Well the eclipse failed its smog test. High HCs caused me to fail on the 15mph test. Thing that gets me is it passed on the 25mph test, go figure?

the o2 sensor, plugs, wires, etc are all fairly new, within the last 20-25k miles. Bout the only thing i can think of is the egr or cat. The cat is factory and has about 122k miles on it. Im pretty sure it could use a replacement.

Any other ideas? anything else I should look at?

You're smarter than this, but I have to ask, did you drive it for a good while to get some heat in that cat before you tested? People I used to work with would fail all day long when they would test on their lunch breaks. We were located a half a block from the test center. Cold cat != efficient cat.

:shrug

Originally posted by DR1665
Cold cat != efficient cat. :shrug

You also are smarter than this... Hee hee

Check yo'self before you wreck yo'self...

I've been told that running 87 octane if you can also seems to help with emissions. Sounds odd but thats what I've heard. I usually just fill the tank with 87 and drive the car for an hour before I go to the shop to get smogged :shrug

oh I feel your pain, just read my other post :(

my test results are similar to your before my shit started going haywire higher 15mph than 25mph but the main reason it'll be higher is that at 15 mph it puts more load on the engine. Not sure but I'm thinking since the 2GNT wasn't around for this smog test 2 stuff they weren't tuned to pass it. :(

what mods do you have? curious as my smog is due in Oct.

Originally posted by djtrickee

Originally posted by DR1665 Cold cat != efficient cat. :shrug

You also are smarter than this... Hee hee Check yo'self before you wreck yo'self...

Well at least this time you said I was smarter. ;)

I don't get what you mean, though. A cold cat != (does not equal) an efficient cat. This is true.

The catalytic converter does an efficient job of reducing the vehicle emissions, but there are ways it can be improved. One of the biggest drawbacks is that it only works at a fairly high temperature. When you start your car cold, the catalytic converter does next to nothing to reduce the vehicle emissions. - From autorepair.about.com/cs/generalinfo/a/aa080401a_2.htm

A catalytic converter relies on receiving the proper mix of exhaust gases at the proper temperature. Any additives or malfunctions that cause the mixture or the temperature of the exhaust gases to change reduce the effectiveness and life of the catalytic converter. - From auto.howstuffworks.com/question482.htm

So what's up now, sucka? :wary

I would also blame the cat since 25mph would have hotter exhaust gases which could possibly make a failing cat more responsive. I would look into getting a new one.

Man I am not looking forward to CA SMOG testing. I am quite sure that my talon will never be on the road in that state.

try and get a 2.5L 420a turbo with crower 2's to pass, even te visual....:wallbash

ive been through the ringer as well, it fuckin sucks

good luck though dan the man with a plan and a fan from afganistan

Smog testing :shrug what's that??? Probably the only advantage of living in the midwest.

Originally posted by totaleklipse97
Smog testing :shrug what's that??? Probably the only advantage of living in the midwest.

Well, at least keeping your car registered back there. }(

They also sell this stuff (at least in Houston) called G2P (Guaranteed to Pass) that actually works.

**EDIT**
Read the last thing posted:
http://www.theautobahn.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-3154.html

Dan, to pass HC's-

1) New Cat
2) "Guaranteed to pass" or similar Autozone additive
3) Run tank down to empty, pour in one bottle of everclear.
4) Drive on freeway for 30mins before test, and do test with engine hot.

If you fail after doing all 4 above, you've got a bad oil leak, probably headgasket.

Well, I picked up a new cat over the weekend. Probably replace it this coming weekend as well as do some maintance, replace the plugs, clean the intake filter etc.

I also picked up a bottle of that g2p stuff.

guess we'll see how it goes once i get the work done and take it back in for a re-test.

Originally posted by thedawg
Dan, to pass HC's- 1) New Cat 2) "Guaranteed to pass" or similar Autozone additive 3) Run tank down to empty, pour in one bottle of everclear. 4) Drive on freeway for 30mins before test, and do test with engine hot. If you fail after doing all 4 above, you've got a bad oil leak, probably headgasket.

Pour into car or oneself? Are you seriously suggesting this? Have we established what driving around with an alcoholic beverage in your gas tank will do to your sensors? What if you get pulled over, does this count as an open container, or (as my car is only 7 years old) contributing to the delinquency of a minor?

One should probably try to troubleshoot the problem and fix it first.

I've tried the guarnateed to pass stuff and some stuff called sky blue doesn't work. But that was with the race gas, I don't know what was the cause of the ultra high numbers but I think it was the race gas for me. I'm going to try again with 87 chevron gas and 1.5 gallons of denatured alchohol (ethenol denatured with methanol is that right?). So I will let you know how I do. Hopefully the ethanol won't mess up any of my seals. I've heard this on a MR2 webpage and on this forum but have never attempted it hopefully it'll do the trick.

If after that I fail again I'll replace my 3 inch cat with my stock cat that I took off my 280Z. O_o Sigh I really don't want to get rid of the car or put it in storage because it can't pass smog :(

Originally posted by HadesOmega
But that was with the race gas, I don't know what was the cause of the ultra high numbers but I think it was the race gas for me.

