Avoid Surprises at Your MOT, Check Your Emissions at Home
Vehicle emissions must fall within certain limits or risk failing the MOT test, which will mean that your car will be undriveable until you can sort it out. Browse eBay for an MOT gas analyser for sale that will let you know if your vehicle's emissions are all right or not.
Why vehicle emissions must be testedCar exhaust contains harmful gases that are a by-product of combustion. Modern vehicles tend to burn fuel fairly cleanly, especially compared with older vehicles that used to belch out grey or black smoke from their exhausts, visibly contributing to smog, but they still produce quantities of harmful gases that a CO HC gas analyzer can pick up. Governmental bodies are working to reduce the level of harmful fumes released into the atmosphere, in line with international efforts to curtail climate change, and this is why the MOT test now includes the use of an emissions analyser.
Ensure you pass your MOT the first timeIf you purchase an exhaust gas analyser, you can keep an eye on your own emissions, seeing if your vehicle is within legal limits before taking it in for your MOT test. This can save you from not having a car while you resolve the problem before the test.
How does a CO² emissions test work?An emissions tester is more than a mere exhaust CO meter: It checks the levels of several different gases, including CO² in your exhaust, your fuel cap for fumes escaping into the atmosphere and many more, all found to be harmful to humans and the planet in general. A sensor is placed in the tailpipe to assess the gases released by the exhaust, and all the results are fed into a computer that calculates the levels of the gases versus the legal requirements in mere seconds.
What gases are released with vehicle emissions?If you invest in a vehicle pollution testing machine, as a car exhaust gas analyser can also be known, you will want to know what gases you are dealing with:
- Carbon dioxide: The world's governments have almost universally agreed to work on reducing carbon emissions, and one way is through controlling CO² released by vehicles.
- Oxides of nitrogen: These gases (NO and NO²) are known collectively as NOx and they are responsible for the corrosive effect of vehicle emissions, causing acid rain and visible smog.
- Carbon monoxide: Almost everyone knows what CO is, as it is the lethal component of car and heating exhaust systems and the reason why gas-warmed homes need clear vents.
- Hydrocarbons: Hydrocarbons are basically the fossil fuels that are burned in a combustion engine. HCs are harmful to people, being cytotoxic, and burning them produces even more CO².