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Failed e-test

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Old 08-Jul-2003, 03:29 PM
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Failed e-test

My Saturn just failed emissions I hear they don't have e-tests on the 6th planet of the Solar system LOL

NOx ppm was too high. For all who have this concern, there could be several things wrong, from bad ignition (spark plugs) to EGR failure, to cat not hot enough... to poor gas.

High NO ppm means your car EGT is exceeding safe levels... car is detonating. My saturn has so many squeaks and rattles I never heard the detonation LOL Bah... new plugs, high octane gas...and I'll pass it. OK, that was my informative thread for the day... all those trying to pass emissions, hear ye hear ye... good luck to all, the ministry is having a royal ball... on the dollars of taxpayers they hit the mall... spending da paper like it's their call.

So when ppl say higher octane gas burns clearner... it not that it burns clearner, but rather it's that it burns COOLER, and as such gives off lower EGT and extension lower NOx. In other words it prevents pre-ignition and cools hot spots in the combustion chamber.
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Old 08-Jul-2003, 03:32 PM
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So what your saying is, If I'm going to be doin my e-test soon fill up on sunoco 94 before I go in, just in case?
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Old 08-Jul-2003, 03:38 PM
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Ummm.... really can't say until you fail it first Well, the higher octane may bump up CO emissions, but will lower NOx emissions... check your plugs, replace them (only $20 for the copper stuff), and make sure your ignition is a-ok... like ignition timing. It's stuff you gotta do anyways, so may as well do it before the test. Since you have an Si... yes, I'd say run the 92 cuz it is a "perf" engine. Like my Saturn is a twin cam performance engine so I should be running 91-92 anyways... plus with todays hot temps it really didn't favour my test And God knows how old the plugs are. Just go for a blast on the highway, warm that cat up good... CO warms up the cat, and then the cat burns off NOx. So drive around, and go in to pass with flying colours.
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Old 08-Jul-2003, 10:50 PM
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i took mine a bit ago... and i thought for sure i would fail... cause my cat ticks really bad after hte car is shut off... actually now you can even hear it when the car is idling... but the weird thing is i did pass... i only past the hydrocarbons thing at 40 kmph by one point... i think i was allowed 97 and i got 96...
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Old 09-Jul-2003, 02:30 PM
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Failed again Mother F...... :fustrated
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Old 09-Jul-2003, 02:33 PM
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Really B??

Say it ain't so...
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Old 09-Jul-2003, 02:43 PM
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It's my Saturn... not the Civic. Grrr... <--- me
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Old 09-Jul-2003, 02:47 PM
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The newish one??

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Old 09-Jul-2003, 03:28 PM
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Ya :cry: The old one passed with flying colors cuz it was stock and I maintened it like none other... this one was prolly beat up and is modded pretty hardcore. I'm not even sure it has a cat The inspector says there is so I'll take his word for it. Worse part is... my HC dropped, but my NO went up even further This car is a ***** I should just do this e-test, and fookin sell the bitch. Get me another jap car.
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Old 09-Jul-2003, 11:14 PM
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That's why I love Civics, most of my levels were far below the recommended range.
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Old 10-Jul-2003, 12:41 AM
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canadian tire sells this stuff you put in ur gas i guess thatd gaurentee that ull pass 100% go check it out its in the area around the brake cleaner and gas additives and stuff...supposedely is very good and has no like long term effects on the engines life...
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Old 10-Jul-2003, 01:02 AM
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Here's a thought...
Do you have the right plugs for your engine? Maybe the last dude threw in hotter plugs.
Cam timing?
O2 sensor?
What has been done to the engine?
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Old 10-Jul-2003, 10:09 AM
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I just put in stock replacement NGK copper plugs. Saturns get killed with platinum and iridium plugs cuz the core is so small, it heats up and created detonation.

Cam timing is o-ok, O2 sensor I think has been abused (since something else was fuct so it ran rich for a while, but I fixed that as soon as I got it).

It's got I/H/E as far as I can tell, I have not yet checked t-body, cams, etc... I cleaned out the EGR valve last night... went to CT to grab a new gasket for it... sure enough they gave me the wrong one so today I'm going to the dealer to get the RIGHT parts. I love the local Saturn dealer, everything is in stock, everything is a reasonable price Totally It's just that they close at 5
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Old 10-Jul-2003, 02:19 PM
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How about you cheat...

Would you consider it??
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Old 10-Jul-2003, 02:47 PM
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Ya, I'd consider it just to get me by... but I'll fix it regardless of cost or whatever cuz it never makes sense to me to drive a car that's only 1/2 working

But no additives in the tank... I wouldn't consider that, more like strap a Civic to the dyno, put in the vin# from the Satty, and call it a day. But my Civic they already broke the front lip on, so I'm not putting mine on the dyno again... gotta find one that's not low, plus I gotta find a crooked e-test guy here in town LOL never gonna happen... I think the fines are ridicolous...

There.... I just considered it, and the result is.... no I won't cheat on the damn thing. Reason being is any money invested to fix it, I'll recoup in terms of gas mileage. It's supposed to get like 30 mpg city, 37 mpg hwy. I don't know what I get now.

I did figure out why the HC went down with higher octane and why the NO went up... with detonation, the computer was pulling igntion timing back and putting more fuel in. W/o detonation it doesn't have to do that, but the EGT is still hot because the EGR isn't apparently working right. Well, that was my conclusion... $140 at the dealer...
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Old 10-Jul-2003, 02:52 PM
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High EGT could be because of the retarded timing though.
Have you checked the cat?
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Old 10-Jul-2003, 03:44 PM
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Nope, not gonna **** with the cat... even with a **** cat I know the car should pass cuz my other satty had no cat and it passed emissions no problemo Right, but the timing is no longer retarded cuz I got high octane going to it... and NO emissions went UP with new plugs and fresh high octane gas... which makes little sense unless you take ignition timing into consideration.
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Old 10-Jul-2003, 03:58 PM
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Naw, I was thinking it may be clogged, heating up the exhaust, yada, yada, yada.
Dip one of you small vacuum lines into a glass of water while the car is idling. Should decarbon the combustion chambers.
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Old 10-Jul-2003, 04:14 PM
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Ya, I wanna do a Marvel Mystery Oil piston soak after, but it's bad to do it this close to emissions testing, cuz I'll knock all kinds of crap loose, and it will really **** with the readings... It's really not HC emissions that are problematic... though carbon buildup could cause excessive EGTs.
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Old 10-Jul-2003, 04:27 PM
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No, I know, I was thinking there could be a lot of carbon from the car running rich. Don't know that it would cause high EGTs, but would cause it to run hotter.
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