Neither fuel additive not a pollen filter will suddenly make the car's emissions to come down.
You were conned, but it could have been worse.
Don't use Halfrauds for car repairs or MOTs, go to a real garage.
I took my car to them because their email offer of a half price test just happened to coincide with my current MOT on the car I'd just bought expiring. The ebay seller said they had 'pre MOTed' it and all it needed was an off side track rod end. So I changed that, on my drive, in about ten minutes for ￡6ish
Halfords failed it on the near side track rod end, headlights out of adjustment and the back seat not being able to be locked in the upright position. It's an estate car...
I telephoned them to see if it had passed. It hadn't. "Give me ten minutes mate and i'll phone you back with a quote to do the work."
An hour passed...
So I phoned them again.
They wanted just under ￡200 to change the track rod and adjust the headlights.
They couldn't fix the seat back, but he recommended that I have it welded in the upright position?!?!
I said to the guy, ""IT'S AN ESTATE CAR! WHY WOULD I WANT TO WELD THE BACK SEAT UP? AND NEARLY ￡200???"
He then broke down the charges. They wanted to charge me nearly ￡90 to re track the car! I asked why they didn't just count how many turns it took to remove the old track rod end and wind the new one back on the same? "Oh no sir. We do things properly here!"
I said "The only thing YOU do properly is to screw your customers! You want ￡58 to adjust the headlights!"
I collected my car. Replaced the other track rod end, removed the seat back and replaced the two screws holding the internal mechanism inside the one side of the seat back. Yes, one side latched, but the other side didn't! I then took the car to another MOT garage I knew and asked them how much to adjust the headlights? He offered to do it next and charged me nothing, which is exactly what my cousin's garage used to charge their customers if the adjusters weren't seized...
Basically matey, I wouldn't take MY car their again, and I wouldn't suggest anyone else takes their car to them either. My cousin now works for himself and although he doesn't do MOTs now, some of his customers have reported equally bad experiences with Halfords service.
Now my rant is over, as you don't specify which part of the emissions test your car has failed on, I can't comment on what course of action you should take, other than take it elsewhere...
not knowing the emissions report, and assuming this is a slight fuel lean condition as they are hinting at fuel restrictions,
it's a viable first step. after checking for any fuel restrictions such as fuel filters. not a lot of fuel system cleaners out there that are effective. IDK what's available on your side of the pond. but "seafoam" intank treatment does do some effective cleaning of injectors and such. fairly inexpensive stuff. if they use something similar, it's worth a try. the fuel pressure regulator, which will not in itself trip a check engine/emission lamp, is also a common issue for lean fuel conditions.
in the end, one may need to have the injectors cleaned. or in the case where that cost outweighs the cost of new injectors, one would have the injectors replaced.
this is all generic info. and assumes this platform has electronic fuel injection. and is @ least an obd1-on board diagnostics, first generation, platform.
not an outright con. it's worth a try.
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by the thumbs down, it would seem there are at least two ppl that have no idea about seafoam. while there generically is no real cure in a can. seafoam may and does remove some particulate matter and does remove some varnish in injectors. there's also a seafoam product that can and does w/o a doubt, clean the induction system when introduced into the vacuum system.
the issue is, seafoam, just like any other product in a can, can not do the job of removal and cleaning. seafoam will not remove everything down to bare metal. but it *may* clear things up enough to get the emissions to pass.
simply google seafoam reviews. or go to youtube.
so there's no outright con here. and it is cheap enough that it's worth a try.
first hand info is me!. the stuff got my secondaries working on my vette. six months later, i rebuilt the carb. but it did show an improvement. even if temp.
I'd agree with most of what's been said by other responders BUT,
If it has passed with what they've done,what the hell.
pass is pass.
I have seen some mot failures from them that run to pages.
Your first mistake was going to Halfords - robbing b45t4rd5, and Kwik Fit are just as bad!
I took my car to Halfords for Service and MOT. They called me up to say teh MOT has failed due to the emissions not being correct. They said we will change the pollen filter and out in a fuel additive to clear any blocked fuel. Can anyone tell me if this is how you would correct the problem or have i just been conned?
