Any tips for passing emissions?

I usually highway drove my Saturn in cool air for at least half an hour before my emissions tests and I got excellent results.

My FD is street ported with a Rotary Dynamics rebuilt engine, A'PEXi Power FC, new cats, Mazdaspeed Y-pipe, Pettit Racing down pipe.

 

Don't bother. Fail and get a conditional pass.

-Geoff

 

RX-7... passing an e-test. LOL!

 

I passed just fine with my FC. Put in a new cat and called it a day

 

Considering that you are LHD, just get a conditional. A RHD would qualify as a grey market and pass easily with a cat in that setup. But would say that it is very unlikely to pass like that

 

Here's my tip: Vote Conservative on June 12th. Hudak and the Tories are the only party that have said they will scrap Drive Clean.

 

After they lay 100,000 of my coworkers off. But let's not jack this thread - I'd be amazed if you can pass, just aim for a conditional.

 

No layoffs; attrition. Let's be clear about that.

But they will layoff the Drive Clean administration staff. No loss there.

 

..new Rap song..
Duh,duh,duh Drivin Dirty...

 

Street ports don't legally pass even with a cat unless its not really a streetport. But what I've found is to rev the car to 6k and hold it there for 30 seconds. That gets the cat nice and hot and gives you the highest probability of passing. New plugs also helps.

thewird

 

Thanks, guys. I'll let you know how the test goes.

 

Had no problem passing a friend's street ported, 60-1, almost 400HP FD with a clean tune and a Vibrant metal core cat. No air pump.

 

Aaron:

This?

Vibrant Performance ::.

 

Yep, that's the one. Same cat I used on my Cosmo.

 

Ridin' dirty... I got a conditional pass:

2500 RPM
Limit | Reading
HC: 200 | 1471
CO (%): 1 | 8.17
Dilution: 6 | 16.65

Idle
Limit | Reading
HC: 200 | 2468
CO (%): 1 | 7.02
Dilution: 6 | 15.61

The whole process cost $166.66 including tax – $30.00 for the test, $99.99 for the diagnostic, and $17.50 for the retest. It took about 2 1/2 hours (the regular drive clean test is about 1/2 hour).

 

Just failed mine barely on HC. Got 266 and 264 limit is 200. Need to make sure cat is nice and super hot next time.
Will engine temp have a effect on reading? it hit about 108 I forgot to turn ac to low or have parking lights on to have the fans kick on earlier

 

Seems like and very small cat to pass. You only used one? Do they sell ones with air pump connection?

 

Cats are a lot more efficient these days vs when our cars were built. Plus we are just concerned about passing a specific set of tests vs Mazda who had to pass cold start and a range of conditions. Not needing to worry about cold start emissions eliminates the precat(s). Then a modern main cat with a much more efficient metal core.

No air pump connection but there's no reason you can't weld one on at the inlet. I'm still debating this with the Cosmo, using an electric air pump.

 

The Cat has to be at operating temperature to work properly..theres no point in even trying to test the car if its not. Which is about 600-900°F, depends on the cat. Also could go as high as 1000°F under heavy load. This is why your supposed to drive the car at least 30mins or so before the test. So you come in the Cat will be at operating temp, and actually able to do its job. You can verify this yourself with an infared thermometer. Also a difference of 100-150°F inlet and outlet indicates the cat is functioning properly.

Engine temp is extemely important, if the car is running too cold (no or t-stat stuck open) its never going to reach operating temperature and is going to run rich as hell.
If the engine is too hot that will also skew the readings. Ive seen a car fail on a 20°c day because we forgot to put the fan in front of the car. After the fan was on and cooled the engine enough it passed.

 

Been awhile since this was discussed. What's the experience been the last few months? I'm going to need to e-test next spring and am a little concerned.

I was in the ministry today applying a safety to my car to get it to fit status (transferred ownership from my father in February but didn't have the safety at the time). We started talking about E-tests and I mentioned that the car wouldn't likely pass and I would have to get a conditional. She then told me conditionals are not valid for registration transfers only for renewals. I didn't push the subject because I'm paranoid about telling the government too much about my car but I think I may be in the clear as this was a family transfer which are E-test exempt so my first test should be retreated as a renewal anyways.

Has anyone run into a problem trying to sell or buy a car that can only get a conditional pass and not being able to transfer?

Does anyone have a experience with the hot rod rules (car didn't originally come with 13B)? Seems like a decent option but again I'm paranoid about giving the government too much information. I feel like it would just end up in the hands of my insurance company somehow.

Engine is street port with ITBs, MegaSquirt and a cat. I'd like to pass legitimately but I'm not sure how possible it's going to be.

 

Well they're right if the car is being transferred it HAS to pass. A conditional pass is only available for a renewal and if the repair cost is over 450 dollars. And you have to pay 1h labour for an Emissions Diagnostic.

Its not overly difficult to register your vehicle as hot rod. That would be your best and easiest bet. IIRC a letter from a Mazda dealer, or Mazda Canada stating by VIN the car never came with a 13B is all you need. Contact Drive Clean for the details.

 

I'm not concerned about the difficultly of doing it. I'm concerned about the information being available to the insurance company. As I understand it, you used to only have to convince the the shop doing the E-test that is was a hot rod but now you have to register it as such with the government.

 

I don't understand why you're so paranoid about your insurance company knowing the details of your car?! If you wrap it around a tree. . . . don't you want them to replace your exact car. . . instead of the car they "think" you drive? Just sayin'
P.S. I passed my E-Test!! No issues. . . . pretty stock FD.

 

I'm paranoid because there are insurance companies out there who will flat out refuse to insure or drop you if you even admit to having non-OEM spec wheels never mind an engine swap. As far as I'm concerned the less the insurance company knows the better off I am. I will never outright lie to them but I will not admit to things they don't inquire about either.

They will never replace a modified car anyways, as far as they're concerned I drive a 20 year old beater that's worth $3000 tops. If I tell them it's modified and worth a lot more, suddenly I'm a danger to society and am no longer insurable. Best case scenario they give me a 1/4 of what I have in it, I buy back the salvage chassis to part it out, and I am happy with that.

I realize there are specialty insurers out there. I haven't done much research into them yet. I'm talking run of the mill insurance companies.

EDIT:

I don't know, maybe I'm getting way to worked up and everything will be out fine if I just follow the process and not worry about it. Dealing with government bureaucracy always gets me like this...

 

You have nothing to worry about your insurance company isn't going to drop you for having your car registered as a hot rod.

And you were never able to just go to the place and just tell them its a hot rod test it like that. Thats not how it works. You have to register it as (hot rod, grey market etc). Otherwise everyone who fails will just say oh yeah its not the original engine test it as a hot rod.

Hot Rod just means the vehicle is tested by 1980 emission standards, the limits are way higher.