Hello All,
My Mercedes A-Class 170CDi avantegard with 90,000 on the clock, failed its MOT on Friday due to the emissions test. It was put in for an MOT & then a B service.
The emissions test can be solved by replacing the injectors at a cost of £1700 (all day job!), it needs new pulleys and belts (£670) and something on the steering rack (£723).
So all in all about £3000 worth of work - for a car that I don't think is worth that.
So I can't get the MOT until at least £1700 is spent on it and the tax runs out tomorrow. Would I be able to sell/PX it on without MOT/TAX?
Any ideas on what I should do? Thanks.
Tez.
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Set fire to it?
I'm afraid that this is the final result of a small car being produced by a company which specialises in large, complex and unreliable vehicles (this one also badly adapted to right hand drive). The cost of ownership of this type of machinery is completely out of scale with its value after a very short period.
659.
ps. You could possibly ignore pulley problem, try to get MB to contribute to the repair of their unspeakable steering and then take the car to a diesel specialist, having tried diesel cleaner an an Italian tune up first.
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I agree re the emissions test, put some Millers Diesel Plus in it together with some premium diesel and give a good run, perhaps 20 miles on the m/way using the revs, leaving it in 4th gear for periods of time so it revs steadily at higher revs. This might well cause it to pass the emissions test, however beware - if it is over due a cambelt change you should get this done first.
I assume the prices are main dealer, perhaps take it to a Merc specialist independant re the steering and cambelt, then try the Millers etc before it is tested again.
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No cambelt on this engine - he meens aux drive.
659.
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No cambelt on this engine - he meens aux drive. 659.
Is it chain then, never knew that. So 670 quid is a lot for the aux belt(s).
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Emissions test. Put a diesel injector cleaner into the tank of diesel, drive the car around till its nice and warm, then tak eit for a thras, pulling maximum revs in 1st and 2nd gear about half a dozen times, then run it at spped with high revs for a few minutes and take it for an MOT while its still hot.
That should fix that.
Steering rack? did it fail the MOT on that? if not whats wrong with it?
Pulleys and belts? did they say why?
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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TVM: You should have a look at the steering column on a RHD A-class. It really beggars belief that any motor manufacturer would even think of the configuration, let alone cut metal and sell it to someone. (For info: pinion on left, steering wheel on right, column runs at about 45 deg across the car with 2 UJs - this would be shameful in a meccano model).
659.
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In that case I suggest he does the Italian tune, gets it through the MOT and gets rid pronto
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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take it somewhere else it probably only needs a good injection of something like "forte" or equivelent and a good thrashing to get through the emmissions
The rack apparently is common on these something to do with it being rhd i understand and lots of uj"s
With regards pulleys and belts well you say 90,000 and its had none?no answer to that one im afraid thats up to you.
As i said at the beginning take it to a recommended indep[endant garage for a second opinion,its worth nuts at auction with no mot and 90 grand as we arent nuts if you understand me and will know why its there
--
\"a little man in a big world/\"
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Emission test - reminds me of a very nice 17,000 mile Vauxhall Combo, we had.
I bought it in with a fresh MOT, it's first one (done a month early).
Customer who purchased it wanted a full 12 months, before he'd buy it - fair enough, so re-tested & went away happy bunny.
2 weeks later, he came back screamng - he'd been pulled on the A1 for spot check & it'd failed the roadside smoke test!
Immediately took it to our local MOT station, that had issued our certificate...passed no problem!!
All sorted, again, but that means a low mileage engine, had had its bits revved off, harder than anytime in it's life, goodness knows how many times, in just a few weeks!!
Bet yours will be fine, after a hard run, new air filter & some Forte (or similar) fuel system additive, as suggested.
VB
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Where is "Forte" fuel system additive purchasable from? Almost any good motor factors?
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Forte is a trade product, it comes in cans, about the size of a Coke can.So you garage needs to supply it.
But 'other brands available', STP probably one of the better known.
VB
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I had a 1.6 petrol A-Class for about 6 weeks in early '99, a hire car because Vauxhall could not supply a sump for my company Vectra that had been holed by a rock on the M4. The A-Class was brand spanking when I got it, less than 100 miles, I recall that the rear wiper packed up the first time I used it though otherwise I quite enjoyed it.
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Re: emissions problem.
If fuel additive doesnt work, you could try biodiesel if you can get 100% stuff in your area? Or get some mail order. If so use a blend of 20% biodiesel, 80% normal diesel.
I had mine MoT'd while it coincidentally had 15% bio in the tank and the tester thought his machine was broken, the emissions were so low. Took him 3 attempts to even get a reading on the machine, and he remarked that it was incredibly low.
May not work but might be worth a try. Then get rid.
Good luck with it.
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