Since 'race gas' is for off-road use only, I'm guessing that's probably the cause. It probably raises emissions because it's more 'potent'. That's just speculation.

My brother used that G2P on his x-gf's truck and it worked just fine.

Originally posted by cougar694u

Originally posted by HadesOmega But that was with the race gas, I don't know what was the cause of the ultra high numbers but I think it was the race gas for me.

Since 'race gas' is for off-road use only, I'm guessing that's probably the cause. It probably raises emissions because it's more 'potent'. That's just speculation. My brother used that G2P on his x-gf's truck and it worked just fine.

Well since the place i tested at offers a free re-test if you fail(suckers!) maybe I'll just take it in after i get through the tank of gas with the g2p mixed in. Since it wont cost me anything what harm could be done? then I can compare the numbers before and after to see if the g2p stuff really affected anything. Heh, i won't even bother changing the plugs or anything, that way the only thing that would be different is using that g2p stuff. I'll do it on friday since im off, I'll update again then.

yay failed again. I did the ethenol thing (1 gallon) with 87 octane in there no dice. Seemed to have trouble doing the 25 MPH test. The numbers were slightly lower but still gross poluter. Well at this point I think its out of my control. I think my cat is toast though since it got a 13.7 in the CO2 which is lower than the last one.

So there is seriously something wrong with my car because my numbers were never this high in the past till recently. sigh.... I guess I will take it to a test and repair station and see what they can do. And they're probably not gonna like when they ask me what I've done to the car and #&^()@&# its gonna be $$$$$$$$. But one thing is for sure gotta find out why such high numbers, stock cat here I come.

LMFAO! I passsed, I passed by 1ppm on the 15mph test. F you cali emmisions...
Well i have to say that g2p stuff must do something.

Before

mph HC(Max ppm) CO(Max %) NO(Max ppm)
15 142(60) 0.19(0.53) 209(459)
25 42(43) 0.06(0.51) 111(746)


After(g2p fuel additive, changed the plugs, cleaned the air filter)

mph HC CO NO
15 59 0.18 197
25 38 0.06 109

Max is the same as listed above, as you can see, I barely passed the 25mph test the first time.


HC numbers changed the most, other's didn't have the much of a change at all. Side note the shop has two smog dynos I was put on the other dyno the second time. Not sure if there is a slight calibration difference between them or anything but hell i passed, I don't care...lol Didn't even put the new cat I bought on, guess I'll get to replacing it sooner or later but now I have a 2year pass till the next smog check.

lucky bastard congratulations

The huge drop in HC at 15mph just indicates to me your cat was cold at the time you did the first smog check. An old cat will take longer to warm up, as there is less exposed catalyst.

The guaranteed to pass formulas are essentially just mineral spirits (degreaser) and alcohol (cold, slow burning fuel). If they don't work, its because you're only using 12 ounces of it... barely enough to make a difference.

http://www.firstfives.org/faq/smog/smog_faq.html
http://www.crcindustries.com/catalog/datasheet2.asp?PN=05063&FAM=FuelAdditives
http://www.crcindustries.com/faxdocs/msds/5063.pdf
Petroleum Distillate (mineral spirits) - 50-60%
Organic Additives (alcohol) - 40%

Always use 87 octane, and clean correctly gapped spark plugs (.045") when smog checking. I didn't even mention this because I thought it was a no brainer. Even if you're running a turbo'd 420a, you're not going into boost while doing your check so go back to stock in every way possible.

Originally posted by thedawg
The huge drop in HC at 15mph just indicates to me your cat was cold at the time you did the first smog check. An old cat will take longer to warm up, as there is less exposed catalyst.

cat should have been fairly warm on the first test. I romped on it pretty hard on the freeway there, but its a fairly short drive from my house to the smog shop. Maybe 5miles if that.

2nd time I left from work to the smog shop. From la jolla back down to san marcos is about 30miles. Once again drove it pretty hard on the freeway.

Both times the car didn't sit for very long at the shop. In fact I pulled up parked, went inside and the dude grabbed the car and put it on the smog dyno in about 5-10mins of me getting there so there was really not much time for the car to sit and cool down both times. Ah well, the headaches over and it passed, thats all i care about.

yeah damned cat, I just installed my stock cat, maybe I should just bought a new one that's the stock sized. Hopefuly the reason I'm failing is because the 3 inch performance cat I had was fouled and can't get hot enough to burn everything up for the smog test.

Well changed the cat to stock on and the numbers went down a bit, I have no clue what happened to my car between the two months I tested it and when it got the insanely high numbers. I'm seriously thinking about buying a GST now and swapping out the parts now :( I don't think the car will ever see a turbo at this rate. So far I've tried
O2 sensor
100 octane gas
87 octane with ethenol
changed 3in ch cat to stock cat
changed MAP sensor
changed IAT sensor
JB welded ex manifold cracks

it got much lower numbers b4, the guy suggests I bring it to a shop but what else is there to check? I guess I can check the cam timing maybe it shifted when I did all that crazy drifting never know. But I'm about to give up at this point.