Quote:
Originally Posted by oldtrucker
A catalytic converter isn't gone until the fat lady sings.
Aside $700 seems a little high unless they put the OE in.
An after market with CARB approval should run about $300 +/-
There is a number missing, what is the CO content in your exhaust.
As it looks from where I am sitting, it may just be the O2 Sensor.
When was it replaced last time, long or short time ago?
In some cases one can simply visually inspect the O2 Sensor and determine if it needs to be replaced.
If you visually inspect the sensor, look for thick or any carbon deposits. Some people are successful in removing it by using some cleaning solvent. It may work, but you don't know if the cleaning also made the response time faster.
There are some other tests that involve other equipment, but are, in my opinion, mostly inconclusive.
A O2 sensor can put out the correct voltage, however could be slow in doing so! That's why I don't believe in DVM tests, these are good for approximate testing.
The vacuum to the EGR is only applied if the engine RPM is more than 2500RPM. I Could be wrong with the 2500RPM and it could be higher.
Simple test here, unplug the vacuum at idle and apply vacuum from some other source. If the EGR is working fine, then the engine should idle rougher.
If not, then the EGR pipe is probably clogged.
Also, make sure the smog test is performed according to book and not to a test station standard. Yes, there maybe different tests for one model that the station can do e.g. Dyno or no Dyno etc.
If the fuel ratio is getting closer to 14:1 the high numbers will come closer or below their limits anyway.
My best guess is that your CO is between 2-4% ? Just a guess.
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Thanks for the reply!
Yeah 700$ didn't sound right to me and they sounded reeeal eager to do it. I've gone back and fourth with smog, the first person we took it to didn't put it on a dyno, it passed the emissions but he failed it because he said the EGR had no vacuum. He told us to fix it and he would pass us, however, his idea of a working EGR valve was having the engine die at idle when vacuum was introduced but it just idled rough so he didn't pass it. Bought a working EGR valve online and installed it, same thing.
Went to another smog test station, said he the other guy didn't know what he was doing, should have tested it on a dyno and shouldn't have looked at the EGR valve at all as it says in the handbook my model doesn't have one (even though it's in the engine bay clear as day) this station tested it but it failed the emissions with the numbers I've given.
The CO2 measured at 15mph was 12.0 and at 25mph it says 12.0 also. The O2 was 4.0 at 15mph and 4.0 at 25mph.
regarding the o2 sensor, it's never been changed by me, and I bought the car in 2009 with 127,000 miles. Shes now creeping up to 217,000 miles and who knows how long it was on there before me
I've had my check engine light come on a few times a couple years ago while driving back from Arizona, I tried to get the codes but the LED never did anything and the check engine light never came back on again after that trip, although it lights up when the key is on ACC.
I was able to get vacuum to the EGR valve, but a new problem arose from that, once vacuum built up in the system I would come to a stop, step on the gas and the car felt as though it was about to die out, then in a split second it would go back to normal. Upon closer inspection the EGR valve would stay open but close VERY slowly. I've hooked up all the vacuum lines that have always been disconnected but I noticed the vacuum line to the air pump was off, I plugged it back in to test and when I revved the engine it popped out, and the vacuum line from the air pump was shooting air out of it, it eventually stopped when the air pump stopped running.
