GTU_FAN

Ok well I read this...

J-rats Recipe for cheating emissions if its ABSOLUTELY necessary:
1. Turn variable resistor to full lean, or as lean as you can get and still run.
2. Trick ACV into pumping air to the cat all the time by removing the FORWARD UPPER vac hose, and capping it.
3. Run 87 octane
4. Run your tank down till your almost empty.
5. 2-3 bottles of alcohol in the tank. Drive VERY GINGERLY to the emissions station.
6. Once you pass go, DIRECTLY to a gas station and fill up with regular unleaded.

Do S5 NA's have a variable resistor? What kind of alcohol is he talking about? My GTU wont pass because it runs too rich. I am in the process of trying to fix that but it's slow going. So far this is what I've done...
- Checked TPS for resistance, reset it by ECU and 2-light method. <Biggest improvement of idle and driveability.
- Tried another AFM. No difference.
- Replaced water thermosensor. No difference
- Replaced O2 sensor
- Checked fuel regulator solenoid. Nothing wrong with it.
- Checked flow of air from air pump. Appears to be working.
- Checked air pump one-way valve to cats. Nothing wrong with it.
- Checked voltage of BACV. Within Spec. Clicks. Appears to be working. (I noticed the factory service manual dosen't talk about adjusting the little allen bolt on the end?)
- Checked Purge valve. Appears to be working.
- 6 ports wired closed. Previously wired open. <helped emissions readings.
- Tested voltage of Fuel Pump Resistor Relay. Slightly out of spec... but identical readings to my friends GTUs which passed smog easily so I assume its ok.
- Checked voltage of MAP sensor and tested. Within spec, appears to be working.
- Checked air flow from ACV. Appears to be working.
- Tested voltage from Split-air solenoid and Port-air solenoid. Maybe I'm not doing it right cause they both read 12-14v and they are supposed to be 2.5v??

What I haven't done yet cause it requires special tools or just a lot of work

- Check fuel pressure
- Remove upper and lower intake manifolds, replace gaskets and every vacume line. I think I have vacume leaks but its nearly impossible to track them all down and fix them without removing the manifolds.

Things I plan on doing but haven't got around to yet...

- Replace intake air temp sensor
- Check heat hazard sensor
- Remove ACV check more thoroughly

Also things I've done on the car that might possibly in some small way be affecting this...

- Installed TurboII tranny, not all of the electrical connections are hooked up cause the wire length is different on the TurboII tranny. But backup lights work dunno about the 5th switch or neutral switches.
- Removed AC including relay.

pocketchange

i just went through all of that jrats recipe ****, and it WORKS...i just passed my emissions test today....ha about 3 hours ago actually, now im not sure if s5's have variable resisters...on my s4 its rite near the boost pressure sensor...so maybe around there?......with the alcohol just use regular rubbing alcohol...umm starts with a P...im no ****** scientist so i forget haha...but them little bottles of rubbing alcohol....it worked for me like tremendiosly....our limit here in ohio with hc is like 174 i think and 1st time i took emmisions test i think it read like almost 600 for the HC!! when i passed it read like 160....but yeah rubbing alcohol.....its ur best friend!!

GTU_FAN

Well how can I be sure if his recipe will work if I dont even have a variable resistor? Yeah the best I've managed so far is about 600HC... my first test was 2800 :o My C02 readings are almost there though.

HAILERS

It sounds like you don't even have a catalytic converter.....to me at least.

About the ACV. At its bottom there is an approx one inch dia hose. Take it off. Get the engine fully hot. At idle there should be no more than a whiff of air coming out that bottom hole.

Now rev to above 3500 rpm. A large amount of air should now be expelled.

What does your car do compared with what I just wrote.

If you have no catalytic converter..............don't bother replying.

GTU_FAN

Sir you insult my intelligence. But I'll let it slide cause you gave some good avice. My ACV blows air out constantly even at idle. I'll replace that and see what happens.

Icemark

I agree with Hailers. You couldn't have a working warmed converter and have 600PPM HC.

Think about replacing it.

And your bump has been deleted. Bumps are forbidden here in the 2nd gen technical section.

