I went for the pre test today and I failed. The tech said the car is running too rich and I asked if replacing the cat would help and he said not that its probly my carburator. Will alcohol help me pass? Or has anyone had any success with the "Guaranteed to Pass" stuff they sell at autozone? Thanks. BTW I have to take my car to a smog only station.

 

What are the numbers? Hc at idle and 2500rpm? rx7doctor

 

is the car stock? running stock cats? Make sure the air pump and acv is working, if everything is working, then new cats might help. where are you failing, idle? 1500, 2500?

 

Damn I didnt get the numbers from him. The car is stock the only exception is Im running a aftermarket cat that was put on about two years ago. Air pump and acv are working as far as I know.

 

Well our crystal ***** are not working on Mondays,lol.
Anytime a mechanic that does not know the car states it needs a carburetor overhaul, run for the hills. It seems it is the 1 fix all answer they have,lol.
A perfectly tuned 12a carbureted with working cats will fly thru the test.
This means that the dist cap/rotor/plugs and wires are in good working order. The
air filter is clean and the oil is clean.
If the numbers are high. Meaning high Hc's, it means it is running lean not rich.
Lean is what causing a misfire and is unburned fuel which raises the numbers.
Go to a muffler shop and have them test the cats for operation. Most if not all do this for free. rx7doctor

 

The car is well maintained. Runs good and has good power. I'll go back and get some numbers unless your crystal ball works on tuesdays . So you wouldn't recommend alcohol? Thanks again.

 

When I passed mine they kept tweeking with it to pass - they used a long screw driver and turned a screw that is hooked up to the emissions components.

 

Where was this?

 

Don't touch the mixture screw! Unless you have a gas analyzer or A/fuel ratio gauge hooked up you will do more harm than good. Also like i said get the cats tested and check all vacuum lines and sealing points for leaks. Sorry backorder on the repair on my crystal ball,lol. rx7doctor

 

Hey eXpLiCiT, if you are in san jose, you might want to check out mr. mazda in campbell, he does a lot of rotarys and have a gas analyzer in the shop, it's not a smog shop, but he can help you tune that thing. or tell you if you need something. The other thing is, did you get the car at full operating temp before you did the test? As for using alcohol, the stock good running 7 should pass unless there is a problem, so you might be better off tracking down the problem.

Alvin

Alvin

 

Well heres my results. Hey Zyrano thanks for the info I'll probly give him a try if I can't fix it myself.

 

Heres a clearer view of the numbers:

 

Well definitely nothing wrong with your cats. Looks like a small adjustment of the carb to richen it up slightly and she should be done. Also with numbers in that area
which means the Hc's are within limits a bottle of the stuff thats guranteed to pass should also do the trick. rx7doctor

 

Cool thanks a lot rx7doctor. I'll poor in that stuff in tomorrow. One more thing. Would changing the spark plugs make a difference? I replaced them about 4 months ago.

 

If they look clean and there is no misfire they are fine. Make sure that you follow the directions on the can of the guranteed to pass. I believe they want you to run it thru a full tank of fuel. rx7doctor