Wanting to reduce your vehicle’s emissions? We’re about to reveal all that needs to know when it comes to reducing your pollution levels as part of your MOT test. Meet the criteria and you’ll pass with flying colours. If your emissions are too excessive, you can expect to fail. Here’s how you can reduce your emissions and pass your MOT before its next test.
What is the MOT emissions test?
We all know and love that time of the year when it comes to our MOT check, some of us more than others. As you’ll know, the MOT tester will have to inspect several things on your car, with the emissions being one of them. They will check what your car is releasing and that it doesn’t go over the legal limit.
The whole point of the emissions test is to reduce the pollution levels being produced by diesel engines. The limits are there to make sure that our cars aren’t bashing out excessive amounts of harmful gasses into the atmosphere, which is fair enough, we all need to do our bit, right?
The test itself simply measures the amount of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons that are being released. Nitrogen oxides are produced by diesel engines too, something which the Government is also trying to reduce. Another thing to remember is that the older your car, the higher level of emissions. This can lead to an MOT failure which none of us want.
We all know what the purpose of our MOT is, to check whether our vehicle is safe enough to drive and your emissions fall under part of that. If your car is checked and marked as ‘dangerous’, this would mean that your car has a direct and immediate risk to road safety or could have a serious impact on the environment.
How to reduce your emissions
There is more than one way to skin a cat and the same goes for reducing your emissions. With these top tips, you’ll be able to do everything you can to make sure your car is fit for purpose and that it will pass its MOT test with no hiccups.
Splash out on the fuel costs
When you’re filling up your tank, go that extra mile and think about your emissions, filling up with the premium fuel. It might be more expensive than your standard diesel, but when you see how much of a great job it does, you won’t want to look back. Premium fuel has fewer chemicals in it, which helps your car run smoother than you could imagine.
Filter out the excess
Do you have a diesel car that was manufactured after 2011? If yes, then you can skip past this one. If your car was manufactured before 2011, then it might be worth investing in a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF). If you’ve never heard of one before, it’s essentially a filter that you install, which collects the soot from your exhaust.
When it collects the soot, this will help to reduce the number of harmful diesel emissions that your car is pumping out in the air. Who doesn’t want that!
The only thing you’ll have to worry about is the cleaning and emptying of the filter when the soot that has become trapped with nowhere to go.
If your diesel car was manufactured after 2011, then there’s no need to worry as it will already have this filter installed. The main thing to note with this filter is that you shouldn’t tamper with it. As much as you might be tempted to, don’t do it. It’s illegal to remove it that’s for sure and you could land yourself with a hefty fine if you did.
Tyre pressure is the one
So your tyres might not be the first thing that comes into your head when you think of emissions, but trust us, they are up there on the list. If you have under-inflated tyres, this can have a knock-on effect on so many other things. For example, it makes your car dangerous to drive, it could mean increased fuel usage and higher emissions too.
Think of it like this, if your tyre isn’t properly inflated, this means it needs more energy to move your car, which means more fuel. It’s as simple as that. All you need to do is make sure your tyres are at the correct pressure and you should be sorted.
If you’re feeling a bit cagey, it’s a good idea to check your tyre pressure about once a month to check everything is ok and they have enough amount of pressure in them. If not, a simple top-up should do it.
