Padillaz

I recently failed my smog test as well, looks like HC was high. Any ideas on how to lower this?

the_tensl

i got a new cap and rotor and tested the o2 sensor and its good, its only 2 years old

holmesnmanny

Time for a retest.

MAD_MIKE

NOx is borderline as well.

Clean out your EGR manifold, if you have 200K and have never cleaned the EGR out it is most likely fouled up.

accordturb96

[QUOTE=MAD_MIKE;49875885]NOx is borderline as well.

Clean out your EGR manifold, if you have 200K and have never cleaned the EGR out it is most likely fouled up.[/Q

Secondly move out of california haha

Padillaz

[QUOTE=accordturb96;49875977]Looking in to that... I loved being stationed in other states like NC which had no smog etc...trust me...

Also used Guaranteed to pass... (GTP) and went to another shop that said pass or don't pay... lol still had that crap in the tank and had a guaranteed failure with NOx reaching over 2k!

I'm cleaning out my EGR today... 209k and have never cleaned that thing and everyone is telling me to do it.

MAD_MIKE

Although most folks 'hate' emissions it is a great way to see how your engine is actually running. Without EGR you will have a lean misfire, thus high HCs. Unless you are keenly tuned to your engine you may not notice such an occurrence until it gets worse and the car begins to buck at part throttle.

Best mandatory tuning device. Dynometers are nice and all, but they can't always tell you what condition your engine is in, just what it can(or cannot) do. A good 5 gas analyzer is always a great tuning tool.

the_tensl

[QUOTE=accordturb96;49875977]ive cleaned out my EGR and pretty much everything else

im just having this really slow throttle response issue due to my ignition timing i cant figure out i advance it and it runs fine but out of time

accordturb96

had an old school one in my lab classes some time ago. haha it took it ten minutes just to warm up and turn on but it certainly was cool seeing what the engine was doing or not doing

Padillaz

So I took my car to my cousin's smog shop... he tells me that my "new" random technology high flow cat is the problem... so I replaced it with a magnaflow cat.... It passed with flying colors!!! All the emissions levels were way lower than before... according to him when you look at the old one the numbers on it say it was made in 2008, and that it's a 2 way cat, not a three way like the new magnaflow. Apparently the new one is up to code with the newest emissions as of March this year. I'll post the updated pic when I get a chance.

Padillaz

Posted this because I thought the dates were a little weird coincidence...

Smog Check from the 12th (The day before my B day ) and from Aug 2008 when my ex took the car to get smogged while I was deployed... (the day after my B Day)
Also the emissions levels are lower this year than 08 due to the new Magnaflow cat...

accordturb96

well the issue with aftermarket cats are just that, they're aftermarket. Cost comparison will show you what you're buying as compared to OEM. They are high flow and won't last nearly as long as the oem ones. But if it works it works

MAD_MIKE

RT was one of the earliest with quality made stainless exhaust systems and high flow catalysts that met CARB emissions. Haven't heard about them in years though.
Check the warranty on that RT, they were pricey but I was pretty sure their warranty was pretty good as well, even for the catalysts.

MAD_MIKE

Padillaz you posted the same test results twice, both from the 2014 smog.

Padillaz

Wow, must have been really tired. I'll correct it when I get home lol.

Padillaz

Not exactly. That "old" cat was bought new in 2009, never been out the box, never used until now.( it was approx $350, oem was much cheaper) It was just installed about a week before my initial emissions test at the top of this thread... it would have been fine and have passed smog back when I bought it (2009), but just isn't up to par with today's emissions. IMO the oem one was passed it's intended lifespan anyways, when I update my post you can see the difference.

Padillaz

Yeah I haven't heard about them in a long time either. I don't think they are legal here in CA anymore. I just pulled it out of storage and decided to put it in since I was due for a smog test and was in need of a new cat anyway. Unfortunately, warranty or not, good quality product but mine is not a 3 way cat and it isn't up to par with today's emissions standards. Also as of March 2014 I believe, manufacturers of aftermarket cats can't state or imply that an aftermarket cat is "high-flow" or performs better than oem if they want to be certified CARB legal.

accordturb96

Where did you find an oem from honda cheaper? Majestic honda shows retail over $600 but sells them for just under 5. Like I said oem from honda will outlast the aftermarket stuff. No it doesnt last forever but I ran the same cat for almost 300k on my 96.

Padillaz

Yeah sounds right if you consider inflation. There was a slight price difference I think I paid $485 and oem was $450 or so. I wish would have chosen the oem cat back then. I probably would have saved a lot of time and $ in the long run.

accordturb96

I still have mine if you need one. I took it off working just fine but needed a much higher flowing system for my setup

Padillaz

I'm good, thanks for the offer though!

the_tensl

just did a retest and it failed due to high CO% all of my emissions are a bit higher than last time, i just refueled with 93 octane could that be a reason they were higher since i usually use a 87, i was thinking run some cleaner in a half a tank of gas and run it any, suggestions or recommendations for how to lower my CO thanks alot

MAD_MIKE

High CO indicates a rich running condition. Post up the latest smog test results.

Verified cam timing belt is correctly installed?
Verified base ignition timing is correct?(red mark on crank)
Verified spark plugs are properly gapped?
Verified spark plugs/spark plug tubes are not oil fouled?
Verified spark plug wires are in good condition and are either Summitomo or NGK brand. These are the only known two that will fit the spark plug tubes properly. Others will pop off and can cause misfire issues.
Verified compression is withing parameters.
Verified correct fuel pressure at idle and WOT?
Verified air filter is not clogged?

If any component of the ignition system is weak, a misfire will show. If the engine is breaking up with correct ignition timing, find out why.

the_tensl

the spark plugs are stock, the spark plugs are new
it does have a slight knocking i think pre ignition only when the timing is advanced

MAD_MIKE

Simply CO is high because of excessive fuel, which is verified by the CO2(ideal would be 15%) lack of O2, slightly low NOx...

Check that the PCV system is clear and functional, along with the EVAP system.

You will need to test and confirm the engine is mechanically fine, as well as the fuel system. Ruptured diaphragm, faulty spring, or damaged, vacuum lines could play hell with the FPV. Have your fuel pressure checked.

Octane should not affect emissions testing in a normal running engine in good tune. But if the spark is weak, or there is slightly too much fuel/fuel pressure this higher octane might affect your emissions. A higher octane means the fuel is more resistant to pre-ignition, but again if spark is weak the fuel may not be properly/completely burned.

Octane rating here in the US, while some countries use the RON rating, we use the AKI rating which is an average between RON and MON. Japan uses RON rating which is a 'regular' of 90. Whereas here in the US our 87(AKI) is 92(RON).

In other words, unless your engine requires a given octane, there is no need to use a more expensive fuel(higher octane) in a vehicle that does not require it. Stick with the 87.

Collect all the data from above and my previous post and paste it up. If there is something out of whack it will show up.