There has been a rule change concerning diesel cars. What used to happen was we would test the cars on the percentage of emissions coming from them and pass or fail them on that. However, we must now check if there is a diesel particulate filter installed and working. The reason for this change is because it has been proved that these filters can reduce emissions by about 80% and all new diesel cars have been fitted with them as standard for the past 5 years.
Sometimes these filters are missing from new cars, this is due to them getting clogged up and instead of cleaning them, some garages have simply removed them (even though it is illegal to do so). They get clogged up eventually - especially if many short journeys are undertaken, due to the filter not getting hot enough to burn off the particulates that build up over time.
You can clean the filters with products that cost around £30, and you can also have your car fitted with a particulate exhaust system cleaner for as little as £20. Unfortunately, if your car has already had the filter removed there is nothing you can do: you'll need to pay for it to be refitted. Sorry.
No comments:
Post a Comment