1595 Ford Fiesta Remake

MOT test checks

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M Examine the handbrake mechanism,
checking for frayed or broken cables,
excessive corrosion, or wear or insecurity of
the linkage. Check that the mechanism works
on each relevant wheel, and releases fully,
without binding.
M It is not possible to test brake efficiency
without special equipment, but a road test can
be carried out later to check that the vehicle
pulls up in a straight line.

Fuel and exhaust systems

M Inspect the fuel tank (including the filler
cap), fuel pipes, hoses and unions. All
components must be secure and free from
leaks.
M Examine the exhaust system over its entire
length, checking for any damaged, broken or
missing mountings, security of the retaining
clamps and rust or corrosion.

Wheels and tyres 

M Examine the sidewalls and tread area of
each tyre in turn. Check for cuts, tears, lumps,
bulges, separation of the tread, and exposure
of the ply or cord due to wear or damage.
Check that the tyre bead is correctly seated
on the wheel rim, that the valve is sound and

properly seated, and that the wheel is not
distorted or damaged. 
M Check that the tyres are of the correct size
for the vehicle, that they are of the same size
and type on each axle, and that the pressures
are correct.
M Check the tyre tread depth. The legal
minimum at the time of writing is 1.6 mm over
at least three-quarters of the tread width.
Abnormal tread wear may indicate incorrect
front wheel alignment.

Body corrosion

M Check the condition of the entire vehicle
structure for signs of corrosion in load-bearing
areas. (These include chassis box sections,
side sills, cross-members, pillars, and all
suspension, steering, braking system and
seat belt mountings and anchorages.) Any
corrosion which has seriously reduced the
thickness of a load-bearing area is likely to
cause the vehicle to fail. In this case
professional repairs are likely to be needed.
M Damage or corrosion which causes sharp
or otherwise dangerous edges to be exposed
will also cause the vehicle to fail.

Petrol models

M Have the engine at normal operating
temperature, and make sure that it is in good
tune (ignition system in good order, air filter
element clean, etc).
M Before any measurements are carried out,
raise the engine speed to around 2500 rpm,
and hold it at this speed for 20 seconds. Allow

the engine speed to return to idle, and watch
for smoke emissions from the exhaust
tailpipe. If the idle speed is obviously much
too high, or if dense blue or clearly-visible
black smoke comes from the tailpipe for more
than 5 seconds, the vehicle will fail. As a rule
of thumb, blue smoke signifies oil being burnt
(engine wear) while black smoke signifies
unburnt fuel (dirty air cleaner element, or other
carburettor or fuel system fault).
M An exhaust gas analyser capable of
measuring carbon monoxide (CO) and
hydrocarbons (HC) is now needed. If such an
instrument cannot be hired or borrowed, a
local garage may agree to perform the check
for a small fee.

CO emissions (mixture)

M At the time of writing, the maximum CO
level at idle is 3.5% for vehicles first used after
August 1986 and 4.5% for older vehicles.
From January 1996 a much tighter limit
(around 0.5%) applies to catalyst-equipped
vehicles first used from August 1992. If the
CO level cannot be reduced far enough to
pass the test (and the fuel and ignition
systems are otherwise in good condition) then
the carburettor is badly worn, or there is some
problem in the fuel injection system or
catalytic converter (as applicable).

HC emissions

M With the CO emissions within limits, HC
emissions must be no more than 1200 ppm
(parts per million). If the vehicle fails this test
at idle, it can be re-tested at around 2000 rpm;
if the HC level is then 1200 ppm or less, this
counts as a pass.
M Excessive HC emissions can be caused by
oil being burnt, but they are more likely to be
due to unburnt fuel. 

Diesel models

M The only emission test applicable to Diesel
engines is the measuring of exhaust smoke
density. The test involves accelerating the
engine several times to its maximum
unloaded speed. 

Note: It is of the utmost importance that the
engine timing belt is in good condition before
the test is carried out. 

M Excessive smoke can be caused by a dirty
air cleaner element. Otherwise, professional
advice may be needed to find the cause.