GTU_FAN

sorry I didn't even know what the deal with bumps was. I've never used one before.

Icemark

Try this:


It is found in the FAQ for FC sticky thread, and tells you what you need to fix based on what is failing when you test.

GTU_FAN

Yes I looked at that before... but up here in nor cal they dont test for NOx or at least they dont print out the results for it so kinda hard to be able to use that chart. My car is running rich, that's not a cat issue although it could ruin the cat over time. Just want to get it tuned up right before I assume my cat is bad.

Icemark

Yes, they do test NOx, it is listed on the test as NO.

You have three rows of what they test. All of Caalifornia tests for NOx.


I live in Nor Cal. I have been through more smog tests than years you have been alive.

HAILERS

No. Here's the deal. The airpump air is SUPPOSED to go to the exaust ports and from there to the catalytic converter.

YOUR airpump air isn't going where it should. It's being dumped out the silencer in the right front fender. It's the same thing as having no airpump and trying to pass emissions.

The ACV will dump the air IF the ACV isn't receiving the right signals from the Relief solenoid and the Switching solenoid. Those signals are thru the two small vacuum hose that are located just above the ACV.

At idle, they both supply a vacuum to the ACV. One vacuum is to close the Relief diaphram/poppet valve to keep air from being dumped from the acv into the fender well area.

I'd say the first thing to do is to see if the ACV internal diaphrams are good/bad. Get a small piece of vacuum hose about a foot or two in length. Engine off. Put that hose on one of the small nipples just above the ACV and suck. You should be able to hold a vacuum. If not the diaphram is kaput. Do the same with the other small nipple. It should hold a vacuum also.

Both diaphram good???/ Then see if your getting vacuum on the two hose going to the two small nipples.

The vacuum to the Relief diaphram comes from the RELIEF solenoid. The one with a Blue connector. What controls it??? The ECU. And how does the ECU know when to put signal on that solenoid? By having a correctly set TPS. IF your TPS is putting out 1vdc on the low range pot to the ECU when the engine is fully heated up and idling at 750-800 rpm, then the Relief solenoid will be engergized by getting a gnd signal from the ECU.

So, check some of that out. Bottom line: ACV is dumping the airpump air overboard and causing your HC to be too high.

Just a note here: The ACV will after fifteen years or so leak a little air at idle out that bottom hose. So pull the connector off the RELIEF solenoid (Blue in color), while feeling the air coming out the bottom of the ACV. It should rise dramatically. IF it remains the same, I'd say something is busted.

GTU_FAN

Hmm well I'm looking at the Smog Check Vehicle Inspection Report right now and whats listed is as follows:
Reading/ Limit/ Gross Limit
- HC 611 140 290
-CO 4.66 1.0 2.5
-CO2 12.1
-O2 .2
P.E.F. .494

I dont see NOx or NO or anything with an "N" Only thing I can think of is that it's a pre-test?? This was the first pre-test I did. Since I fixed all of the above the CO2 readings at least pass. I dont have a printout from the other tests just cause the guy was doing it as a favor nothing official.

GTU_FAN

I replaced the ACV and its made a HUGE difference. I dont smell gas out the tail-pipe anymore. I'll put it on the sniffer again tommorow. Thanks guys, I appreciate the help.

GTU_FAN

Well the car didn't pass yesterday either. Still too rich on the hydrocarbons. The technician said something about misfiring, but the plugs are brand new and the timing is dead on. The coils work fine too. Has to be a fuel or vacume leak issue. Next week I plan to tear down the motor and replace all the vacume lines/gaskets and try and test the fuel pressure.

Icemark

Make sure he is hooking up to the leading coil and that you do not have a MSD of simular device on the leading coil.

If you have a MSD or CDI system, on the leading coil, the smog computer will report a mis-firing system as computer doesn't reconize that the mutiple sparks are part of the same spark cycle. If he has attached the inductive reader to a Tailing coil then the timing will be off 15-20 degrees (depending on RPM and load).

How old is the cat. It sure sounds like a bad one more than anything else.

