2009 Rav 4 Test Emissions fail

[Swe Rav]

My 2.2 diesel XTR D4D Rav4 failed its MOT test on emissions – so I took it to my nearest Toyota garage who changed oil/filters and advised some good motorway blasts in low gear, before retesting with the engine warm. And it failed again. Twice 😞 

Any ideas what’s likely to be wrong with it?
Mileage is only 120k, but I’ve had to top up with oil occasionally in the four years I’ve owned it, not just at service, so perhaps a bit thirsty.

[DJ Price]

Check your air filter

[Swe Rav]

16 hours ago, DJ Price said:

Check your air filter

Thanks. Changed it, but test scores actually higher afterwards!

[Gerg]

This is a bit of a 'sticking plaster' just to get you through an MoT, rather than fix the underlying fault, but I did use this last year:

https://www.holtsauto.com/redex/products/redex-diesel-pre-mot/

It wasn't on a Toyota, it was a 2009 Skoda 1.9 PD diesel, the car was always only just underneath the MoT limits (which recently tightened for 2009 diesels), for a few years now.  After this was put in just prior to the Mot, it went through with almost exactly half the MoT limits. 

It was around £10, I think. The PD engine is a different beast to yours, no DPF, and it's not common rail injection like yours is, but that particular Redex is there as a possible safety net if all else fails, perhaps?

[Avalon]

Context is important, how big a failure are we talking here? I'll assume as it went to a franchised dealer and they had prior knowledge of the issue that things like the EGR and DPF were checked along with he 5th injector etc.

Assuming it's not a mile out, premium fuel (you're paying for the detergent or in Shell's case the higher grade gas to liquid process on part of the blend) and whatever you choose to put your faith in. I tend to use Millers EcoMax on each tank (if you're using it for this, double dose), but Wurth and Forte are both well respected - Mercedes used to use a can of Wurth fuel treatment at each service and when I had variable vane issues on the 4.2 two bottles of Forte did the trick, but it's generally marketed as being issue specific.

[Swe Rav]

20 hours ago, Gerg said:

… that particular Redex is there as a possible safety net if all else fails, perhaps?

Thanks. Has to be worth trying - to at least see if I can buy time to solve any bigger issue.

[Swe Rav]

13 hours ago, Avalon said:

Context is important …

Yes, it went to a franchised Toyota garage after the first fail, and as well as changing oil and filters they supposedly checked those key things over, as well as doing their own emissions measurements etc, on which they said it should pass. I asked if they could check it over again, after the second fail, but they think it ought to go through, which it hasn’t so far, and the numbers are rather variable (much higher on the later testing). Even the test station is encouraging me to keep trying. I will try adding one of these, drive and test again.

[Avalon]

Get the dealer to MOT it if they say it passes when they are testing it - you could spend a lot of time and money only to find it’s not an issue with the car from what you just posted.

[Swe Rav]

16 minutes ago, Avalon said:

Get the dealer to MOT it if they say it passes when they are testing it - you could spend a lot of time and money only to find it’s not an issue with the car from what you just posted.

Thanks - yes, hard to know but agreed, the dealer ought to be helping somehow. Thanks for your suggestions.

[Avalon]

On 7/14/2021 at 9:52 AM, Swe Rav said:

Thanks - yes, hard to know but agreed, the dealer ought to be helping somehow. Thanks for your suggestions.

This has nothing to do with the dealer helping. You asked them to service it and check the emissions, they did and stated it was below the permissible emissions limit. You went to a 3rd party to have it re-tested and it failed on emissions. The dealer will obviously provide emissions data and blame the third party and the third party will do the same. You can continue to bounce back and forth between the two, but the only sensible option here is to get the dealer to MOT the car. If it fails on emissions, then you have every right to ask why they told you it should pass, as based on that assertion you incurred additional re-test fees on further fails. You can also push for them to find the cause of the issue as you've already had them service the car and specifically highlighted that it's had an emissions related failure. Obviously you're still liable for the costs to put it right, but you've at least got one party to deal with now and they don't have an easy 'out'.