Edd China’s Basic Classic Car Health Checks: Testing the Engine Whilst Running
Edd ChinaDescription
This video in Edd China’s classic car health check video series looks at running checks on a classic car. He checks the exhaust fumes and explains that while pre-1960 classic cars are treated leniently, and classic cars first used before 1975 only require a visual check, vehicles used after 1 August 1975 will require their exhaust gases to be tested electronically. The younger the classic car, the more stringent the test. Edd demonstrates how to look for clouds of smoke and how to check for leaks in the system.
Welcome to my Classic Car Health Check. Now this video is all about running checks. So obviously, because the exhaust is gonna be filling the room with all kinds of poisons, what you want to make sure is you're actually outdoors, or a very, very well ventilated area. Now the very first thing you want to do is start your car, and get it up to temperature. Make sure that the choke is off, and that hopefully the exhaust is as clean as its going to be. But even if you've got a car with engine up to temperature, if it's in really bad condition, it's burning oil, as soon as you get to an MOT tester, you all pretty much going to instantly fail. So, the top tip here would be to make sure your engine is in really good condition, it's accurately tuned, and really if the car hasn't been run for a while, take it for a really long drive, clear out all the cobwebs, and make sure it's ready to go. You could even have a look at doing an engine and cleaning system as well before you take it for your test. So this is the legislation bit. Now Pre-1960 vehicles don't actually have to have an MOT, but if they are presented, they are treated rather leniently, and as long as they don't have blue or black smoke puffs longer than five seconds, they won't be given a fail certificate. A Pre-1975 vehicle has a little bit more to get through. It's gonna be tested for carbon monoxide, and also unspent fuel, hydrocarbon. I only think after the 1st of August 1975, when it gets a bit more tricky, they'll also be tested for the oxygen that's coming out of the exhaust system, the Lambda Test. Now on this next test, what I'm looking for is clouds of smoke, or rather none of that hopefully. So what I'm gonna do is rev the engine, now hopefully there won't be any black smoke, but if there is give it three more revs, and hopefully by then it will have cleared. Now while leaving it idling, I'm then gonna have a look and see what's coming out of the exhaust. Hopefully there'll be no pollution other than the usual stuff that you expect to come out of a classic car, and hopefully that's okay. So the next thing to do, get yourself a rag, and actually then cover the exhaust, I'm gonna listen for any leaks in the system. So I can hear a little tiny one just there, and then we're ready for the next test, which is out on the road.
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