Help! Can't pass emissions!

Greetings, and thank you in advance for reading and responding.

Having difficulty getting my 1990 Toyota Celica GT to pass the Utah State Emissions test. I've had my emissions run 5 times with various different failures. I only have the paper on my most recent failure to provide what it last tested at. Done alot, and I'm just about at my wits end.

When I first took it in, the test ran great except my hydrocarbon count during idle were a little over double the allowable limit of 220. Everything else passed well within acceptable limits.

My brother-in-law recently used a trick suggested to him by a mechanic friend to get his car to pass emissions. He put 2 bottles of Heet gas line antifreeze in his gas tank after a failed emissions test. His subsequent test had a dramatic drop in the hydrocarbon count. Thought I would try the same thing.

Put two bottles of Heet in my car. Next test the results flip flopped. My car passed everything except for the hydrocarbon count at 2500 rpm. The first time I had it tested, the count was somewhere around 80 with

220 being the limit. After adding the Heet additive, it jumped to about 800 hydrocarbons during rpm. Idle passed at about 140.

Ran another fuel additive through a full tank of gas. Refuled with premium Chevron gasoline and had it retested. Back to the original results. Hydrocarbons during idle were too high.

Replaced spark plugs with NGK platinum plugs. Replaced wires with a Bosch premium wire set. Replaced distributor cap and rotor. Di-electric grease was used on all contacts. Still failing due to high HC count during idle.

Had an expensive fule system treatment done on my car. It failed last year, and they ran this treatment and it brought it into line. HC count went down, but still over the limit. This was the last test run. Here's the results:

High Speed Test - RPM: 2392 HC - Standard: 220 Reading: 128 CO% - Standard: 1.20 Reading: 0.66 Co2% - Reading: 13.7

Idle Test - RPM: 741 HC - Standard: 220 Reading: 447 CO% - Standard: 1.20 Reading: 0.43 CO2% - Reading: 13.4

I've just replaced my O2 sensor last Friday evening. Disconnected the positive battery terminal for about 40 minutes so that my ECU will go into learning mode. My thought is that my fuel mixture is running too rich during idle resulting in the high HC count. Haven't had it tested yet, and I'm not sure if there really is much of anything else I can do. The air filter in it is clean and was replaced about 3 months ago. Had my oil changed about 3 weeks ago.

HELP... I beg you!

Reply to
thanates
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THe only thing I could tell you to try is to check the timing. If it is correct, try advancing it a degree or two. (um, or is it retarding? I know a tech friend of mine says ADVANCE)

What you're looking for is a longer burn, so more of the HC's will burn off.

You ran Chevron, that has Techron; do a few more tanks of this. What may have happened is that the Tecron is 'softening up' the HC deposits and they are burning off.

Reply to
hachiroku

The only do-it-yourself fuel injector cleaner additives are the stuff sold at Toyota dealers and Chevron Tchron. Follow the directions on the containers exactly.

I'm not a fan of Bosch ignition parts on Toyotas. They seem to work fine on other vehicles but for some reason, not as well on Toyotas. When in doubt, stick with OEM ignition parts.

If you are getting a strong spark at every cylinder and several fuel injector treatments don't work, then the next step is to have the spark measured to see if it is hot enough, check ignition timing, and have the injectors pulled to check spray pattern.

