the soot to gas at a very high temperature, leaving behind a residue. If not carried out properly, regeneration can lead to a build up of soot, which can affect performance. This has led to some diesel vehicle owners opting to remove the filter, which makes their car illegal for road use.

[Rhyso]

Just like CATS on petrols 

Equally it does improve economy therefore I travel further using less fuel. Surely therefore I'm not polluting the environment as much or indeed using up our precious oil reserves........

Its taken a remap and DPF removal to get even near Audi's claims for my car......

Also if the filter is hidden under an engine tray / cover will the tester now remove this to inspect or carry on as they have done and advise that they cannot check due to fitment of the engine tray / cover

If they want to crack down then they need to start checking the actual emissions

[JC]

oooooooooooooooo, this is going to be a fun one to enforce, 

 cos the MOT system aint got a fooking clue what should actually have a DPF 

[topher]

It's always been a grey area, and seems it will continue to be so. No engine covers of any kind can be removed to inspect.. I get the feeling the only reason this was even publicised was to put the willies up the general public who are facing a £1000+ dpf replacement bill. I read about it on facebook a couple of hours before it popped up on the MOT computer at work... says it all really.

[JC]

certainly going to make the testers life more interesting 

[Poached]

Well raising the engine speed in neutral doesn't actually represent full load so this smoke test isn't accurately measuring what smoke might actually get expelled. Maybe actual PM measurement will come into force.

EU6 Diesels are fitted with SCR for Nox reduction, so on some of the newer cars if removed you will end up removing all the filters in place which could make things more complicated in the future if several measurements form part of the test.

Outside of leasing/rep-mobiles is there any reason to own a new Diesel? So many people just look at the headline figures and think that they are going to get 50 mpg going to the shops.

Have a look at the video, would you find this level of smoke a bit anti-social? I think that tuning shop may have killed some passers by on this run...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHNv5RQWY-Y

[Rhyso]

certainly going to make the testers life more interesting 

They're going to be sunning themselves somewhere exotic due to the donations they receive to look the other way 

[RichardBaronGolf]

All this means is were going to see a lot more MOT testers driving Ferrari's, taking holidays in the Caribbean and smoking big fat Cuban cigars haha