HELP!!! i cant get my 89 civic dx(1.5 stock motor) to pass emissions IT passed the HC test no problem and the CO passed no problem on the cruise portion but at idle it is pushin 3.4 and i can only have 1.2 to pass car has new oxygen sensor, new spark plugs, oil change, air filter, fixed the exhaust leak it had and am wits end I have been told to check the idle mixture but don't know how or where to start

 

so your failing HC and CO at idle???
o.O you dont have to dyno it at 15 and 25 mph???? just a two speed idel test??
where r u from??
or do u mean ur failing at the low speed test 15 mph??
need some more info.
post your readings
15 mph
HC:
CO:
Co2:
NOX:

25 mph
HC:
CO:
Co2:
NOX:

 

It seems like you have did all but check your egr valve. (If you have one) The egr valve is one culprit of failing emissions.

It could be either a stuck egr valve
or the ports are clogged
or the solenoid is not operating properly.

That is if you have an egr valve....

So if you can post those numbers it will help. Just note either 15mph or idle and 25mph or 2500 rpm. I see that you are in WA so I am not sure what tests are done.

 

i do agree with the EGR valve but in his case that dont happen unless he has a 2001 and up civic thats when they started putting EGR's in. *thats what my search came up with.*
so it cant be your EGR valve.

also how do you guys/gals do your smog test in washintion?
it sounds like a two speed idle test but 've thought they changed it to dyno after 2000ish.

 

In MD all you need to do is lower your car, ANY car, OBD0 OBD1 OBD2, and they pass you for 3 years.

 

well they first test your gas cap and then they put you on to a dyno and run your car @ 25mph for the cruise portion then they just let your car idle in neutral for the idle portion. my readings were as follows:

HC(PPM)
cruise limit:160, cruise emssions: 129, PASS
Idle limit:220, idle emissions: 181, PASS

CO(%)
cruise limit: 1.2, cruise emissions: 0.33, PASS
Idle limit:1.2, idle emissions: 3.4 FAIL

CO+CO2(%)
cruise limit: 6, cruise emissions: 10.63 N/A
idle limit: 6, idle emissions: 7.5 N/A

O2(%)
cruise limit: N/A, cruise emissions: 6.52 N/A
idle limit: N/A, idle emissions: 12.25 N/A

The other readings for CO+CO2, and O2 all say N/A but am not sure if they will count against me or not. I hooked a tach up to it to see what the idle rpms were at and found out they were sittin about 900-1000 so i adjusted those down to about 550 or so from what i have read that might be a culprit maybe??? car has a header(CHIKARA from HEDMAN) on it and some kind of aftermarket muffler, RACTIVE i think. Am lookin to put a new muffler on cuz the kid that had it before me welded it on crooked and did a damn poor job on the welds

 

i just brought my 90 crx si in for an emission test, but because its lowered they could only do a 2 speed idle test. one at 2500 rpm and one at idle. it passed the 2500 rpm test with flying colours but the idle test bombed huge.

2500 rpm:
HC ppm: limit 200 i got 30
CO: limit 1.00 i got 0.12

IDLE:
HC ppm: limit 200 i got 319
CO: limit 1.00 i got 2.85

why would it be so good running but not idling?