Can someone help,i have just bought a 1993 big turbo escort when i got it home i noticed it never had a catalytic converter ,i have had the emissions tested and the co level is running at 7.61 on idle(needs to be 0.5 max
it has ggr conversion to 340bhp ,been told that putting a cat on it will still not get it threw an mot is there anything i can do as i have only 3 months mot left.

 

The problem right now is you don't know what's causing it.
Could be a sensor problem, but could also be a wrong setup in the Eprom.

Check all hoses from and to the inlet manifold for leaks.

What are the specs besides the eprom? Injector type, map sensor type?

 

dont really know alot about these cars ,it seems to run ok plenty of pull all i know its got green injectors,3 bar map sensor,mongoose exhaust,k&n filter ggr chip and is running 1.7bar boost not sure if this will help

 

That's a lot of boost for just 340bhp.
Try to find out what fuel pump is on this car. Is it still the standard pump (in-tank)?

With all due respect, but have you got anything to compare it to? Do you have experience in driving a car with this kind of power?
I would seek assistance from somebody who knows what he's doing. Check the sensors for valid signals and measure compression. Then maybe put it on a rolling road to check.
But in the end I am afraid that you will be needing a new eprom to get it right.

 

thanks oldford for your help ,i used to own 2008 focus st running standard 225hp and its alot quicker than that,it doesnt smoke or anything ,the guy i bought it off said its because it is not running standard and if i wanted it to go through an mot i would have to put a standard exhaust on it and a standard ecu then it will go through.does that sound right

 

Possibly. But standard ecu also means standard injectors, standard map sensor etc.
But with the right setup the CO can be a lot less on idle. I would contact MSD.

 

As said you're better off taking it to a specialist to get it checked over. Could save you a lot of time & effort.

 

if the CO on idle is 7.5%, then just fitting a cat will not bring it down to under .5%

as said above, get the thing setup, checked over for any problems. was the engine nice and warm for the test? and does the lambda sensor function as its meant to?

lambda sensors seem to be causing lots of grief with the motors in a work at the mo, even giving correct right readings to the ecu and still running too rich

 

i have got the readings from the gas tester

fast idle test:

CO MAX 0.30% MINE: 0.90% FAIL
HC MAX 200PPM MINE: 91PPM PASS
LAMBDA 0.95-1.09 MINE: 1.03 PASS

SECOND FAST IDLE TEST

CO MAX 0.30% MINE:0.79% FAIL
HC MAX 200PPM MINE:0.79% FAIL
LAMBDA 0.95-1.09 MINE:1.03 PASS

NATURAL IDLE TEST

CO MAX 0.50 MINE:7.61% FAIL

 

The main corrective factor for the co is the coolant temperature sensor, these do bugger up and usually go mental rich when they do, they cost around £12 and are easy to change, ideally want to change them every 2-3 years anyway.
But as said there are a lot of things it can be, and without knowing your way around a cossie engine, money wise would be best to book it in somewhere so they can have a play.
It may be that it is just a crap setup and not what it appears to be, ie seller lied ?
Either way at that co it needs fixing a lot sooner than later, it's like having the choke fully on!!
tabetha

 

join escortrscosworth.com mate

 

Your car won't pass an MOT as it is illegal to de cat cars registered after 93 in the UK.

Check the CTS first as said, the info recieved from this sensor is used to control the base level of fuel injected right from freezing to boiling, being it's essentially a thermister they do go out of calibration.

I think you should also make sure your C/L is working ok as well, having the cat would make alot of differance to the emissons.

Martin

 

it wont fail for NOT having a cat, as there is no fail criterior for that.

it CAN fail for exhaust leaks, too noisy and being outside the emissions limits for the model of car

had several motors go through BET tests without the cat fitted

 

Not directly a failure, but will be as it is over the emissions limits.

Martin

 

Thanks everybody for your replies,ive put a new cts on it today im going to test it tomorrow will let you know how i get on(got to be worth a shot for a few quid).

 

checked emissions tday still the same

 

Check/test the lambda output voltage, check also the map sensor, measure the voltage(signal) is changing, won't hurt to check the fuel pressure if you have no joy from the lambda and map sensor.
A common problems with lambda's is they can read right and still be rich, this is because as they age the switching speed slows down, done more than a few with this problem in the past, esp on zetec se for some reason.
I very much doubt that it will pass a "cat" emissions test without one though, as correctly stated there is no legal requirement for a cat just for the emissions level associated with cat equipped cars.
tabetha
tabetha

 

When I had my BT escos my emissions were very high like yours, turned out to be the lamba sensor. My friendly MOT tester ran the test as a non-cat car and it passed when I had sorted the lamba

 

ye my local mot bloke puts the emissions pipe up another car for me,

 

There are/were ways to get things through, but a serious amount of rule and procedure tightening since those days, everything booked online these days, as computerised, if the mot is done to quick for example it fails, car is loged into system and the screen tells them everything they need to know test wise.
tabetha