im not passing smog...

[1987AccordLx-i]

apparently im having problems with NO and CO

NO was measured at 1233 and allowable is 800 something

CO wasnt constant... went to .01 then spiked to .16 then back to low numbers.. normal is supposed to be like .09 to .10 so im having a problem


i have about 25 days to fix this guys... PLEASE help me... ive already checked my egr system and i think my egr solenoid in the black box could be bad... any help or test info would be greatly appreciated

later on today ill post the full info of the smog paper.. but please try to help me with the info given.. im running out of ideas and i cant afford to take it to someone to diagnose it

[fijisac]

well for starters, how old and well is your secondary ignition system operating? (spark plugs, wires, cap, rotor ect.)

HIGH CO would be caused by a rich A/F mixture so i would check the o2 sensor then i would run a full tank of quality gas like shell or something, run 87 since anything 91 and up would cause carbon deposits and add some super concentrated fuel injector cleaner.

HIGH NO, would be caused by high combustion camber temperatures, so i would check the EGR VALVE since that lowers the combustion temperature so pull of the egr valve and check the diaphragm for cracks and tears and check the port that goes into the intake manifold to see if it has carbon built up on it.

also when you fill up with gas make sure you drive a high rpms (2000 to 5000) so that it cleans the engine as you drive and try not to get a ticket. it happened to me, lol, i did that a few times and took for testing and it passed with flying colors

if you have any other questions about smog let me know and i might be able to help out

[Civic Accord Honda]

bro.. your in LA cant you pass someone a $100 and get it passed? LOL

[fijisac]

bro.. your in LA cant you pass someone a $100 and get it passed? LOL

lol that's so true

[1987AccordLx-i]

fucken CAH haha


well the EGR system seems to be functional.. i put a vac pump to the egr and the car shut off so i know thats good.. im starting to think the solenoid that opens the egr is bad... and tomorrow im going to put lucas fuel injection cleaner hopefully that helps

[LX-incredible]

The EGR has a lift sensor at the top. You will get a CEL if the solenoid doesn't open.

Check your sensors. The sensor that fails most commonly on these is the TW (coolant temp), not the O2. Not saying the O2 isn't the problem, just that it's not the only sensor that will effect A/F ratios.

Poor ignition system components and plugged injectors are going to show elevated HC levels as well.

How does your air filter look?

[1987AccordLx-i]

The EGR has a lift sensor at the top. You will get a CEL if the solenoid doesn't open.

Check your sensors. The sensor that fails most commonly on these is the TW (coolant temp), not the O2. Not saying the O2 isn't the problem, just that it's not the only sensor that will effect A/F ratios.

Poor ignition system components and plugged injectors are going to show elevated HC levels as well.

How does your air filter look?

no CEL... and im suspecting the ECT sensor since i have a rough idle

[1987AccordLx-i]

well a friend of mine is deciding to get rid of his coupe so he told me i can have what i want from it... so im going to swap out the black box and the ECT sensor and anything worth changing to up my chances in the smog.. any particular items i should swap guys?

[1987AccordLx-i]

alright guys... i replaced the black box (vac), the fuel pressure regulator and the coil and my car is still running really shitty... i still suspect the high numbers in the smog test... what else can i do? im going to be replacing the ECT sensor and injector/resistor box assembly... think that could make it better? after that idk what to replace... ecu will be my last option... then i wont know what to do... what do you guys think?

[Dr_Snooz]

I worked all day and my brain is mush, so I'm plagiarizing from here: http://www.smogsearch.com/index.php?page=faq

Carbon Monoxide (CO)*
CO is created when gasoline is not completely burned. High CO ( running rich ).

A list of common causes of CO related smog check failure:

1. Timing is not a big factor in CO production but check it anyway. Everything helps.

2. On older Carbureted vehicles you can have problems like a partially stuck choke plate.This is the moving steel plate on the top of your carburetor.

3. A leaking power valve on your carburetor can cause high CO and Smog Check failure.

4. A faulty carburetor can cause high CO and Smog Check failure.

5. A dirty air filter can cause high CO.

6. A common cause for high CO is a faulty Oxygen Sensor. This sensor tells the computer how to fine tune the air fuel ratio.

7. Other sensors like the M.A.P.sensor , C.T.S. sensor or the Air flow meter can also effect the CO level.

8. A faulty air injection system can cause high CO. This is the Smog pump and related components.

9. A faulty Catalytic Converter can cause high CO and Smog Check failure.

10. If your car has been running rich ( high CO ) you should change your oil after you get it repaired. When you have rich condition all the fuel cannot be burned, you start to saturate the motor oil with CO and HC. This in itself can also cause a rich condition.
Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)*
NOx is formed inside the combustion chamber when excessive heat is present.

