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California Smog test failed

I did that and spent $300 for an Acura trained expert opinion about what is wrong and the opinion was wrong. I built this car and know it better than anyone I've met so far. Today I determined that the front and rear bank primary O2 sensors were swapped. Just looking at the previous data you can see ECM trying harder and harder to correct what is detected. Swapped them on a hunch to the correct locations and now readings make sense. When I had the engine out I didn't mark the connectors, mistake! I had already deterimined that the secondary O2 sensors were swapped previuosly. The hesitation problem has disapeared running cold or hot. Take a gander at today's run.
Stephen

No. Throttle is instantaneous.

I would suggest taking the car to someone who is knows the NSX and emissions.
 

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Oh man, Stevon...I feel your pain.

Just failed my smog this morning. And I don't think I was even close!

15 mph

HC: 195 ppm (fail)
CO%: 0.66 (fail)
NO: 850 ppm (fail)
 
Re: California Smog Test Failed

Thanks for the sympathy, Looks like you are running rich.
I have made progress today but not quite there yet! The smog shop also broke my driver's door handle! I only got $50 out of the guy, wasn't up to sueing him for a new door handle. Looking for a used one. After switching the O2 connectors the car runs so much better. It accelerates beautifully and idles smooth now. Went for a retest today and failed again but not 5 to 7 times the limit like before. Look at my test results below. It seems a shame that I'm expected to pass new car emissions with a 15 year old car, just doesn't seem realistic. There are still other issues to fix, SRS light, EPS light and loss of PS also fan speed stopped working Friday, full blast or off only. I'm glad I can fix 90% of this stuff myself. I would have spent $50K to have everything fixed by someone else by now! I thought only boats and planes were money pits for wealthy gents!

Test date 10/08/11
Test _______ Rpm |%CO2|%O2| HC (PPM) ______ | CO(%)
_M1: 15 mph 2524 | 14.1 | 0.6 | MAX 85 Meas 145 | MAX 0.50 Meas 0.60|
_M2: 25 mph 2427 | 14.2 | 0.5 | MAX 50 Meas 101 | MAX 0.47 Meas 0.46|

NO
MAX 695 | Meas 1002
MAX 717 | Meas 726


Oh man, Stevon...I feel your pain.

Just failed my smog this morning. And I don't think I was even close!

15 mph

HC: 195 ppm (fail)
CO%: 0.66 (fail)
NO: 850 ppm (fail)
 
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I just failed in Maryland today. However all we need to do here is pay a shop 450.00 or buy 300.00 worth of parts and turn in the receipt. That buys you two years. Then you just do it again.
 
In California the car has to have been legally registered in CA for two years and you have to apply for assistance that you qualify for the state sponsored $500.00 funding for repair. Then after spending the $500 dollars and still failing you have to prove that you have almost no income and request an appointment with a Smog Referee Center. No modifications are tolerated of OEM parts. No headers, aftermarket Cat converters, mufflers, air filter kits etc. stock only or CARB certified parts. My car was purchased from Arizona and I also have lots of aftermarket parts. I just recently got a full time job. So I do not qualify on any level for this states tollerance agenda. EGR and associated tubing is next potential fix. Wish me luck!
Stephen

I just failed in Maryland today. However all we need to do here is pay a shop 450.00 or buy 300.00 worth of parts and turn in the receipt. That buys you two years. Then you just do it again.
 
Since you're close to passing a trick that's worked for me on my Scirocco is to dump a 32 oz bottle of 91% isopropyl alcohol in the tank when it's 1/2 full or so and then take it in to get smogged.

I don't have back-to-back runs but it's a 1987 car and it passed with flying colors.

CARB is a pain in the ass
 
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I recently tried something similar.

Ethanol displaces hydro carbons and also burns cleaner.
Run around 10-15% ethanol. It will run hotter and I believe raise NO2 levels. Google it.

In my daughters Toyota Camry where I was only off by 9 points on hydrocarbons at 25mph Ethanol do anything. ZERO.
I put a 1/2 gal in ~1/4 tank of gas ~4-5 gal

Your NO2 is already high. Actually everything is High.

The fix for the Camry was a new primary cat. Once I did this HC and CO were zero and No2 was 4 and 47 respectively. But the car was running good and we could not find any other issues. I paid a mechanic friend to diagnose. You don't want to replace a cat if it is not running correctly.
If it is running to fat you will burn up a new cat. After removing my cat the back half was melted away. At some point the car must have been running to fat. Maybe from the previous owner?

You can also add 100 Octane gas. this will lower NO2 but raise HC.
 
The first thing I am going to try is to finish off the Georgia fuel (done) and go through an entire tank of California (oxygenated) Chevron + a bottle of Red Line SI-1.
 
