Failed Ca. Smog-looking for ides

[sbwrench]

Hi Guys,
Haven't posted for some time as my Sy has been in the garage under a cover while working on other projects. I bought it two years ago and it passed smog after a tune up, oil change, ect. I took it out of the garge on Saturday, put about 50 miles on it, topped the tank off with fresh fuel- it's sat for 6 mos. or so- and went to the smog guy.

Passed visual and the new pressurize the fuel system test. It failes HC at idle 165ppm on a 120 max. CO was excellent at idle and 2500 and HC was good at 2500. In Ca they can't do a roller dyno test on AWD so they just check idle and 2500 no load.

I have some friends in the smog biz and the first thing he said was Hc is unburned gas (duh) but it didn't mean it was neccessarily running rich so much as it wasn't getting burnt completly especialy sense it passed last time, also it has a new cat. He asked when the last time the plugs were changed and I know these thing consume plugs. He suggested going up one heat range and running as wide as gap as I can get away with for more complete combustion under no load.

I also thought about turning down the fuel pressure- yes the adjustable regulator slipped past the visual- from my current 42 psi to say 36 or so. I'm just wondering if the O2 sensor will see it being lean and try to richen it back up basically defeating the purpose.

Any ideas or thoughts. Thanks in advance.

Al

 

[jwaller]

Re: Failed Ca. Smog-looking for ides

you should have used 87 octane. is burns better for the smog test. you can also make sure oyu have a 205 deg thermostat. unplug the Ic pump and make sure the eng is HOT!!!

if you are in closed loo, adjusting the FP will do no good. it will compensate.

 

[sbwrench]

Re: Failed Ca. Smog-looking for ides

Hey John,
Al from Honda Racing. How you doing? I've been reading a bunch of posts and it looks like I should do the following: Fresh plugs, cap and rotor. Been awhile
Take out 160 stat and put in 205
Drop fuel pressure

Unfortunately I just tanked up with 91 but I can run that out and put in 87. I'm idling a little low on the test, 849 rpm. What's the best way to bump that up.

How's that 900 running? You still own it?

Al

 

[SY2932]

Re: Failed Ca. Smog-looking for ides

Check out member Don W's post here about his experience with CA emissions. This should be a sticky for all the CA folks. Ended up being a bad cat in his case...

 

[SY2455]

Re: Failed Ca. Smog-looking for ides

Mine with a bad Cat pass by turning down to fuel pressure to 34 psig at idle with a 160* and a MSD 6A with the intercooler pump running all the time. The Plugs I used are NGK Iridium UR6IX Part # 7348 gap at .028 that have been in the truck for 3 years. I only put 500 miles on the truck since the last smog test and during that test I was told that the cat was bad, but my muffler guy couldn't change it before the test this year.

 

[It's just a six]

Re: Failed Ca. Smog-looking for ides

Very easy,just unplug the tan wire under pass side carpet,this will through a code & give you a check eng light,but cover that up w/a business card. Really retards your timing & gets everything in the combustion chamber good & hot.
Fuel pressure will effect your outcome also.
Make sure the cat is hot,they are supposed to (or ask them to) hold your RPM's between 2000-2500 for 5 minutes,IIRC,,,,,,,,,,,, this will make your car light off & burn all the unburned fuel,or most of it.

Goodluck.

 

[Don W.]

Re: Failed Ca. Smog-looking for ides

Thanks mike for posting my link.

Check temp of cat (the shop should be able to do it for you) to make sure it's lighting off.

(As mentioned in my link) Find a good local shop that can put the thing on a scope and check ign and o2. If o2 is bad change out with OEM only.

 

[chelo]

Re: Failed Ca. Smog-looking for ides

With the Hc at 165 and being so close to 120 I would drive it until your lower on gas and do what Waller mentioned. Put some 87. I have good success by just adding Denatured alcohol. By the way, I will be smogging my truck tommorow.

 

[It's just a six]

Re: Failed Ca. Smog-looking for ides

Yup denatured alky works good aslo,the Buick GN guys do that also.

 

[chelo]

Re: Failed Ca. Smog-looking for ides

Smogged the truck today. I'm running 3+ year old cables, sparkplugs, cap and rotor. I got lazy and haven't even changed the oil. At Idle max HC-120. Measured 23. Max HC at 2500 180. Measured 18.
You should be able to get that HC down some more by using the tips the guys have mentioned.

 

[sbwrench]

Re: Failed Ca. Smog-looking for ides-Strike 2

Re: Failed Ca. Smog-looking for ides-Strike 2

Went back to smog. Changes, new plugs-UR6 gapped at .035, new cap and rotor. Turned fule pressure down from 42 to 38 psi at idle,set with vacume disconnected. Reinstalled 195 thermostat and unplugged intercooler pump. HC at idle went from 165ppm on first test to 189ppm. Pass is 120. 1st test C0 was good but now 1.06 at 2500 which is fail. 1st test was .77 which was a pass.
Summary: with the above changes my HC went UP at idle and my C0 went UP at 2500 rpm.

Any thoughts. Thanks.

Al

 

[SY2455]

Re: Failed Ca. Smog-looking for ides

I would do a test on your EGR valve, Your readings look just like my daughter truck with a bad EGR solenoid.

 

[NecroWolf]

Re: Failed Ca. Smog-looking for ides

clsed loop engine will compensate for fueling. wider gap might be giving you a little misfire, if your O2 sensor was getting lazy it could make the truck run richer but i'd run a datalogger/scanner to check for that