A list of common causes of NOx related smog check failure:

1. As usual check the timing first. Advanced timing can cause extra NOx.

2. The next thing to check is the EGR system.This system is designed to reduce Nox. It consists of a EGR valve, vacuum hoses, one or more vacuum switching valves or solenoids. Its job is to reroute a small amount of exhaust gas back into the engine to help reduce combustion chamber temperature. Not all vehicles have an EGR system.

3. Next thing to check is the air / fuel ratio. If the vehicle is running to lean, NOx emissions will increase.

4. Some possibilities are a restricted fuel filter, low fuel pressure, vacuum leaks, oxygen sensor, load sensor such as a map sensor, air flow meter.

5. Check the cooling system. An extra increase in water temperature will increase NOx production.

6. A defective catalytic converter can also increase NOx. The Cat. reduces NOx that has already been produced.

7. Check to see that the air coming into the engine is not over heated. Some vehicles have a vacuum controlled air valve which switches the incoming air to hot air from the outside of your exhaust manifold.This should only happen when the engine is cold. If this system malfunctions and sends hot air all the time.Your Nox could go up. This system is called T.A.C. ( Thermostatic air cleaner )

8. There is another system similar to the one above called E.F.E. ( Early fuel evaporation ). This system routes hot air under the intake manifold. This helps keep the fuel in the vapor state. If stuck in the hot mode Nox emissions could increase and cause a Smog Check failure.

Also, if you have a rough idle, look for vacuum leaks. The only other thing I can think is if your EGR passages in the intake all full of carbon, that can cause you to fail also. Good luck dude. Trying to pass smog can be a serious drag.

[1987AccordLx-i]

thanks for the info doc... any way to clean out the passages in the egr system? its still functional.. when i open the valve on the egr the car shuts off.. i was told thats a good sign...

[Dr_Snooz]

That's a good sign. I haven't really cleaned the passages myself. I took the car in for smog and when I got it back, it was done. I think if you pull off the valve, you'll see black crud and you want to clean that out. There are some plugs in the intake that you need to drill out to get access. Somebody else will have to take it from there as I don't know the particulars for getting the crud out.

[Hauntd ca3]

if the CO went back down to the .01 or what ever it was and the NOx stayed high, that would suggest a very lean mixture.
most cars run at around 1% CO (+ or - .5%) at idle so if you are at .01% it is very lean and the high NOx would seem to confirm that, since a lean mixture elevates combustion temps quite a bit.
a clogged fuel filter,low fuel pressure could cause that.
most o2 sensor equipped cars tend to run rich when they stuff up so you could prob rule that out.
clogged cat could as well, and if the egr is packing a shit that could to.
start with the simple and replace the fuel filter and check the pressure while you are at it, pull the cat and using a rather large hammer and a big piece of pipe, beat the guts outta it, or if you have to play buy the rules, replace it.

[ecogabriel]

That's a good sign. I haven't really cleaned the passages myself. I took the car in for smog and when I got it back, it was done. I think if you pull off the valve, you'll see black crud and you want to clean that out. There are some plugs in the intake that you need to drill out to get access. Somebody else will have to take it from there as I don't know the particulars for getting the crud out.

Sometime ago I read a posting on the web of someone cleaning up the passages, removing the plugs and getting "plug kit" from Honda. There is also a posting on 1990-93 accords that use a system similar to ours; behind each plug sits the hole that connects the EGR passage to the intake manifold. That is the one that gets plugged.

But in your case I am not sure that you are having a problem with those passages; if you have more than 150K I would suspect the cat.
But you cannot buy one on your own in CA now right?
(BTW, someone is making money out of carving a "niche" for himself)

[1987AccordLx-i]

Sometime ago I read a posting on the web of someone cleaning up the passages, removing the plugs and getting "plug kit" from Honda. There is also a posting on 1990-93 accords that use a system similar to ours; behind each plug sits the hole that connects the EGR passage to the intake manifold. That is the one that gets plugged.

But in your case I am not sure that you are having a problem with those passages; if you have more than 150K I would suspect the cat.
But you cannot buy one on your own in CA now right?
(BTW, someone is making money out of carving a "niche" for himself)

well the ports are welded shut so i suspect someone already did the plug kit... and i have a spare cat.. (not sure if its legal) but its better then the one i got.. might have to put it on... someone told me the fuel injectors or the resistor box can be to blame also... could this be a good theory?

[1987AccordLx-i]

hey guys.. i need a bit of help.. just recently when i run my car.. it idles from 1200 to 400.. not fast but it takes about a second for it to get up to 1200 from 400... what could this be? ive changed the IACV so i ruled that out.. changed the injectors with the resistor box.. changed the ecu.. and fpr.. im out of ideas guys... help me please! i really need to pass this smog :[