I failed Emissions...Need some Idea's.

89SCK@t

Registered User
Okay,

I go to get my emissions done at the Auto Hobby Shop. I failed miserably. I need some help on what I can do to pass next time.
Idle 2500 Limits

HC PPM 521 125 220
CO% 2.38 2.01 1.20
CO2% 10.9 11.9
RPM 764 2401

I have new cats, new O2 sensors, plugs, and plug wires. I just need to know what else I need to do. Any suggestions? :confused:

TIA
Stephen

PS - I even let it warm up for 20 min before I tested.
PSS - sorry for the text being all jumbled up....but you guys/girls get the idea.
 
Those numbers don't help us as we don't know what your targets are for your state.

What were you over the limits on? All measures? And by how much?
 
ok...

I am able to have is 220 HC PPM at idling and at "highway" rpms...I have 521 HC PPM at idling and 125 HC PPM at "highway" rpms. I passed at highway speeds but not while idling. I failed idling but passed highway.

CO% limit in colorado is 1.20, i had 2.38 at idling and 2.01 at "highway" speed. Failed both.

I failed the Hydrocarbon test by 301 Parts per million and I failed the Carbon Monoxide by 1.18 and .81 .....would changing the plugs, wires, cats, and o2 sensors resolve this? I hope it does, cause I dont have much money.

stephen
 
You made it sound like you already had replaced all of those parts. Have you not?

High HC and Co are very similar causes. High HC is from unburned fuel. High Co is from a rich condition. So either you are getting excess fuel (bad fuel pressure regulator?) or you have a bad cylinder that isn't burning all it's fuel (bad spark plug, spark plug wire, injector?)

So if you haven't replaced the plugs yet do that as well as the wires. Inspect the used plugs as you replace them looking for signs of improper combustion.

If nothing there then you should also watch fuel consumption over a period of a couple days. If it's really high (under 12mpg) then you've got a way rich fuel. Getting any black smoke? This could be due to a bad fuel pressure regulator bleeding fuel back through the vacuum line.

And yes, if your cats are not functioning, you would have problems with both of these if all other things you look at are o.k. But if you have new ones already they should be fine. Though a rich condition isn't helping them any. Running rich too long will wear out cats real fast.
 
Those things that you mentioned could cause the problem. Be sure the plug wires are snapped onto the plugs securely. If you did all that and then it failed the test, then obviously there's something else.

You should probably pull codes to see if anything obvious is amiss. Just a guess, but it sounds like you could have a sticking (dirty) injector. Some cleaner certainly wouldn't hurt.

Do you have the cats close to the exhaust manifold? If you moved them further away, they may not be warming up fully. If this is the case, you could try some header wrap on the downtubes to keep more of the heat going to the cats.

2nd thing to try, if no codes, is to have a muffler shop measure the cat temps. They should do this for free or next to nothing.

3rd thing.. is to check for vaccuum leaks.

OK. I'm out of guesses for now.
 
thanks guys. I havent done the stuff yet. but i do have new cats, plugs, wires and o2 sensors...I should be putting them in tomorrow night, thursday night, and hopefully(HOPEFULLY) all day friday ill be putting in a new clutch. I have 10 days to get the emissions test done again. thanks guys.

stephen
 
The new cats alone will help out.Last year I bearly past my emmisions(standards similar) Replaced my cats with high flows from car sound and all emmisions were cut by 75% good luck!!
 
did della give you a dead line. i hate that bitch. which car are you getting emissions done on? did you finally get the tranny fixed on the tbird?
 
throw the guy an extra $20 and they will hook another car up and so you will pass. i do it all the time out here
 
not there they won't. don't even try it. the auto hobby shop is on a gov't installation. take it off base to like pep boys and they might. plus that hot chick is a mechanic there
 
whats up brent? did you get your SC yet? this is the best forum for the car. no the shirt didnt give me a deadline, I just need to get it done, i hate getting rides from people...*sigh*.....give me a ring, you should know my number.

stephen
 
This emissions crap is just bull. Especially when there are no Federal standards for diesel engines. So those big rigs and buses are exempt. Go figure. It just started in my county in PA in December. One local garage reported that of 200 cars emission expected, only 2 failed. And they were both for gas cap violations. Ensure your gas cap is on tight and not broken in any way. The cost here is on average - $ 30 plus the $20 reg inspection for $50 a year.
 
Stephen,

Try this....

Call the local DMV office (where you get your plates renewed) and tell them your car is out of state (school, work..whatever) and the plates are expiring. Explain that you won't be able to bring the car back to CO for safety or emissions testing until several months after the plates have expired.

Unless your state has the DMV and Emissions testing data bases cross refrenced, the DMV won't know your car has been tested and failed. Most states simply require you to sign a document saying the car is OUT OF STATE and promising to have the car inspected and tested within 10 days of it returning to the state. It's pretty much an honor system.

David
 
do the plugs and wires also run car till warm as it gets i didnt pass with my 93 i had then i disconected batt turned on headlights waited 15-20 minutes then reinstalled batt terminal,

then with out starting it turned key to on position waited 15-20 seconds and start car without touching gas let it rev up and then come down to idol . then drive to smog station without getting into boost i did this and it cleared up my car 10%,
also run mid grade gas, not premium. .

but mostly remember cats work best when hot so drive around before going to smog and if he dont smog it with in ten minutes run it wait waiting especialy if its cold in your area.
 
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