A3 2009 E-Sport TDI - failed MOT on emissions

[AGM84]

I bought this car in a rush last year, it had a long MOT and ran well but after buying it, turns out someone had completely butchered it (sorry, 'tuned' it)...£1000s later, and a year later it's run perfectly fine apart from smoking on start and acceleration (was an advisory on last MOT), but just failed its MOT on emissions. It's quite a way over, 2.82 when it should be 0.6. Just wondering if anyone has any ideas on this - I want to cut my losses and sell, and get a car on PCP instead (which on reflection I should have done in the first place). But I have quite a bit of money in this car (inc. owing my dad..!), and imagine if I sell without an MOT I'm not going to get much. 

Apparently it's had the DPF removed. It hasn't been serviced, the garage suggested a new air filter and a clean up might help. One of the advisories today was oil leak, but not excessive. I'm happy to spend a few £100 if it means I can get it through the MOT. Any tips? Would a new air filter, clean up, oil change, fuel treatment etc be able to lower the emissions enough? Otherwise it runs and drives beautifully, does a couple hundred motorway miles a week and great fuel economy.

 

Thanks!

[cliffcoggin]

Hello Anon.

What's the mileage of the car? Are no entries in the service record, or is simply entirely "missing"?

[den9112]

No expert but surely replacing the DPF could help with the  emissions issue..Iknow they are expensive as the cheapest new i have found from Germany is just over £400..

Also surprised the MOT tester did not fail the car by not having a DPF (i presume they are not aware its missing)

 

[Magnet]

Hello A?,

Can we take it’s diesel? 

Smoke on start up can point to injector issues, but it would only be a guess. You will need to give us more information - which element of the emissions has it failed on? 

Dennis makes a very valid point.

Kind regards,

Gareth.

[AGM84]

On 9/11/2020 at 7:07 PM, cliffcoggin said:

Hello Anon.

What's the mileage of the car? Are no entries in the service record, or is simply entirely "missing"?

Its at 122k. It didn't come with a service record (I know, I know, but it was bought in an emergency). I had £4k worth of work done on it shortly after I got it, it drives really nicely but just smokes. 

[AGM84]

On 9/11/2020 at 9:22 PM, den9112 said:

No expert but surely replacing the DPF could help with the  emissions issue..Iknow they are expensive as the cheapest new i have found from Germany is just over £400..

Also surprised the MOT tester did not fail the car by not having a DPF (i presume they are not aware its missing)

 

Apparently they can't tell it doesn't have a DPF unless they pull it apart? 

[AGM84]

On 9/12/2020 at 8:30 AM, Magnet said:

Hello A?,

Can we take it’s diesel? 

Smoke on start up can point to injector issues, but it would only be a guess. You will need to give us more information - which element of the emissions has it failed on? 

Dennis makes a very valid point.

Kind regards,

Gareth.

Yes it's a TDI. from the MOT I can only see one emissions measurement. the absorption coefficient. Test limit was 0.6 , it averaged 2.8 so way out. 

[den9112]

Was the car affected with the EA189 software fix,if you put the reg number in this page it will tell you. https://www.audi.co.uk/owners-area/emissions/check-your-car.html.

If it as it was well known to affect injectors ,DPF and EGR saying you no longer have the DPF and i presume the EGR is mapped out, it could if it as been done affected the injectors ,i know as i have changed all 4 mine after 15k on the fix they were causing bad idling and after checking with vcds all 4 were way out of tolerance.....

[cliffcoggin]

I really don't know if replacing the DPF alone will cure the problem. The lack of a service record is suspicious, as is the oil leak from an engine of only moderate mileage. Whether the cause is merely a defective injector or a totally clapped out engine, the repair will not be cheap. It could be more a question of whether it will cost a small fortune or a large one. I suggest before you make a decision on disposal, that you get the engine assessed by an Audi expert, preferably an independent rather than an Audi dealer with a vested interest.

[AGM84]

13 minutes ago, cliffcoggin said:

I really don't know if replacing the DPF alone will cure the problem. The lack of a service record is suspicious, as is the oil leak from an engine of only moderate mileage. Whether the cause is merely a defective injector or a totally clapped out engine, the repair will not be cheap. It could be more a question of whether it will cost a small fortune or a large one. I suggest before you make a decision on disposal, that you get the engine assessed by an Audi expert, preferably an independent rather than an Audi dealer with a vested interest.

I know - it is completely butchered, I had a lot done to it a year ago and it does run really well bar the smoke. Someone tried to mod it and just made a complete balls up of it! 
I don’t want to spend more than a few £100 on it, otherwise it’s not worth the risk and will just sell without an MOT. Just wondering if an air filter change and a dose of RedEx or BG244 would clear up the smoke enough to get through the MOT. I don’t foresee a long life ahead for it but as it is currently very driveable it would be nice to get a few more miles out of it...