Reply to
Ray O

"" wrote: > Greetings, and thank you in advance for reading and > responding. > > Having difficulty getting my 1990 Toyota Celica GT to pass the > Utah > State Emissions test. I've had my emissions run 5 times with > various > different failures. I only have the paper on my most recent > failure to > provide what it last tested at. Done alot, and I'm just about > at my > wits end. > > When I first took it in, the test ran great except my > hydrocarbon count > during idle were a little over double the allowable limit of > 220. > Everything else passed well within acceptable limits. > > My brother-in-law recently used a trick suggested to him by a > mechanic > friend to get his car to pass emissions. He put 2 bottles of > Heet gas > line antifreeze in his gas tank after a failed emissions test. > His > subsequent test had a dramatic drop in the hydrocarbon count. > Thought I > would try the same thing. > > Put two bottles of Heet in my car. Next test the results flip > flopped. > My car passed everything except for the hydrocarbon count at > 2500 rpm. > The first time I had it tested, the count was somewhere around > 80 with > 220 being the limit. After adding the Heet additive, it jumped > to about > 800 hydrocarbons during rpm. Idle passed at about 140. > > Ran another fuel additive through a full tank of gas. Refuled > with > premium Chevron gasoline and had it retested. Back to the > original > results. Hydrocarbons during idle were too high. > > Replaced spark plugs with NGK platinum plugs. Replaced wires > with a > Bosch premium wire set. Replaced distributor cap and rotor. > Di-electric > grease was used on all contacts. Still failing due to high HC > count > during idle. > > Had an expensive fule system treatment done on my car. It > failed last > year, and they ran this treatment and it brought it into line. > HC count > went down, but still over the limit. This was the last test > run. Here's > the results: > > High Speed Test - RPM: 2392 > HC - Standard: 220 Reading: 128 > CO% - Standard: 1.20 Reading: 0.66 > Co2% - Reading: 13.7 > > Idle Test - RPM: 741 > HC - Standard: 220 Reading: 447 > CO% - Standard: 1.20 Reading: 0.43 > CO2% - Reading: 13.4 > > I've just replaced my O2 sensor last Friday evening. > Disconnected the > positive battery terminal for about 40 minutes so that my ECU > will go > into learning mode. My thought is that my fuel mixture is > running too > rich during idle resulting in the high HC count. Haven't had > it tested > yet, and I'm not sure if there really is much of anything else > I can > do. The air filter in it is clean and was replaced about 3 > months ago. > Had my oil changed about 3 weeks ago. > > HELP... I beg you!

Okay, try this as it has worked for me, retard timing by 4 to 6 degrees and using heet in tank again (several bottles) This will do two things, alchol added oxygen to fuel as you may know but retarding spark increases afterburning in exhaust manifold and increase the amount of air flow through engine too because of retarded spark (more throttle is needed) so the PPM should drop because of afterburning and increased airflow and higher catlyst temps to improve its performance too.

Reply to
SnoMan

I though tit was retarding but a tech told me advancing. Thanks...

Reply to
hachiroku

snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:

Did you "prep" the car with a good, hard, highway run for an hour IMMEDIATELY before the test? Your numbers overall are kinda high, which suggests an insufficiently warmed-up cat. A cold cat will not convert the necessary chemicals efficiently.

HCs are raw gas. Rich running will give you high CO. If the cat was good and hot when you brought it in, then you've got a misfire, I'll bet.

How old are the plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor? How old is your oil? How's the PCV system functioning?

Don't use shit like "Heet" or "Guaranteed to Pass". You're just masking problems that need fixing.

Reply to
TeGGeR®

Thanks for the responses everyone. I actually got it to pass this morning.

I did have the engine fairly warmed on most all of my tests, taking it for at least a 20 to 30 minute freeway run before proceeding directly to the emissions station to have it tested. Having the engine running hot wasn't making a difference.

Yesterday while blindly searching for any other possible things that I am capable of (I know enough about car repair to be dangerous) I found that it may be a good idea to change my PCV valve. Being a $6 part, it couldn't hurt and was relatively inexpensive. Consulted the Chilton manual for my car and found the point where it indicated my PCV valve should be at. Looking at my engine, there was no PCV valve on that hose and the end of the hose was very corroded, cracked, and definitely did not have a good seal. The hose runs from the top of the cylinder head to the EFI injector. From what I gathered, the purpose of this hose is to return unburned gases from the cylinders back to the EFI to be sent back through the cylinders and reignited. This was definitely resulting in a vacuum leak, although I would think that those exhaust gases were being vented directly into my engine and shouldn't really have affected the HC count coming out of the tailpipe.

Replaced that hose. Apparently my car doesn't have a PCV valve on the hose even though the Chilton manual for my car says that it does. Perhaps this is because even though my Celica is a 1990 it was actually manufactured in October of 1989 and is one of the first of the 5th Generation Celica's made. Most likely mine does not have a PCV valve there whereas a 1991 Celica definitely would.

Anyways... after replacing that hose, and coupled with the new O2 sensor here is how my emissions test looked when it passed this morning.

High Speed Test - RPM: 2457 HC - Standard: 220 Reading: 91 CO% - Standard: 1.20 Reading: 0.66 CO2% - Reading: 14.0

Idle Test - RPM: 1022 HC - Standard: 220 Reading: 122 CO% - Standard: 1.20 Reading: 0.44 CO2% - Reading: 13.9

Thanks for the suggestions... I may need to go through this ordeal again next year. I'm loathe to get rid of my Celica being that I love it, I own it, and I would rather not go back to making monthly car payments.

Reply to
thanates

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