To think this garage was dodgy?

[TawnyyOwl]

I took my car for its MOT and it passed on everything apart from emissions. They claimed it was smoking, levels were high and choked them out. I tried to ask what it could be and they quickly shut me down and said they won’t get involved. Then quickly said ring us up tomorrow and I will give you a number for a guy I know who does engine rebuilds. I was a bit confused as not had any issues. He didn’t go through more simple, cheaper things it could be. Went straight to engine rebuild and tried to hurry me out of there after I’d paid the £40 for the MOT.

I got back in my car and it absolutely stunk of burnt out smoke. I’ve never smelt that smell before in my car.

I then took it to a different garage in the morning, explained what was said at the first. They said they would have a look. Within half an hour, they rang me and said it was absolutely fine and got through emissions straight away.

I think they were trying to push me into expensive works with someone they know and to scare me into thinking my car was knackered. Does this seem dodgy, would you report? I’m not sure if they’ve done the test wrong or what happened to make it smell the way it did. The second garage said nothing wrong

Report to Trading Standards at your local council, they would definitely be interested in this.

No shit sherlock obviously it was dodgy the other garage confirmed it. Report them, slag them of online, warn friends and family and never use them again.

Report them to the MOT office as they will revoke their testing privileges

Talking as someone that runs a garage and has knowledge of these things.
If your car is a diesel, it could have been running through a regeneration when they tested the emissions, therefore it would have failed. A regeneration is when the car burns all the crap out of the D.P.F. This would usually have visible smoke coming out of the exhaust and stinks. Normally we would re-check emissions if this happens, the vehicle would initially fail though.

However when it failed, there is a process to follow that starts with checking much cheaper things first.

I suspect it was just a shit garage that has little to no experience with diesel engines. To be honest your first red flag should have been the discounted cost of MOT. No garage worth it's salt would reduce the price of an MOT as that is already way below the normal hourly labour rate a decent garage would charge.

My experience with mechanics is that they also do not take the time to explain things to customers - so part of my job is to do that, particularly to women. As a woman myself, nothing boils my piss more than something not being explained to me because of my gender as it might be too technical.

Thank you, my car is petrol though

Thank you, my car is petrol though

In that case, I would probably report it. There are things that would make a petrol fail emissions but unless its emitting smoke/reek constantly, they are fibbing. I hate garages that try to rip folk off, gives the rest of the honest mechanics such a bad name. Sorry you had that experience

No idea why it changed my username

Sounds proper dodgy did they give you a print out of the emissions test?

Even some petrol cars have particulate filters although less common as diesel where all have them. My Quasqui is petrol but has a PPF ( petrol particulate filter