1987 Accord LX help (smog)

[Manakou]

Hi guys, i'm new here, i'm actually very unsure where to put this after browsing all the forums and search tab but really need help with this smog. In the process of looking at other forums right now to get an idea of what to do but any direct help would be great!

So my Smog Test failed with my 1987 Accord LX because of the Carbon Monoxide percentage. The readings for CO(%) at 15mph came out 1.30, where the Max is 0.79. The 25mph reading is 2.05, Max being 0.68.

Also at the bottom of the slip, it says "This vehicle failed the ignition timing check due to engine rpm being out of tolerance." I'm unsure by what this means so inputs on both of this would be great :|

[POS carb]

sounds like a california smog test.
high CO readings means you are running rich. make sure your air injection system is working.
The RPM out of tolerance thing probably means your idle speed is wrong so they can't check the advance at the correct rpms. you probably have a vacuum leak somewhere or the mixture in the carb is off. it's hard to narrow it down due to the huge number of vacuum lines and switches on the intake. This may also be causing your rich mixture.
do not mess with the settings on the carburetor until you have checked everything else

[Dr_Snooz]

There are two rich conditions that will cause you to fail smog. One is high CO, the other is high HC. I haven't yet figured out conclusively what goes on in a richly running engine to cause high CO vs. high HC, but my personal theory is that high CO is caused by a dirty or poorly performing engine. The air filter packs up with dirt and the mixture becomes air-starved and, consequently, rich. Poor quality gas gums up the carb. The choke linkage stops opening all the way and the needle valves stop sealing properly, again, making the mixture rich. All the extra gas saturates the engine oil, loads up the PCV and poops out the cat. This is in contrast to high HC, which is, essentially, unburned fuel coming out the tailpipe. HC's tend to be caused by some malfunction/misadjustment in the fuel delivery/monitoring systems of the engine. High CO is a more long term rich condition.

Okay, enough theory. First, your levels are quite high at more than double the limit. Did you hit the dreaded "Gross Polluter" status? You have your work cut out for you and it's highly likely that you will either 1.) be spending a lot of money on this car or 2.) be spending a lot of money to buy another car.

If you have been lazy with regular maintenance, like tune-ups, oil changes and air filter replacements, start there. Do a full tune up (plugs, wires, cap and rotor). Change the oil and use a good quality, high detergent synthetic like Mobil 1. Change the air filter with a stock replacement (not K&N). I know this is a refrain of mine, but run a bottle of injector cleaner through it. Look to see how your PCV system is doing. If your air filter housing has engine oil in it, then the PCV system is gummed up and not working right. After that, check your choke to make sure that it is opening all the way. If it isn't, then fix it, or just hardwire it open for the test. If that doesn't help you, then you are looking at more expensive fixes. Your cat could be ready for replacement (my experience is that bad cats usually cause high HC's though). Worst case scenario is that your carb needs a rebuild. It's really hard to get these carbs rebuilt right, so you might very well be car shopping if it ends up being the carb.

For the next emissions test, change your oil (again, use a good quality synthetic like Mobil 1) just before the test. Fill up with premium gas from a Top Tier (http://www.toptiergas.com/retailers.html) station (Arco, Valero and Beacon are not on the list). Then, run the car down the freeway to get it good and hot before the test. This will bring the cat up to its optimal temperature and burn more of the gas you're spilling. For you, request a smog pre-test before doing the real test from now on. Your very high levels could make you go "Gross Polluter." When that happens, the state gets really nasty and intrusive and sends jackbooted thugs with AR-15s around every few days to "persuade" you to junk the car. Okay, that might be hyperbole, but it's not too far from what California is doing these days when it comes to smog tests.

For the timing, it sounds like your idle speed is turned up too high for them to check it. Try turning it down enough to get it in the testable range (~750 rpm).

In the future, keep up with maintenance. The maintenance schedule is in the Owner's Manual. It's easy to let this stuff go, but it eventually comes to a head when you fail smog and a shop presents you with a $2,500 estimate. You'll save yourself a lot of pain if you stay on top of maintenance. Of course, if you are choosing between oil changes and food (a lot of people are right now), then drive the car into the ground. It's just a car after all.

Good luck and let us know how things turn out.

[mzchevelle]

I am at wits end. My 1988 Honda Accord LXi hatchie is failing smog (again). 2 years ago it was the CAT (been replaced), this time it is NOX? WTF? My last guy had it for 2 weeks and after numerous attempts, still was unable to get this thing to pass! I'm just under 200k miles and I love my Misty-boo and I am not ready for scrapping. I will be taking it to the dealer for a last attempt. OH GOD, please help me and my Honda! Amen! I hate the California smog Natzis!!!

['A20A3']

So theres no such thing as "antique" vehicles in cali that don't have to pass this shit? It does indeed sound like nazi germany over there

[HLW]

So theres no such thing as "antique" vehicles in cali that don't have to pass this shit? It does indeed sound like nazi germany over there

It used to be that cars over 25 years old were smog exemt until governor Schwarzenegger singed a law making it that any car newer than 1975 has to be smogged every other year. What is and is not smog exempt has changed a few time over the past 30 years.

[Dr_Snooz]

A pox on the Governator for eliminating the 25 year exemption.

For mzchevelle, high NOx is almost always caused by a malfunctioning EGR system. If you aren't getting a Check Engine code, it's possible that the channels in the intake are plugged. There is a troubleshooting section in the manual (http://geminiwebhosting.ca/1989AccordServiceManual.pdf) starting on p. 12-79 and it's well worth doing.