VanhireBoys

Hi all
I have an 87 California equipped 944 Turbo.. That may not raise any eyebrows but Its here in Ireland.....!

It has to go for an NCT test soon which is a total nightmare in this country ! It involves among other things a CO test

I have no way of testing the CO level myself but they require a car of pre-88 to have a <3% CO.. My catalitic convertor blocked up in the past and was removed...!

Are there any tricks that you lads in America use to lower the CO for the test itself...? (and have flowers and bunny rabbits emit from the exhaust...)

Car is totally unmodified .. Thanks lads....!

slap929

I have been told that it is easier to pass if you take the test during the coolest part of the day(ie the morning). Would you consider replacing the cat for the test and make a test pipe for after?

CyCloNe!

hang`a tree air-freshener from the tail pipe jk

Scott H

If you had a piggy back you could lean the mixture out at the RPMs/Loads they test at, but on a stock car you're really at the luck of the draw.

The way a real Californian passes is by paying the guy under the table to pass you.

400hp944

The only way you will get that thing to pass is with a new cat. Not sure what shops you have there, but you need to source the largest non EGR cat you can find and have a shop flange your exhaust so you can slide the cat in and remove it when you're done. I used a cat from a Jeep Cherokee to pass mine back when it was still street legal. Need to have them make you cat delete pipe too.

Jeff N.

I'm not a guru in this area but I think you may be OK. My 86 US non-cali car with a cat delete, SCI-Vision MAF, Max HP chips, and stock injectors passes our 'rolling road' emissions with the following numbers:

HC Limits (PPM) - 150 cruise, 220 idle;
HC results 88 cruise, 94 idle

CO % Limits < 1% cruise, < 1.2% idle
CO% results .59% cruise, .84% idle

Test cycle is to let the car idle, then accelerate the car to 25mph on the rollers and drive for about 1 to 2 minutes, then let the car return to idle for about a minute. There is no underhood, under car inspection.

My understanding is that if they are testing for NOx, then you will have a problem with no cat.

doabarrelroll

I'm dreading this CA smog test when I get my car re-reg'd. I have a new cat, but, yea, I think I may go the "under the table" route....

gpr8er

Being a Cali native I have dealt with the smog situation forever. I can tell you that unless your smog guy is your best friend or brother there is no way you can go in there and slip him a few bucks for a pass. There are huge fines and jail time for smog stations that cheat let alone the guy losing his business and equipment. And there are sting ops all the time to insure compliance Your best plan is to have your car setup for an "easy" smog config. Don't even think about going in there sans cat they will bounce you on the visual alone. That means stock injectors, chips, airbox, and a good clean and working cat. Drive the car for at least 30 minutes preferably hard and don't turn it off if you need to wait. You want the cat as hot as possible.

carlege

Lean the mixture and if you want to get crazy pull an injector connector

sweanders

3% CO is easy for a well running non-cat equipped car. It is the legal limit for cars pre 1989 in Sweden.

VanhireBoys

Thanks for the replies lads..! Id say she should make 3% CO at idle no problem !

They just test for CO at idle.. Not while the car is under load !

Looks like the California smog rules are really tight and teh bane of evrybodys lives over there..

12 inspectors were sacked here for taking bribes. They were exposed by a TV show.... !

I am just going to put her in for the test and if it fails ill lean her off at the AFM.

schip43

+1, mine is, was a CA car and the cat would go back on every two years. It has the Max chips in at 18 psi and it could pass with the chips.

The rolling road was suppose to be able to find modded cars but now adays you can tune for a stock idle 14.7 and 14.7 at 25 mph. Which is where it should be anyway, so that crap (rolling road) has not quite worked out!
Yes Ca is the worse, the visual gets you even with a clean motor! On my Toyota's 87 and 92 you could not do anything that would change the apperance of the motor! So no turbo there for my little Tercel!
They lift the hood look and you'd fail!