Dang!!! 3.2 Carrera Failed Smog!!

[motion]

According to the printout, my NO numbers (whatever that is) were way over. At 15 mph, I registered a 1566. Average is 394 and Max is 1169. About the same for 25 mph. CO numbers are almost 0. Why so low on those?

The tester said it might be my a catalytic, but I'd like to try some of the tricks out there, like the emissions additive, good fuel, etc. I passed fine 3 years ago. Any ideas on why it would be so far over now? I had a major service done at 90k miles... at 106k miles now.

Calling all smog-meisters!!

[Superman]

Why didn't you drive straight to your local trusted mechanic for a "sniff-and-adjust?" Relax.

[N11Porsche]

My 1979 911SC failed a pre-smog test, 2 months ago. It had always passed, easily, since I've owned it. I got that lump in my throat just like you. But, the first thing I checked when I got home was the fuel mixture. I leaned out the mixture and bingo! The car runs perfect and I passed the smog with flying colors. I thought by leaning out the mixture, that I might pass smog but the car would not run well (translation - it would be slower) Not the case, I guess it had been running too rich. Anyway, try the fuel mixture before you spend bucks. (your test sounds a little different than they do here, in the Bay Area. Here, they run the test at idle and at 2500 rpm's) Good Luck!!

[nhromyak]

I think if your NO (Nitrous Oxide?) is high, your too lean...
also evidence your CO is zero (0).
Could be a vacuum leak....

Good luck.

[WonPutt]

I had mine done back in Feb w/o problems:

816 RPM - HC: 6 (37-125), CO: .13 (.1-1.0)
2500 RPM - HC: 5 (31-150), CO: .39 (.2-1.2)

Even though we are both in CA, it sounds like they do things differently down in La-La land. Big surprize!

[stormcrow]

Check your timing. It could cause high NO if its not set right.

Steve

[nhromyak]

3.2's ignition are computer controlled...

[Doug Zielke]

3.2's use a DME which gets a lot of it's mixture input from the o2 sensor. Replace the sensor and see if things improve. This tip worked for a friend of mine who failed smog on a car he bought recently.

[davis911s]

Motion I agree with the fuel mixture and the O2 sensor, fairly inexpaensive even if they don't work.

I don't have smog restrictions (yet) where I live so I am lucky!

Good Luck

Shawn

[tmctguer]

i'm not sure where you took it to be smogged, but you might consider taking it to newport porsche. they told me that some places "do not know how to properly smog a porsche".

now you can take that to mean anything you like, but i got the impression that they might be a more friendly place to go.

[motion]

I had to take to a "Smog Test Only" place, which is just my luck, since its some type of random thing. All they do is put the back tires on a roller and stick the analyzer in the tail pipe and get it up to speed (besides the visual inspection). I talked to a wrench and he feels that its the catalytic converter. The fuel mixture would affect the CO reading. Apparently with the NO being high, and the CO being very low, it points to either the catalytic or a vacuum leak. I'm planning on swinging by his shop in the morning and having him do a visual. If that turns up negative, I think I'll order a new cat and all the gaskets from our friends at Pelican and bolt it on myself... looks to be pretty easy. My driving is mostly around town, short distances, so that may explain why the cat could be gone at only 106k miles.

[howie944]

Random Schmandom!!! This is the second time in two years that I have been "randomly" picked for a trip to the Test Only station. The first one went really well and I'm going to take it to my guru for a tweak before the upcoming one. I think they said let's randomly pick a 79 Petrol Blue 911Sc belonging to a guy named Howie and to make the ranomization totally fair let's pick license plate number (mine)! Just grousing a bit...Gotta love beauracracy!

[rwakefield]

N11,
How did you test the fuel mix at home?
How can you tell the diff' between too rich and too lean

86" carrera

[motion]

We stuck the infrared analyzer (sniffer?) in the tailpipe this morning. Way, way rich. Need a new oxy sensor, catalytic converter and a fuel mixture according to this guy. Here's what kills me: I just had a $600 15,000 mile service (read: tuneup) 9,000 miles ago. That guy didn't even have an infrared analyzer, so didn't even know that the thing was running so rich. No wonder I only get 12 mpg! Word of advice: Make sure you're wrench has an analyzer when he's tuning your car. So now, I'm looking at a grand just to make those smog-nazis happy. Grrrrrrrr

[pbs911]

I heard somewhere that you can plug up one of the fuel injectors and use that cylinder as an air pump to dilute the emissions.

[emcon5]

If it was me, I would do the O2 sensor and get the mixture set right, but hold off on the cat, at. I have heard of too many people passing smog checks with no cat. Some smog tester duded can't tell the difference between SSI's and cats.

Hell, my old 85 Toyota truck (22R, with a carb) passed every year with the cat gutted.

Does the cat do a lot more under load than at idle?

Tom

[adamnitti]

just my .02 worth... i think you're crazy if you go out and buy a new cat based on the word of that guy. change the o2 sensor and set the mixture before anything else.

i just went through a big load of sh#$ with my wife's acura on failing emissions... took it to honda carland ("my guy is the best emissions guy around"), they said the o2 sensor wasn't working (i just replaced it a few weeks ago), the intake egr ports were completely clogged, and the egr valve was bad. translation: you have to give us $800 before we can test your car again to JUST SEE if it passes. promptly gave them the finger, took the car across town to another dealer, and they discovered the egr valve was stuck. $70 later (labor charge), the car passed emissions with flying colors, and i'm thanking God that i have a little bit of experience with cars and trusted my gut.

[stlrj]

Enhanced Areas--California's smoggiest urbanized
regions which currently do not meet federal or state air
quality standards for ozone and carbon monoxide. Fifteen
percent (15%) of the vehicles in these areas will have
their biennial Smog Checks at a Test-Only Station. All
vehicles in these areas will be tested for another
unhealthy smog-forming pollutant, NOx, by using a
treadmill-like device called a dynamometer.


http://www.smogcheck.ca.gov/StdPage.asp?Body=/geninfo/factsheets/Enhanced_Smog_Check_Program_Overview-June_1998.htm


Cheers,

Joe Garcia

[nhromyak]

Ummm, you do not check the CO AFTER the CAT!!!

There is a little plug IN FRONT OF the CAT and O2. You plug an EGA in this. Disconnect the 02 and set CO!

I hope JW chimes in and confirms or denies this...

[CraigD]

Here is an interesting site regarding catalytic converters How Stuff Works