Fiat Ducato X240 (2005-06) Catalitic Converter

[Keith D]

This subject may have already been aired by many Ducato owners, but after a quick look I couldn't see any threads.

I have just had my Fiat Ducato (55 Reg) 2.3 JTD motorhome (16500 miles) in my local garage for annual service and MOT. On collecting it I was informed that initially it had failed as it didn't have a Cat fitted as required by new diesel Cat laws introduced in 2014, that diesel vehicles registered after Feb 2006 must have a Cat in place if it was fitted as standard. However, the mechanic having looked at the exhaust system thought that it looked all standard and decided to make some enquiries. He called FIAT and was informed that some Ducatos had Cat's fitted and some didn't during build!!

The mechanic went further by calling the Transport Ministry who initially were at a loss on what to do. Eventually a decision was made that if the manufacturer can verify that a Cat was not fitted as standard at build then the vehicle would pass, providing it meets the exhaust emissions test requirements.

The garage have made an entry on the MOT document as being 'Not fitted with a Cat as standard'.

The main object of this post is to point out that some garages may not take this proactive approach for their customer, but just inform the customer to have a Cat fitted, at possible unnecessary cost, to achieve a MOT Pass.

[StuartO]

My Hymer, on a 2006 Fiat 2.8JTD X244 base, doesn't have a cat either - for which I am grateful. It's never come up as an MOT consideration, so maybe your mechanic was being super-zealous.

 

I'm about to replace the exhaust front pipe, which has failed. A non-cat pipe is £57 plus VAT but a cat pipe would have cost £1012 plus VAT!

[Derek Uzzell]

This February 2014 MOT Special Notice may be relevant

 

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/275427/mot-special-notice-1-2014.pdf

 

There’s nothing about a general post-February 2006 UK-registration date deadline and (it has to be said) it’s difficult to comprehend why there should be.

 

This Ford Owners Club forum thread discusses the issue

 

http://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/52535-new-mot-requirements-dpf-andor-catalysts/

 

I suspect what happened in your case is that the MOT tester had access to data that advised him that your vehicle should have a cataytic converter and, consequently, failed your vehicle because it did not have one.

 

It’s possible that all Ducatos BUILT after February 2006 were fitted with a Cat as standard, but (from what StuartO says) even that may not be so. It’s fair to assume that, after a particular date of manufacture, all Ducatos were fitted with a Cat as standard, but who knows when that might have been?

 

As your motorhome has now gained its MOT Test pass, you might want to revisit this with the garage that carried out the test and ask about the “diesel vehicles registered after Feb 2006” rule.

[StuartO]

I took delivery of my new MH in February 2006 and delayed registration until 1st March simply to get into the new registration plate year. I hope I'm not going to regret doing that!

 

How does an MOT Tester tell whether a vehicle originally had a cat if it has been removed and a non-cat but otherwise inconspicuous exhaust pipe fitted instead? Would he have access to relevant manufacturer's records - or are vehicle owners to be required to procure and produce documentary proof that a cat was not originally fitted?

[colin]

Keith D - 2015-01-14 7:26 PM

... that diesel vehicles registered after Feb 2006 must have a Cat in place if it was fitted as standard. ...

 

Transport Ministry who initially were at a loss on what to do. Eventually a decision was made that if the manufacturer can verify that a Cat was not fitted as standard at build then the vehicle would pass,

 

Guilty until proved innocent it appears *-)

AFAIK for Sevel vans it was the x250 that first had cat as standard, prior to that it's not at all clear to me which if any had cat.

[Derek Uzzell]

StuartO - 2015-01-15 10:16 AM

 

I took delivery of my new MH in February 2006 and delayed registration until 1st March simply to get into the new registration plate year. I hope I'm not going to regret doing that!

 

How does an MOT Tester tell whether a vehicle originally had a cat if it has been removed and a non-cat but otherwise inconspicuous exhaust pipe fitted instead? Would he have access to relevant manufacturer's records - or are vehicle owners to be required to procure and produce documentary proof that a cat was not originally fitted?

 

The MOT Inspection Manual is available on-line in downloadable format.

 

Section 7.1 (issue date: February 2014) deals with the exhaust system and - in the Method of Inspection column - advises the MOT inspector that all compression-ignition vehicles should be checked for the presence of catalytic converter(s) and particulate filter(s). Rejection will occur if a catalytic converter or particulate filter is missing where one was fitted as standard.

 

As I understand it an MOT inspector should have access to vehicle data that will allow a ‘factual’ decision to be made - in this instance whether or not a 2006-made X244 Ducato should have a Cat or DPF. The accuracy of those data may not be 100% of course and, as 2006 was the year in which X244 production ceased and X250 production began, this might have led to confusion.

 

Where the MOT test is concerned, catalytic converters won’t usually be a problem with a diesel-fuelled vehicle. It’s the expensive DPF that's much more likely to go wrong and is much more likely to be removed (or butchered).

[Keith D]

£1012 + VAT sounds horrendously expensive StuartO. I was looking on line and found this link

http://www.onlineautomotive.co.uk/Fiat_Ducato_Catalytic%20Converters.aspx

Too good to be true?

[StuartO]

The prices I quoted were from our local Fiat Professional Parts Department. I dare say you could get something cheaper elsewhere - except that for a non-cat front pipe the EBay prices don;t seem much cheaper than Fiat. Note however that I didn't order anything from Fiat so I didn't check availability.