Thread: Failed emissions, then passed

Thought this might be useful to someone in the future. I'm sure I'll refer back to it the next time I have to pass smog again

I failed WA state emissions last week:

Cruise HC
Limit: 170 PPM
Measured: 125 PPM - PASS

Idle HC
Limit: 220
Measured: 273 - FAIL

Cruise CO%
Limit: 1.2
Measured: 1.18 - PASS

Idle CO%
Limit: 1.2
Measured: 3.68(!) - FAIL

Setup: VE, PR WAI, NGK Iridium BKR6EIX, N1 cams (+5/-5), DE MAF, VE INJ, timing @ 13 degrees, Nismo FPR @ 30psi w/hose connected, Calum RT with "B13-91-SR20VE-VE INJ DE MAF CAMS.bin", and NO CAT*

I put on a new Magnaflow cat and changed my oil and filter (Mobil 1 5W-30, OEM filter). I wanted to get the engine and cat nice and hot, so I drove to the same testing station 18 miles away...keeping the engine spinning at around 4.5k rpm. By the time I got to the station, water temp on the Techtom read 208 degrees. There was a bit of a line, so I kept the engine temp up by keeping the revs at 2k rpm until my turn 10 minutes later. Passed with flying colors:

Cruise HC
Limit: 170 PPM
Measured: 31 PPM - PASS

Idle HC
Limit: 220
Measured: 53 - PASS

Cruise CO%
Limit: 1.2
Measured: 0.02 - PASS

Idle CO%
Limit: 1.2
Measured: 0.01 - PASS

As soon as I got home, I set fuel pressure back to stock and timing back to 15 degrees. The VE is a pretty clean engine when everything is working right.


*I passed smog 4 years(?) ago with no cat, which is why I haven't been using one. However, I just *barely* passed that time, so I guess the addition of the N1 cams since then had pushed things pretty far into the red.

This is good news, I am a bit worried about emissons too. I dunno if these values are identical to the Norwegian smog-test limits tho..

Nice job passing emissions with a VE and all of your other mods. My emission guy always tells to bring the car in nice and hot.

Useful info for the search database.

Finally got the emissions test on the VE done today -- and it passed. This is the first time for me after the VE install.

Details: SR20VE w/ solenoids disabled (I didn't want the high cams accidentally kicking in), VE injectors and FPR, B14 TB, DE MAF, JWT POP, Gen 6 with 3", Walker cat, VRS 3" exhaust. Calum VE map with 15* base timing. Added two gallons of denatured alcohol to a full tank of 93 octane.

35* outside air temperature. I did drive it on the highway 15+ minutes to get everything warmed up, but the car sat for ~10-15 minutes before they brought it onto the rollers, then they spend 10-15 minutes talking about if my Walker catalyst wasn't actually a lead resonator (they decided it was OK.)

Test is on rollers, 3rd gear at 3000 RPM.

Results:
HC 181 on 188 limit
CO .59% on 1.00% limit
NOx 2116 on 2188 limit

Recommendations: the alcohol saved me. But, I think I need to wait for a hotter day and ensure the thing's been driven so that it's REALLY warmed up, and then if it sits drive it some more. I'll also consider backing down the timing 5* or so, and that should take care of it.

Good for another two years, and relieved to know the car will pass emissions testing... - GA