new rules for mot can anyone offer some light

skyway · July 23, 2018

Hi guys

I wonder if someone could help me with this slight problem.

I have a 2001 LS430

After the changes with the mot rules I have 2 problems that i'm not sure how I am going to solve.

The first of which is my head lamp pattern or lack of one the guy said that the set up is now against the law to fit although we did come to an agreement that it was factory fitted being and old car he said it might be new bulbs needed however they are fairly new which I didn't say, has anyone come across this problem yet?

the second one is I have an LPG kit on the car and the engine management light is on as i think is quite normal however that is now considered a fail.

I am thinking of taking the bulb out of the dash as the only way to rectify this unless anyone has a better idea.

Thanks for reading and taking time to help guys.

Britprius · July 23, 2018

8 minutes ago, skyway said:

Hi guys

I wonder if someone could help me with this slight problem.

I have a 2001 LS430

After the changes with the mot rules I have 2 problems that i'm not sure how I am going to solve.

The first of which is my head lamp pattern or lack of one the guy said that the set up is now against the law to fit although we did come to an agreement that it was factory fitted being and old car he said it might be new bulbs needed however they are fairly new which I didn't say, has anyone come across this problem yet?

the second one is I have an LPG kit on the car and the engine management light is on as i think is quite normal however that is now considered a fail.

I am thinking of taking the bulb out of the dash as the only way to rectify this unless anyone has a better idea.

Thanks for reading and taking time to help guys.

If your headlamps are OEM, and in good condition "not damaged or the outer covers not gone milky" they should be OK.

The engine light is more of a problem. The tester will look to see if the engine light comes on at ignition on along with all the other warning lights, and then go out as a systems check. Not coming on at this stage would also be a fail. The way round this would be to disconnect the engine light, and connect it to one of the others. If the light is coming on because of emissions problems the car will fail on emissions anyway.

John

skyway · July 23, 2018

thanks John It seems like this is going to be a problem It would be a great shame to scrap the car over a light.

the car did pass on emissions I did explain the light being on as the codes come up with lean running on the o2 sensors maybe i could get rid of the codes with an obd reader just for the mot.

sorcerer · July 23, 2018

25 minutes ago, skyway said:

the second one is I have an LPG kit on the car and the engine management light is on as i think is quite normal however that is now considered a fail.

Absolutely not normal. I've driven more than 200,000 trouble-free miles in LPG cars and none of them had the EML on - there's a problem somewhere that needs to be fixed.

Ben01 · July 23, 2018

29 minutes ago, skyway said:

I have an LPG kit on the car and the engine management light is on as i think is quite normal

IMHO it is not normal. Like, it is common excuse of so called "LPG specialists" ("it is always like this") and if somebody put LPG very "lean" (so O2 errors) and in "a low cost" version, but still - far away from normal. Eg. my current and previous blue GSes got LPG systems and there were/are no any errors on ECU for this reason. BTW former blue I6 had one of the best system in the world probably, so easy one, current silver V8 has very common LPG system and still it's possible to set up this properly.

Bluesman · July 23, 2018

1 hour ago, skyway said:

Hi guys

I wonder if someone could help me with this slight problem.

I have a 2001 LS430

After the changes with the mot rules I have 2 problems that i'm not sure how I am going to solve.

The first of which is my head lamp pattern or lack of one the guy said that the set up is now against the law to fit although we did come to an agreement that it was factory fitted being and old car he said it might be new bulbs needed however they are fairly new which I didn't say, has anyone come across this problem yet?

the second one is I have an LPG kit on the car and the engine management light is on as i think is quite normal however that is now considered a fail.

I am thinking of taking the bulb out of the dash as the only way to rectify this unless anyone has a better idea.

Thanks for reading and taking time to help guys.

I am interested in knowing who it was that told you it was normal to have the EML on after an LPG install.

It shouldn't be on you have a problem. I have been on LPG with all our cars for the past 25 years and I have never had the EML on.

dendonc · July 23, 2018

If you need spares of some sort then check out these 430's for breaking on eBay, take care to ensure they are the same year as yours.

