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| Need to shave 20 ppm more from hydrocarbon emissions; Failed Virginia emissions test | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Sep 25 2013, 07:41 PM (6,504 Views) | |
| BillHoo | Sep 26 2013, 06:59 PM Post #16 |
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In my intitial thoughts on timing I agree with you that advancing should do the trick. However, I find more information out there indicating that retarding the timing is done to reduce emissions and advancing the timing is to increase fuel efficiency. Why Retarding Spark Advance Reduces HC Emissions "we think that the less than MBT spark advance leaves more heat in the combustion chamber(we all know are engines run hotter with retarded spark, more heat rejected into the coolant jackets)." http://www.nastyz28.com/forum/showthread.php?t=228953 It appears that factory settings are to keep the car within emissions stadards and not to give the automobile owner better fuel efficiency. I may not mess with the timing at all since I'm only looking at reducing by 20 ppm. I think that is achievable by using REGULAR gas and cleaning out the EGR. |
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| Deleted User | Sep 26 2013, 08:04 PM Post #17 |
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The summary of good suggestions that Post #2
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Not going to happen, right?Post #3 Absolutely. 2 carbons per molecule versus hundreds. Your engine will run on 50% Ethanol. Been there, done that. Post #4
Post #5 You don't have to drive around to get the premium fuel out. You can attach a 1/4" hose to the return nipple on the throttle body and run it into a couple of containers. Either do this while the engine is running, or use a jumper wire on the FI relay. Post #14
What causes high hydrocarbon? 1. Improper ignition timing. 2. Defective ignition components. 3. Lean fuel mixture. 4. Defective catalytic converter 5. Defective air injection components. 6. Low cylinder compression. Overhaul the engine and install a new catalytic converter, and you'll sail through like a champ. Pick the cheap and easy fixes and hope it works.
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| 2000Firefly1.3L | Sep 26 2013, 08:06 PM Post #18 |
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he should just drain the oil and run through the smog test without any oil. that way the oil won't burn past the rings. |
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| v8440 | Sep 26 2013, 08:27 PM Post #19 |
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High HC is normally rich, unless it's so lean it's misfiring, right? If so, use just one of the sensor fooling tricks in the thread here about such things. I think it's in the performance and mileage forum. A $1 resistor literally might make your car pass the HC test with flying colors. |
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| Deleted User | Sep 26 2013, 08:39 PM Post #20 |
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Right. A 172 ohm resistor inserted in the inlet air sensor connector would lean out the mixture a bit. |
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| Memphis metro | Sep 26 2013, 08:52 PM Post #21 |
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I used to work with a bunch of guys who drove ol wore out cars that smoked. The inspection station would not even inspect a car that smoked. They went in together and bought a case of this http://www.smokelessoil.com/ . Come inspection time, they would drain their oil and fill their engine with this. Go to inspection, come home and drain it back out and bottle it up and put their oil back in till the next guy needed inspection. |
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| 00Metro | Sep 26 2013, 09:01 PM Post #22 |
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Register it in a different city/state. Thank goodness VA hasn't instilled that emissions crap on us down here in Hampton Roads. |
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| Woodie | Sep 27 2013, 06:01 AM Post #23 |
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It's far more complicated than that, there are multiple different things they are testing for and what increases one decreases the others. On Metros, the factory recommended (way retarded) timing was done to reduce Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx). With your very low compression, you're never going to have a problem with that. Advancing the timing makes the engine burn the fuel more completely, increasing power and mileage and decreasing the amount of Unburned Hydrocarbons in the exhaust. This is what you need. I think you're going to find, very soon, that when it gets cold out you're not going to be able to get it started at all. |
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| High MX | Sep 27 2013, 07:00 AM Post #24 |
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We could be over-thinking this a bit. Looking at your test results I noticed it only failed at low speed/idle. You only failed by 20ppm which leads me to believe that the car loaded up sitting there idling. The rest of the results look fine. If it were me, I would run the gas you have in there out and fill up with regular unleaded then go retest. While you are running the tank out, stop by and talk to the inspectors when they aren't busy to see if they have any pointers. Ask them if you get better test results in the morning with cool temps and lower humidity or in the afternoon with higher temps and humidity. See if they recommend any particular brand of gas that gives better test results. It won't hurt to go back and retest. If anything, it will validate the test results. |
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| BillHoo | Sep 27 2013, 07:32 AM Post #25 |
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I've run about 220 miles on the tank of Premium on the freeway with some fuel injector cleaner. I think that's enough "cleaning". I can siphon off the rest and fill with regular now. I checked the vaccuum hoses this morning and found one that was really loose. I cut the appropriate length and replaced it. Does anyone know if the 89 Metro has an EGR valve? I cannot seem to find it. In my 93 it's just to the right of the PCV valve. I'm expecting to see the EGR here: ![]() Instead, I'm seeing this: ![]() I forget my high school chemistry, but at 20 parts per million, I'm wondering if I should use that equation with Avagadro's number to convert moles to grams and figure out how much hydrocarbon I need to displace in order to achieve that miniscule 20 PARTS PER MILLION. What is that? less than a gram of hydrocarbon? Just replacing the Premium gas with regular and maybe adding a bottle of gas line dryer, like HEET should do it. Edited by BillHoo, Sep 27 2013, 08:46 AM.
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| Memphis metro | Sep 27 2013, 08:33 AM Post #26 |
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Not to be a killjoy but after doing all that I bet your next inspection will give higher numbers.
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| BillHoo | Sep 27 2013, 09:23 AM Post #27 |
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I just hooked up the ignition jumper and used my timing light. it's set at about 17 or 18 degrees. ----- V 20 . . . . . 10 . . . . . 0 Edited by BillHoo, Sep 27 2013, 09:27 AM.
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| BillHoo | Sep 27 2013, 09:26 AM Post #28 |
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Yea, with my luck. |
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| BillHoo | Sep 27 2013, 09:33 AM Post #29 |
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Just took a look at the timing. Looks like it's set at abouy 17. Can it go any more? |
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| Deleted User | Sep 27 2013, 11:25 AM Post #30 |
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There is no EGR valve on a 1989. You're supposed to block the vacuum lines to the distributor when setting the ignition timing. You do not need to jumper the wires on the connector. This procedure is for cars with electronic advance distributors. Refer to the sticker on the bottom of the hood for timing specifications and procedures. |
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