I am back to trying to pass smog with a Rogue MAF setup and CA smog laws.

I can pass visual as it is, before anyone chimes in. My setup is very stealth, looks basically stock.

BUT problem is I tried testing it today on just 91 octane gas FQS at position +3 fuel and O timing. No fuel additives, just gas.

measurements were terrible across the board. HC was 251 limit 81. CO2 .73 limit .74. NOx reading 1423 limit 570 all on 15 mph test.

I tested the car with Alcohol 4 months ago and did far, far better. The HC and CO2 were very, very low. Only reason it did not pass was NOx at 15 mph was 1102 and needs to be 570 or lower.

Car idles at 1050 and does not seem to have any air leaks at idle. Car was driven for 15 minutes before test.

I wanted to see if anyone had some other ideas before I go and put all the stock stuff on.

I would think the only adjustments I can make are the FQS settings correct? I know Josh has been helpful and the car runs well, but smog is something of a different matter.

 

Wouldn't you want to run lean to reduce emissions?

 

I needed to add.

Car has new injectors, New NGK BPR7es plugs, and new Oxygen Sensor.

I had it at +3 because at 0 car has very slight backfire upon shifting/detonation. Adding just a bit of fuel made the difference. But maybe it is best I just try and lean the car out. The more I think about maybe it's just best to go stock to get an idea of what those settings are.

 

In CA, the tester can fail the car if it doesn't idle at factory level -- 840+/- so you'll need to address that. I seem to recall seeing that the latest m-tune software brought the idle down? If so, that would be important before trying again. I assume you are in a dyno test area? If so, you'll want to start by confirming your car is in closed loop mode at idle and light cruising (i.e. test conditions). Is your car in closed loop (dithering around 14.7) at idle and low load situations? That is critical, and your results make me wonder if you are too far away from 14.7 to get/stay in closed loop? I recently helped Crazy Eddie pass ca smog with his Maf, but we were able to dial it in with his piggyback. I assume you could get close enough for closed loop with the fqs, especially if you tested with extra fqs fuel. Also, how's your catalytic converter? Unless you have an indoor babied low mile car, most factory cats are fairly worthless by now. My numbers dropped dramatically when I switched from my factory cat to a small hi flow SFR cat -- easily enough to pass the test... The year of you car also affects the limits -- you must have an 87 or later car based on the (low) NOx limit they gave you...

 

I am so glad I don't need to do testing in Ca. I would also ask if anyone has passed this test with your setup, you may have to go back to stock setup to pass. You need to talk to Tom and see how he gets that monster engine pass testing.

Tom... clutch is doing great, over 20 hours of track time and all smiles. I am now up to 16# of boost and making 360 RWHP..just were I want to be.

 

Elaborate on "backfire" when your FQS is on 0? Do you have a wideband?

 

Ifly951,
You have an update on the way which will bring idle down to a more normal ~850rpm.

Your warm-up period was too short... If you can touch the exhaust, then it is too cold.

If you were a lot closer on E85, then I would use it. Failing NOx, then you need to add fuel (if you HC has room), and/or reduce timing (can be done via the FQS switch).

 

Thankyou guys for the help and input.

Car does have a new cat, I should have included that.

I have a narrow band Huntley Air fuel gauge/ thing. I was hoping to get the car smogged and then spend another 500 or more on getting a proper wideband guage. Looks like that may need to be first though as knowing where my ratio's are at is becoming top priority just for smog alone.

I do also have an ARC 2 box that was disconnected when the Rogue MAF was setup. Maybe wiring that into the new setup will help give me a little more tuning options. It's just 3 dials though, not really that much flexibility.

I would be happy to purchase some E85 and warm up the car more. I am open to all suggestions. Maybe I should go 0 or -3 on fuel and retard some of the timing?

 

The narrow band unit was better then no monitor but isn't that accurate under boost. A WB is the way to go and the prices have lowered to the point that everyone tuning a car should have one. The arc2 is also dated, much better units are out there.

I run E85 and it has the issue of the percent of gas in the fuel. They change the ratio to up to 30% in the winter to 15% in the summer. The reason they do this is to make the car start in cold conditions. Without a way to adjust your AFR, you may have problem with E85. I use a SMT6 with the Vitesse chipboard so I can adjust my AFR to my WB and EGT gauge

 

If you were way under on HC & CO2, only failing NOx (on E85).

Then run in FQS position #5, or #7 and try again. That will raise the HC & CO2 some, but will cut down on NOx.

Yep, and definitely make sure the exhaust is HOT!

-Joshua

 

I don't think he was running E85. My point above was that running E85 without a WB monitor can be a hard to do during winter/summer mixture changes.

 

I suppose that depends on where you live, and how drastic the change is...

Regardless, he mentioned testing on E85, and was much closer to passing than on gas - so that is the route he should stick with.

 

At the last station I went to they stated on the pump that E85 was between 70% and 85%. That can cause a major change in AFR at idle and low RPMs where testing occurs. I have had to do several changes to my SMT6 since March to account for this. I am hoping that the summer blend is now in effect until fall arrives.

Has anyone passed CA testing with Mtune?

 

Yep, until they actually standardize ethanol content across the country, then some will need a different amount of fuel enrichment than others.
Here I haven't had to change the % enrichment at all - winter or summer, it has been pretty much the same.

Yes, people have passed CA smog with the M-Tune, among other places (including Denver, which is nearly as tough as CA - just no visual inspection).

 

Drinking it...?