LS430's breaking

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313.TR1.TRC0.A0.H0.Xlexus+ls430+breaking.TRS0&_nkw=lexus+ls430+breaking&_sacat=9800

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skyway · July 24, 2018

Thanks for the help guys.....

well Mike I'm guessing I may have picked up a big fat banana. (I'm not normally inclined to buy one but I rushed the buy)

does anyone know how to adjust the system so it doesn't run lean?

Sorry to be a pain but i have never had a lpg car before

Ben01 · July 24, 2018

In theory you could buy interface,

http://www.lpgshop.co.uk/ccy-usb-lpg-interface-no-11-brc/

next find some programme for BRC FLY, in mean time you could gain the knowledge and some skills, and next you could fix anything and everything. Like two years and couple of issues later.

In practice, if you are not familiar with subject, you need a better LPG specialist to care about your LPG system.

skyway · July 24, 2018

Thanks Ben I am up for giving it a go, I have done most things timing belt, rear diff, engine mounts (not fun), etc

sorcerer · July 24, 2018

Does it run correctly on petrol only or does it put the EML light on?

If you've never had LPG before you may not know how it works. The car's ECU still sends signals to the petrol injectors and the car still thinks it's running on petrol, but in reality, the gas ECU intercepts those signals, modifies them and sends them to the gas injectors instead, so it has to be running perfectly on petrol first before you can even begin to look at the gas system.

If you've got an MOT to pass soon, I would suggest that now, when the EML is already on, is perhaps not the best time to start learning something new. Take it to a professional with a good reputation to get this immediate problem sorted and then you can learn at your leisure when it's not critical and you have more time.

One thing you perhaps could do is that when it goes for MOT you can choose to present it on petrol or gas, so if you took the fuse out of the gas system and presented it on petrol alone (as long as the EML doesn't come on on petrol) you may get it through.

skyway · July 24, 2018

Hi John

tbh the car seems to run better on gas.

Clearing the codes and turning the gas off sounds like the best plan ever 😁.

Ben01 · July 24, 2018

Everything John said is very true - you could play as you wish for MOT but never ever try to tune up (or trust anybody who try to set up) LPG system before petrol feed works fine and petrol ECU is a little happy computer. It is pointless; old days it was dangerous for engine ("many many blown filters and manifolds and melted valves later he understood the Principle") and it is still a bit risky even with modern smarter LPG systems and better engines.

skyway · July 24, 2018

I do have some lag on petrol... I was thinking dirty injectors as its got some miles on it... 240k

I hear that the fuel additives don't work I wonder if Cilit Bang works :)

Ben01 · July 24, 2018

Side note: I am sceptical about all this "dirty injectors" and cleaning theories. OK, I heard from people I trust one or two stories when they found slightly damaged or used injectors (spilling not spraying, etc.). But from my experience with about 20 hi mileage cars, so about 100 injectors 😉 and in "my circles" of fanatics of old 6 and 8 cylinders barges nobody got a real problem like this. Tons of old hesitated O2 probes, crazy throttle sensors, half broken MAFs and temperature sensors, ECUs on last electronic legs, etc. but injectors or dirty injectors? IMHO it is last thing to wore about; if your consumption and emission is more-less right, there is nothing to do here. IMHO there is more snake oil and/or placebo effect in all this info "I pour miracle agent in the tank to clean injectors and immediately gain add. 43HP and consumption dropped so low my car produces petrol now". Especially if miracle agent is common acetone, but in very small very expensive bottle.

skyway · July 24, 2018

I have checked and cleaned the Maf sensor, but you know a bottle of nail varnish remover in the fuel tank might give me more hp

Guess its time to start pulling the car apart and shaking the old wand over it.

it also seems that only the injector cleaning companies tell you they need cleaning

dendonc · July 25, 2018

10 hours ago, skyway said:

t also seems that only the injector cleaning companies tell you they need cleaning

I was not/am not sure what you mean by LPG 'kit' is it something fitted at home by someone?

Several members & past members here (including me) had LPG conversions carried out by Profess, S Wales and not one of us could fault them or the LPG conversion they did in any way at all, I had mine done in 2012 and took that LS400 to the breakers in Feb this year (corrosion issues) the LPG converted engine & running had been cpmpletely faultless throughout those years, my average mileage was around 65 miles per day. Hope that might help/indicate something.

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