Motoring Discussion > Volkswagen Golf IV - nct
Thread Author: noclue Replies: 4
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 Sat 26 Jul 14 15:12 
 Volkswagen Golf IV - nct - noclue
Hi all _I have a 99 petrol golf (3 door) and I have a problem with emissions...it has a cracked cylinder and I don't know if a valve is leaking and it is obviously missing due to that..but considering that the car is running as good as it could run ... It failed the nct test recently on emissions and a few more things and I took it away and got dipetane and bardhals no smoke (snake oil) and put them in to it and took it back up after a 150 mile round trip to get it as hot as I could before the test and it failed again ...I know I'm probably clutching at straws here but I'm hoping someone can help ..really don't want to scrap the car ...the numbers for the first emissions test are : low idle : oil temp 85°c CO 0.15 vol % HC 167 ppm_ high idle CO 0.40% HC 215 ppm
Second time around :low idle: oil temp 85°c CO 1.12 HC 1,262 ppm _high idle CO 0.35 vol HC 97ppm
Also I got a new mechanic recently as the other guy took advantage of the fact I'm fairly clueless but he reckons a new lambda myt do it .....? Thanks for taking the time to read
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 Sat 26 Jul 14 15:29 
 Volkswagen Golf IV - nct - Armel Coussine
>> it has a cracked cylinder and I don't know if a valve is leaking and it is obviously missing due to that..

If it has a cracked cylinder head or burned valves/valve seats or broken piston rings it may be possible to revive it without spending a fortune (but only by locating a good s/h cylinder head if that's the cause, because a new one will be expensive), but it really doesn't look good. Especially as you went to a mechanic you decided was untrustworthy. If plug/coil replacements won't stop it missing at idle it's probably a goner in main dealer terms. I hope for your sake I am wrong.
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 Sat 26 Jul 14 15:36 
 Volkswagen Golf IV - nct - noclue
What I'd b trying to do would be to get it passed the test and to get a bit of breathing space to get the price of something else ...mechanic says that the cost of repairing it would be too much and iv a few Bob spent already now so getting it passed is the thing for now ...any tricks to lower emissions ??
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 Sat 26 Jul 14 16:27 
 Volkswagen Golf IV - nct - Fenlander
It is often almost impossible to get a car with an engine mechanical defect that causes misfiring through an emissions test. I'm not sure what a "cracked cylinder" would be by that description but if it means the cylinder head (which also would involve the valve issue) then as AC says a decent used head from a breakers is probably your best bet. Any other money spent is likely just wasted.

When the budget is tight a Haynes manual and DIY is your friend.

I wonder what the other nct issues are, have you priced those up to factor into the keep/repair/swap calculation?
Last edited by: Fenlander on Sat 26 Jul 14 at 16:28
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 Sat 26 Jul 14 16:43 
 Volkswagen Golf IV - nct - noclue
They were small things ...wishbones bushings and brake pads ...turns out that the first mechanic didn't put in the wishbones right and one bushing was hangingout by him and he never tracked after ...and yes he is a certified mechanic and a***hole for that matter...I'm into the car at this stage around 500 euros so I'd like to get the thing passed and it did pass emissions in the new mechanics emissions comp an hour before the test but was idle for roughly 40 min before hand ...and I may as well do the retests now anyway on the off chance the gods are in good form ..I have 30 days or scrapyard
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