Downpipe Mercedes A45 AMG Mot

[joel44w]

Have mot coming up in a few months time for my W176 A45 AMG

Currently has a decat downpipe (not even a dummy silenced box on it) and has both resonators removed. It's actually pretty quiet when the valves are closed on backbox though.

Even if it were to miraculously pass the emissions would I still probably fail on visual inspection?

I know I'm answering my own questions here but would like second thoughts

At the same time anyone have a OEM or sports catted downpipe for sale for an a45 or even one to borrow/rent for a day cheers

 

[Boydie]

Fire it in and see what happens - loud cars IMO stock so must be be completely asbo

 

[joel44w]

Fire it in and see what happens - loud cars IMO stock so must be be completely asbo

To be fair in comfort mode it's not very loud with the valves closed

But in race mode she's very loud haha

 

[Calco]

Guy in work took his RS focus round which passed on emmisions but failed on no visible cat as he had decat pipe.

Waited and booked another full test in a different centre and it passed.

Luck of the draw I'd say

 

[anlygi]

What did you do about this in the end @joel44w? Mine failed today at Balmoral for no visible cat, yet passed last year and the year before at different test centres with the same 4-2-1 manifold and Milltek?

Wondering how to approach it as car was like that when I bought it.

 

[joel44w]

Managed to pass.

Although I think car may be properly mapped as I definitely saw them doing emissions and it passed that!

Also downpipe is well buried up round the engine on these a45s so would be hard to say yay or nay if it is there or not especially if it passed emissions.

I'd say your best bet is to wait until retest time is up (or can you book a new appointment before retest period is up??) and book a new test in a different location.

 

[anlygi]

Passed on emissions myself, as it has previous years when the car hasn't been failed by other testers at different centres. He made a point of mentioning the manifold too, when it's never even been commented on in the past. Annoying when it's the only thing, but it is what it is!

 

[Burt2000]

I’ve had plenty of stuff over the years decatted and mapped and never failed as long as it passed emissions….as said you may just get a very fussy MOT inspector, I guess I’ve been lucky so far.

 

[anlygi]

I’ve had plenty of stuff over the years decatted and mapped and never failed as long as it passed emissions….as said you may just get a very fussy MOT inspector, I guess I’ve been lucky so far.

If the people coming into the bus shelter after me and leaving before me is anything to go by, I'd say definitely very fussy or he just hates Civics ! To be fair, they probably see a lot of them with dodgy mods... It was up on the ramp a brave while.

Don't even know what I'm looking at now as I'm not too clued up on exhaust systems and MOT regs. Sports cat welded into it somewhere? Would that affect the map? I don't even know who mapped it ffs. Fake cat as it passes emissions? Back on night shift later so it'll be Thursday/Friday before I can even take it anywhere for a look.

Refusal sheet just states 'Ma - Catalytic converter; missing'. As he mentioned the '4-branch manifold' is he looking a standard manifold and cat?! I probably should have asked but I just needed to get away...

 

[Burt2000]

If it’s straight piped then it will be fairly obvious as a fail, maybe get a dummy cat fitted? Or a sports cat as a permanent fix.

 

[joel44w]

Have saw s2000 guys using the OEM heatshiled over a decat pipe so it looks like a cat could be an idea if getting a dummy pipe welded up is too much of an effort

 

[Jbridges522]

Yeah the test includes a visual inspection of the exhaust system these days, solutions would be a sports cat or dummy cat, or chance it on another test.

Feel like alot of testers are looking for fails these days, or if its a 50/50 they tend to go fail.

 

[alan_c]

Got Aaron at AH Exhausts to weld in a dummy cat in my Golf GTI after being pulled in Mallusk. Was lucky enough to pass that time but didn't want to take the chance later on