Good morning fellow NSX pilots!
My saga:
This year I had to visit 10 shops. All were "STAR" certified. One shop could not find engine hatch release. One took covers off trying to find a coil hookup. Three admitted they did not have the equipment to test a 1993. Two lost licence. Dealer could not do it. Two had RPM pickup issues.
I finally found a place where the operator was patient and seemed to know what to do. Nevertheless my test took north of 40 minutes but my old girl passed with flying colors:
At 15 mph: HC: 86 max allowed, 28 measured; CO: .50 allowed, .03 measured; NOx: 697 allowed, 428 measured.
At 25 mph: HC: 51 allowed, 21 measured; CO: .48 allowed, .02 measured; NOx: 724 allowed, 332, 332 measured.
Location:
CORONA EXPRESS SMOG
625 W. 6th St
Corona Ca
951 736 6095
Things I learned:
One, smog requirements are broken into three distinct groups:up to about 1985, from 1986 to 1999, 2000 and up. For this each station must have three distinct sets of test equipment. So please call ahead!!! Ask specifically if the shop can test your model year!
Two, ask if they have their licence and are compliant. As I posted above I found several shops that had the equipment but no licence!
The bottom line for One and two above: A "STAR" approved listing does not guarantee anything! Laws and shop requirements are so complex now.........call ahead. Do some checking!
Three, warm the car up. Like others who have posted, the catalytic converters must be warm (above about 900 degrees) to function. Also if the ECU thinks the engine is still cold (usually defined if coolant is less than about 160 degrees) it will force cold start enrichment. As fellow NSX drivers, I am sure you know what to do to make sure your baby is warmed up
Four: from what I have read (and this includes my NSX) is older ones will have the traction control stuck in the on position, probably from a stuck TCS switch (located in the dash). If this happens the shop cannot test. The Shop dyno is rear wheel only while the NSX TCS reads front wheel speed also. During testing, the rear wheels are at about 15 mph, the front at 0. This will trigger the TCS and the engine throttle cut, failing the test. To solve: pull the TCS fuse in the engine compartment (number 16). This is the power to the TCS. Now, the TCS warning light will show in the dash but thats ok...its just telling you TCS is no longer active. After a successful smog test, of course you can put the fuse back in!
Good luck to all the California NSX owners out there.
