Smog Check Experience
05-30-2005, 10:50 PM
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Smog Check Experience
I finally decided to formally transfer the car to California and needed a smog-check. In preparation I just recently had my welder install a catalytic converter and prepare the removed section to an easily switchable “test-pipe” (more about this in another post).
I have equipped my car with a simple switch on the DME harness, so I can select open or closed loop oxygen sensing. In open loop it runs a bit rich, but after a brisk run my biosensor (a.k.a. nose) tells me that the cat is doing its job.
I had made an appointment, showed up in time and my friendly mechanic did all his lengthy preparations, including troubles getting properly connected to DMV since my car didn’t have plates. Meanwhile I “test-sniffed” the exhaust and got concerned that the cat didn’t heat up as it should. After running the engine at 2500 rpm for a while the cat came alive, but only barely. I decided to go ahead anyway (in my region of CA the test consists of no-load emissions at 2500 rpm and then idle). When the test was done, my mechanic saw that it would fail on HC and aborted the test. I then suddenly realized that I had left the sensor switch at the open loop setting and immediately told my mechanic that my car needed some exercise to heat up the cat, so off I went.
At the nearest parking lot I quickly switched to closed loop and proceeded to the freeway exercise, where I btw got challenged by a “riced-up” WRX, but no time for that.
After returning to the smog station the exhaust smelled really good and ready to go, but my mechanic had to go though the usual lengthy initialization process and even answer phone calls, while I got nervous about the cat cooling down again. When he was finally ready he asked if he should do a pre-test (at a $20 cost) so I didn’t end up as a “gross polluter”. I was concerned that the cat would cool down further by that exercise, so I gave the exhaust a final “bio-sniff” and since it smelled good said: “let’s go”. So we did and the car passed.
Then came the gas cap test … it failed … what now? I took a look at my gas cap and his test receptacle and they both looked OK, asked for some silicone spray and a rag and started cleaning both parts, assembled the two and asked him to test again. Low and behold, it passed … phew.
As it turned out from the print-out the numbers were really good and here they are:
……….... HC (ppm) ……...…..CO (%)
Rpm … Max Ave Meas . Max Ave Meas
943 ….. 120 . 29 .. 9 …. 1.00 0.10 0.00
2529 … 140 . 20 . 10…. 1.00 0.10 0.00
Scary moments, but success in the end.
Laust
I have equipped my car with a simple switch on the DME harness, so I can select open or closed loop oxygen sensing. In open loop it runs a bit rich, but after a brisk run my biosensor (a.k.a. nose) tells me that the cat is doing its job.
I had made an appointment, showed up in time and my friendly mechanic did all his lengthy preparations, including troubles getting properly connected to DMV since my car didn’t have plates. Meanwhile I “test-sniffed” the exhaust and got concerned that the cat didn’t heat up as it should. After running the engine at 2500 rpm for a while the cat came alive, but only barely. I decided to go ahead anyway (in my region of CA the test consists of no-load emissions at 2500 rpm and then idle). When the test was done, my mechanic saw that it would fail on HC and aborted the test. I then suddenly realized that I had left the sensor switch at the open loop setting and immediately told my mechanic that my car needed some exercise to heat up the cat, so off I went.
At the nearest parking lot I quickly switched to closed loop and proceeded to the freeway exercise, where I btw got challenged by a “riced-up” WRX, but no time for that.
After returning to the smog station the exhaust smelled really good and ready to go, but my mechanic had to go though the usual lengthy initialization process and even answer phone calls, while I got nervous about the cat cooling down again. When he was finally ready he asked if he should do a pre-test (at a $20 cost) so I didn’t end up as a “gross polluter”. I was concerned that the cat would cool down further by that exercise, so I gave the exhaust a final “bio-sniff” and since it smelled good said: “let’s go”. So we did and the car passed.
Then came the gas cap test … it failed … what now? I took a look at my gas cap and his test receptacle and they both looked OK, asked for some silicone spray and a rag and started cleaning both parts, assembled the two and asked him to test again. Low and behold, it passed … phew.
As it turned out from the print-out the numbers were really good and here they are:
……….... HC (ppm) ……...…..CO (%)
Rpm … Max Ave Meas . Max Ave Meas
943 ….. 120 . 29 .. 9 …. 1.00 0.10 0.00
2529 … 140 . 20 . 10…. 1.00 0.10 0.00
Scary moments, but success in the end.
Laust