For those of you that are new So Cal owners, I wanted to mention that I have taken my car to this place in the past and they have an outstanding smog technition there. They are AAA approved and are a CA Gold Shield Repair station.

http://excellentautocareandtire.com/

The place is located in Temecula, but worth the drive. You can do a Palomar Mountain or Ortega Hwy run when you are finished. :cool:
 
Don,

I have brand new Pro-Speed Cats custom made with four cores in it, Some NSX owners use only two cores and pass CA emissions. I doubt they got damaged with the 300 miles I put on them so far. Actually alcohol burns cooler from what I understand. The car is now running great, will try the ethanol trick and run the car on the highway for at least 1/2 hour before testing again

I recently tried something similar.

Ethanol displaces hydro carbons and also burns cleaner.
Run around 10-15% ethanol. It will run hotter and I believe raise NO2 levels. Google it.

In my daughters Toyota Camry where I was only off by 9 points on hydrocarbons at 25mph Ethanol do anything. ZERO.
I put a 1/2 gal in ~1/4 tank of gas ~4-5 gal

Your NO2 is already high. Actually everything is High.

The fix for the Camry was a new primary cat. Once I did this HC and CO were zero and No2 was 4 and 47 respectively. But the car was running good and we could not find any other issues. I paid a mechanic friend to diagnose. You don't want to replace a cat if it is not running correctly.
If it is running to fat you will burn up a new cat. After removing my cat the back half was melted away. At some point the car must have been running to fat. Maybe from the previous owner?

You can also add 100 Octane gas. this will lower NO2 but raise HC.
 
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When you convert a car to say E85 you need to increase fuel. Fatten it up.
For this reason it will run leaner and hotter.

I don't think 300 miles will kill the cats but I am NO expert.
If you smell rotten eggs than they are in the process of being destroyed.


A few years back I passed smog on my nsx with a set of aftermarket cats.
Not sure of they are the pro-speed ones. I got them from SOS.

Later,
Don
 
It turns out that the front and rear bank primary O2 sensors were switched causing the rich bank to be richer while being detected as being too lean on the other. The lean bank was being made leaner while detecting the other as too rich. Switched primary O2 connections on a hunch and now both banks readings are close like they should be. The car now runs perfect with no hesitation. All the advice and money spent on experts did not detect this problem. I deciphered it out by looking at the ODB scans and just figuring it out myself! With a little fiddling got it to pass! Now on to the EPS and SRS problems, did the climate fan speed controll repair replacing the 13 capacitors inside. The climate control has been worked on before. Removed the inferior 85C repair caps and replaced all of them with 105C NTE ones purchased at Fry's Electronics. Radio shack only sells the 85C ones and doesn't carry all of the values needed anyways. The 0.47 Uf cap I used a Tantalum type because I could not get an electrolytic value that small.
Car has plates and I'm cruizing! What a ride!
Stephen

updates?:smile:
 

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Big congrats to you! What a long frustrating road that was! Best news is that you'll get to do it again next year as you have most likely been flagged as a gross polluter :mad:

I need to take mine in to smog soon too. I'm hoping to have plates before I've owned the car for a year..... :biggrin:

BTW that's an odd NSX color. Is that a repaint or odd sunlight?
 
Since this car was a composition of two wrecks and every part has been swapped or changed, decided to change the color. Both cars were black, not the best Ferrari color IMO. Color code is special order only, 06 Corvette Jewel Red Tint GM WA301N. It's a three stage paint process and cost $70 per pint for each color, ground coat and pearl candy then was clear coated with Glasurit 55-Line. It's pricey clear at $400 for 6 litres of activated paint. You just can't beat the Euro clear coats, Benzes and Bimmers use this kind of stuff, glamourous and holds up under intense sun light (San Diego). Had a body shop 14 years ago, kept the hand equipment and the skills!
Yes I was flagged as a gross poluter. Have some friends and experience now to get car smogged for next year. Had to pay 2011 registration fees again without even ever registering car before! Got me for two years worth!
Stephen
Big congrats to you! What a long frustrating road that was! Best news is that you'll get to do it again next year as you have most likely been flagged as a gross polluter :mad:

I need to take mine in to smog soon too. I'm hoping to have plates before I've owned the car for a year..... :biggrin:

BTW that's an odd NSX color. Is that a repaint or odd sunlight?
 
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aventari,

Sounds like fun, nice bimmer, had a 2002 with flares, wide tires, DCOE 40 Weber side drafts with stahle headers, flowed heads, balanced engine assembly with a stage 1-1/2 race cam setup. Oh the days of no emissions..........

Fixed the EPS problem. The 91 drivetrain had manual steering and a plug where NC speed sensor was on the 95. Dealer diagnosed code 33 which was the missing sensor. For $7.50 purchased an 04 Accord NC sensor (different part number but physically identical) and hooked it up. Problem solved, power steering returns! SRS is still an issue, working on that this week so I can put the interior back together.
Cheers,
Stephen
Right on!

Hopefully I'll have my first NSX pretty soon and we could go on a San Diego cruise :)
 
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