CA SMOG failed HC

[srqlegend]

Failed CA SMOG HC was high:

15mph MAX 57 MEASURED 58 PPM FAIL
25mph MAX 33 MEASURED 49 PPM FAIL

Ran Guaranteed SMOG pass magic juice in fuel. New plugs (old ones were 7 years old, still in good condition), new air and fuel filter.

15mph MAX 57 MEASURED 57 PPM PASS
25mph MAX 33 MEASURED 51 PPM FAIL

CO and NO were all passes; engine sounds smooth, pulls great.

Diagnostics to try?
do some water/steam cleaning via throttle body?


Cheers,

[Alperovich]

spark plugs, witch hunter fuel injector cleaning, and most likely new O2 sensors. HC is unburnt fuel. maybe a faulty coil pack as well.

[stephen]

I agree with Alperovich. High HC is either unburned fuel or oil. Is the engine using oil?

In addition to getting the injectors cleaned and check fuel pressure replace the PCV and O2 sensors.

If the CO and NOx are OK it's likely the catalytic convertor is still good. Typically if the convertor is bad replacing it will reduce HC to about half. However, check the above first.

[srqlegend]

Thanks for the things to check. Does not use oil, it is due for a change though. I drive 2000-3000 miles a year but engine reaches temp. each trip. Once every 20 trips engine stumbles one or twice at stop light but always smooths out. Check ignition coils? Also TCS yellow dash light is on.

I got all the stuff for a timing belt change (due in May) when it failed SMOG.
Numbers for CO 0.03 and NO 17 look good.
The SMOG shop looked at it and said donate this car.

[JKLedbetter]

I wonder how pure gas vs E10 vs E15 would affect the numbers?

Is there any way to tell if the high HC is coming from fuel vs oil?

If from oil, higher viscosity might help.

If you donated the car, wouldn't the recipient have the same problem?

Or you could move out of that communist hellhole.

-Kennon

[stephen]

If the old plugs still looked OK and looked pretty much the same it is unlikely to be a coil. Also if the plugs looked the same it's not likely to be one leaking injector. I would replace the O2 sensors since they control the mixture and perhaps send the injectors out to be cleaned and flow tested.

It could help to change the oil.

[srqlegend]

JKL: 91 is the highest octane we can get. Probably the minimum. He meant donate it to a charity and they just pass it through to the JY.

Its not the commies but the billionaires and wanna-be Model X drivers that don't want my clear coat shot beauty rolling down the street. Messes up the neighborhood.

I think the manf. should be more on the hook but that's never going to happen.

stephen: O2 sensors sounds good.

Cheers!

[JKLedbetter]

I was referring to ethanol content, not octane rating.

Having spent more than a couple of decades in environmental work I can assure you that it was the watermelon enviros (green on the outside, red on the inside) who originally implemented the onerous and frequently counter-productive regulations that plague your state. Who do you think brainwashed the billionaires & tesla drivers with corrupted science?

But make no mistake, they don't hate your fossil fueled car because it looks good, they hate it for the freedom it provides you.

-Kennon

[srqlegend]

Passed SMOG!

There was misfiring, corrosion on coils cleaned.
Vacuum leak small air hose at connector under throttle body. Also replaced PCV valve.

Whew.

[JKLedbetter]

Yah! Another Legend lives on.

-Kennon