GTU_FAN

I do have MSD spark plug wires. I just swapped them with some old NGK's and the car actually runs better?? Pulls harder, smoother idle. Those MSD's are a year old at least but still, I wouldn't have expected them to be bad.

GTU_FAN

Yes I confirmed it today. Both MSD wires from the leading coil were toast. My car runs much smoother now and absolutely no gas smell from the tail pipe. I didn't get a chance to smog it today but I will again on monday. I have high hopes

GTU_FAN

Alright things have gone sour again. After running swell for a few days the car wont idle anymore. Even when warm it'll die after a few minutes. I'm starting to smell gas out of the tailpipe again. Let me guess, vacume leaks and possibly problems with the injectors?

GTU_FAN

I dont think its a misadjusted TPS cause it runs really smooth, no dead spots or anything if you give gas. Besides I adjusted the TPS precisely as the manual instructed and the TPS itself is within spec, proper resistance etc.

GTU_FAN

I tried removing the BACV and cleaning it. Tested at 12.5 resistance which should be fine from what I read.

Icemark

I have had a couple of FC's TPSs that meter'd correctly (with the TPS unplugged you set it based on resistance) but the resistance is off at the ECU. A bad or mis-adjusted TPS will result in any of the following:
#1 increased gas consumption (the TPS does not report the throttle is up)
#2 surging idle (idle jumps up and down)
#3 stalling on lift throttle.
#4 stalling when load accessories are used (such as headlights, air condition, or rear defrost)
#5 erractic engine speeds while low speed driving (even though you didn't change throttle position)

So, if you have any one of those, you want to check the TPS first. If you have more than one of those, you really need to check the TPS first.

And again, you check the TPS by unplugging it, (while the engine is warm) and checking resistance between the wires. NOT PLUGGED IN and checking voltage.

GTU_FAN

I set the TPS by checking resistance while it was unplugged. After installing it I measured the signal from the ECU at terminals 2F and 2G while at idle... moving the TPS on the TB until it had the proper voltage at those terminals.

GTU_FAN

Ok I messed with the idle adjust screw and the TPS screw while the check-connector was grounded. I cant get the damn 2 lightbulbs to work at all?? Idle seems to be better now. I also noticed my air intake temp sensor was nearly broken so I replaced it.

GTU_FAN

Ok got it tested again today... it passed at 2500rpm but at idle the HC's are still 400 or so and the C02 is 1.4.

HAILERS

The ACV is controlled by the Relief Solenoid and the Switching Solenoid.

They are controlled by the ECU putting a ground on them at a given time. The power to them is there all the time. Just looking for ground from the ECU.

The grounds to those two solenoids, are tied to the Green Check Connector. The Blue/Red and Blue/Yellow wires. The Black/White wire in that connector is power all the time the key is ON.

If you have a pair of LEDS connected to the green check connector, and the lights never light up, it can mean a couple of things. Either your missing the 12v on the black/white wire (not likely) or the ECU is not putting out a ground to either of the two other wires at the time it is supposed to (meaning in turn that the Relief and Switching Solenoids are not being controlled either).

JUST IN CASE: You do understand there should not be a permanent ground on those two wires and that the gnd is put there by the ECU only at the proper time. Keep that in mind and don't be mindless and install a ground wire to those two wires or the ECU will go kaput on the drivers for those two wires.

Anyway, what this means, if your never getting a LED light to come on when adjusting the TPS, is, that the Relief and Switching solenoid are also not working which means the ACV isn't working either.

If the ACV isn't being controlled, then it's likely the airpum air isn't being sent to the exaust Ports, but instead it's being dumped out the bottom of the ACV into the silencer in the right front fender where it's doing nobody any good. So pull the one inch dia hose off the bottom of the acv with the engine idling and feel for the air being dumped. Some leakage is normal. Large amount of air coming out means it's not working.

Try this. PUt you hand close to that one inch hole with the hose off. REv the engine over 3700 rpm and if things are right, you'll feel a dramatic increase of air flow over that 3800 rpm figure. If so then the ACV is working to some extent. IF so then ?????? more work to be done.