DAMMIT! I can't pass emissions!!
 

Sonofabitch! Thus far I have tried to pass emissions 4 times to no avail. I've tried everything on http://www.scuderiaciriani.com to no avail. The only way to get a waiver in the state of WA is to pay an approved shop for $150 in labor and if you still fail you can get a waiver. I figured, screw it, I'll just take it in. Well, the guy said he couldn't figure it out and that he woudln't charge me. I said, "charge me, I don't care, I just need to get this thing registered". I'm at my wits end, I pass by a mile on the rollers, but I am 3 times the limit at idle. Is there any way to cheat the sniffer by putting alcohol in the tank?

And your sure your air pump is working properly?

Yes, some people have put some alcohol into the gas take, and there is also some stuff you can purchase at auto stores to help as well.

Check this thread:
https://www.rx7club.com/forum/showth...hlight=alcohol

is there anyway, you can get that mechanic to say he 'ordered' some of those parts you bought? perhaps that will get you your $150 to pass.

No, I'm not sure that the air pump is working properly, how do I tell?

When in doubt, swap it out! Well, not really. There might be a way to tell if it's running properly while it's on the car, but I'm not sure. If you have the money, maybe replace it, or borrow a known working one from someone and put it on, just to see.

You might need to see if you can find a friendly shop that will help a brother in need. Check in the regional forums, you might find something there.

Are you getting it nice and hot before the test? You need to get your cats plenty hot to make them work. You could try running 89 octane. Just don't boost while it's in the tank.

I think I posted this 3 times recently in the past couple of months. My FD wouldn't pass DE emissions, something like 1200ppm. Tried new air pump hose, tune up, etc. Had the car at Mazda and PFS - neither could fix it. I was ready to sell the POS when in desperation I took it to Precision Tune. The mechanic started spraying carb cleaner under the intake at each vacuum hose connection. Well 2 connections sucked in the cleaner and almost made the car stall. They put the hoses back on tight and the car was under 10ppm. I was shocked. I drove around the block and ran it out hard to see if the hoses would pop off. Brought it back and they put it back on the emission tester. Still below 10. It passed emissions easily. 2 years later (this March) it also passed easily again. Don't ask me which 2 hoses they were - I didn't fix it. I can tell you they are in the rats nest. I think the possible hoses are listed in the shop manual, Section F in the Emissions section. The black smoke at idle condition also went away.

The denatured alcohol does help. My first test I was a little more than DOUBLE the limit and then I put one gal in with a full tank of high octane. I passed the CO but failed the HC by 0.02. So now I am planning a new attack. I do now I am running rich.

I just failed and pass emission as well, but I have a tuned pfc as well.

I passed the low speed 15 mph run but failed at 25, i was way over the limit.

The only difference between the runs was that the first one was done is second gear for both, the second run the tech put it in 3rd gear for the high speed run.

try the Guarenteed to pass emissions stuff, its in most auto parts stores. my friend used it in his merkur xr4ti and his probe turbo and passed both before that he was failing hard with both of them. hope that helps

Ryan

The guaranteed to pass stuff did not help me (but it can't hurt).

hmmm
 

Is there any way to pass if you don't have a air pump? For us single turbo guys!

Re: hmmm
 

Gmonson brought up the idea of having a "no boost" map so that you could lean your mixture out. The other thing is to get an electrical air pump(Corvette, boooo hisssss). That is becoming popular.
Actually, maybe the no boost map would work for you Toddzilla. Of course i'm freaking now, my sticker runs out this month. :eek:

Re: hmmm
 

Slip the guy doing the test a Benjamin ;)

Long thread but worth reading IMHO.

https://www.rx7club.com/forum/showth...hreadid=102707

AFTER finally passing with a new Mazda cat ($1382), I measured idle vacuum at 14" Hg @ 700 rpm, 15" Hg @ 1000 rpm. I bought Viton hose & am about to replace all the vacuum hoses; theres a problem still in there someplace. Be SURE you don't have a vacuum leak. That will cause an extra-lean mixture at idle, which in turn causes random missing (usually you can feel little "hiccups") which causes unburned A/F mixture to dump into the exhaust system. Under load that problem tends to be swamped out by the larger throttle butterfly opening.

---- Bill

I love where Im at no Emmissions testing at all.. Hehe I love being able to run Straight pipes [to bad I don't] I do on the other hand don't have a cat =]

You can buy a used Airpump for $50-60 bucks on the forum. Try to borrow someones for a day...

Also, check the airconditioning fuse located in the engine bay9near the battery). The a/c fuse also runs the air pump. That was my problem...

Last time I had to smog my car in CA on the dyno I couldn't get the car to pass no matter what I did. I had a PFC in the car at the time. I later swapped to the stock computer and that actually helped a lot!! I thought maybe my highflow cat was bad so I had it replaced at the muffler shop, that was a big mistake. The POS was already glowing when I got home that night. I eventually added 3 gallons of alcohol to the tank and passed cleaner than a new honda! Just a thought.

There is a rotary race shop in WA. I will got to my car on my lunch break and look for the name and city. They rebuilt my turbos for the previous owner. It's something like Rotarys Mazdas and more.

OK, did a web search:

Mazdas & More! (Rotary, Miata) 26454 Pacific Hwy So, Kent, WA (253)529-9665.

Hayes Rotary Engineering (Rotary) 9135 Willows Rd., Redmond, WA
(425) 881-3604.

Atkins Rotary Engines (Rotary)
16715 Meridian Ave Bldg K-A,
Puyallup, WA
(253) 848-7776
www.AtkinsRotary.com

Hey guys, thanks a lot for all of your help. My car is currently at an "ecology department approved" emissions shop, so I may just get a waiver. If not, I *may* bring it into one of the rotory shops up here.

Re: Re: hmmm
 

Just tack another $80 and buy an electric airpump from your nearest GM dealer.

Make sure to check your COILS, wires and plugs.
If a coil is gone you can still drive fine, you just don't have great HP, and you run rich, and fail emissions forever.

check coils?
 

btw, how can I check my coils? would pulling each wire at the plug and checking for a spark be sufficient?

hey I finally passed. 1/ 2 tank + methanol

GO TO PEPBOY AND GET THOSE SURE PASS EMISSION STUFF.

It actually works. Forget the name but you will know when you see it.

I will take a pic of it when I'm home.