4

Checks carried out on
YOUR VEHICLE’S EXHAUST
EMISSION SYSTEM

The vehicle owner who does his or her own

maintenance according to the recommended
service schedules should not have to use this
section of the instruction very often. Modern
component reliability is such that, provided
those items subject to wear or deterioration
are inspected or renewed at the specified
intervals, sudden failure is comparatively rare.
Faults do not usually just happen as a result of
sudden failure, but develop over a period of
time. Major mechanical failures in particular

are usually preceded by characteristic
symptoms over hundreds or even thousands
of miles. Those components which do
occasionally fail without warning are often
small and easily carried in the vehicle.

With any fault-finding, the first step is to

decide where to begin investigations.
Sometimes this is obvious, but on other
occasions, a little detective work will be
necessary. The owner who makes half a
dozen haphazard adjustments or

replacements may be successful in curing a
fault (or its symptoms), but will be none the
wiser if the fault recurs, and ultimately may
have spent more time and money than was
necessary. A calm and logical approach will
be found to be more satisfactory in the long
run. Always take into account any warning
signs or abnormalities that may have been
noticed in the period preceding the fault -
power loss, high or low gauge readings,
unusual smells, etc - and remember that

Engine

m

m

Engine backfires

m

m

Engine difficult to start when cold

m

m

Engine difficult to start when hot

m

m

Engine fails to rotate when attempting to start

m

m

Engine hesitates on acceleration

m

m

Engine idles erratically

m

m

Engine lacks power

m

m

Engine misfires at idle speed

m

m

Engine misfires throughout the driving speed range

m

m

Engine noises

m

m

Engine rotates, but will not start

m

m

Engine runs-on after switching off

m

m

Engine stalls

m

m

Engine starts, but stops immediately

m

m

Oil pressure warning light illuminated with engine running

m

m

Starter motor noisy or excessively-rough in engagement

Cooling system

m

m

Corrosion

m

m

External coolant leakage

m

m

Internal coolant leakage

m

m

Overcooling

m

m

Overheating

Fuel and exhaust systems

m

m

Excessive fuel consumption

m

m

Excessive noise or fumes from exhaust system

m

m

Fuel leakage and/or fuel odour

Clutch

m

m

Clutch fails to disengage (unable to select gears)

m

m

Clutch slips (engine speed increases, with no increase in vehicle
speed)

m

m

Judder as clutch is engaged

m

m

Noise when depressing or releasing clutch pedal

m

m

Pedal travels to floor - no pressure or very little resistance

Instruction transmission

m

m

Jumps out of gear

m

m

Lubricant leaks

m

m

Noisy in neutral with engine running

m

m

Noisy in one particular gear

m

m

Vibration

Automatic transmission

m

m

Engine will not start in any gear, or starts in gears other than Park
or Neutral

m

m

Fluid leakage

m

m

General gear selection problems

m

m

Transmission fluid brown, or has burned smell

m

m

Transmission slips, shifts roughly, is noisy, or has no drive in
forward or reverse gears

m

m

Transmission will not downshift (kickdown) with accelerator fully
depressed

Driveshafts

m

m

Clicking or knocking noise on turns (at slow speed on full-lock)

m

m

Vibration when accelerating or decelerating

Braking system

m

m

Brake pedal feels spongy when depressed

m

m

Brakes binding

m

m

Excessive brake pedal effort required to stop vehicle

m

m

Excessive brake pedal travel

m

m

Judder felt through brake pedal or steering wheel when braking

m

m

Noise (grinding or high-pitched squeal) when brakes applied

m

m

Rear wheels locking under normal braking

m

m

Vehicle pulls to one side under braking

Suspension and steering systems

m

m

Excessive pitching and/or rolling around corners, or during
braking

m

m

Excessive play in steering

m

m

Excessively-stiff steering

m

m

Lack of power assistance

m

m

Tyre wear excessive

m

m

Vehicle pulls to one side

m

m

Wandering or general instability

m

m

Wheel wobble and vibration

Electrical system

m

m

Battery will not hold a charge for more than a few days

m

m

Electric windows inoperative, or unsatisfactory in operation

m

m

Horn inoperative, or unsatisfactory in operation

m

m

Ignition warning light fails to come on

m

m

Ignition warning light remains illuminated with engine running

m

m

Instrument readings inaccurate or erratic

m

m

Lights inoperative

m

m

Windscreen/tailgate washers inoperative, or unsatisfactory in
operation

m

m

Windscreen/tailgate wipers inoperative, or unsatisfactory in
operation

REF•14

Fault finding

1595 Ford Fiesta Remake

Introduction