Re: Passing Emissions, help.

[16V JASON <jason@scirocco.org>]

At 06:36 PM 1/21/99 , Rich Zuk wrote:
>I saw the posts on emmisions, just got the daily driver 16V and didn't pass
>emissions.  My limits are 220ppm, and I'm running 251ppm.  They said I was
>running too rich and they would lean it out for me for $65 bucks.  The car
>sounds and idles good now, and I'm big into the environment.  My buddy did
>notice some white tailpipe smoke(too much fuel??).  Suggestions???
>What does leaning it out mean?  (reducing the amount of fuel going into fuel
>management??)

	Was it running too lean *just* at idle, or at idle and at 2500rpm (I
assume NY does a similar test to PA's, which measres at idle and at
2500rpm)  If the HCs were too high at idle, it generally points to a weak
spark- replace plugs, wires, cap and rotor, and it should correct that.
Also, if the HCs are high, make sure the O2 sensor is new and operating
correctly.  My friend's BMW (Motronic) was running great (67k miles), but
had 219 on his idle HC and like 180 at 2500rpm.. so he decided to change
the 02 sensor before this year's test and it dropped to 37 at idle and like
40-something at 2500.  FWIW, I had 18ppm last year... but I will publish my
results and start a new thread with that..

>How will the car perform if it they lean it out?

	If indeed your car is running rich (which it probably is if the HCs are
that high- usually 16vs run hot enough to have almost no HCs), your car
will perform better when the mixture is set correctly.  And yes, all "rich"
means is that the car is getting too much fuel relative to air.

	As far as white smoke coming out of the tailpipe... was the engine cold?
Was it very cold outside?  Generally, white smoke is steam... and that
could mean one of 2 things. (a) the engine and exhaust system are not yet
completely warmed up (and it can take up to a 1/2 hour to be completely
warmed up in some conditions, or (b) some coolant is leaking into one or
more of the cylinders, usually meaning a headgasket problem. I've seen
Toby's car enough times on the road to know that it never burned water,
though-- so I'm just assuming the car wasn't warmed up enough.  If the car
billows white when you first start it, you probably need a head gasket...
but I doubt if that's the case.

	Too much unburned fuel is generally brown, or most likely, black... and
you usually can see it only at full or heavy throttle (and smell it-- it
burns your eyes and nose in the car behind you).
	At any rate, I would have them check out your 02 sensor first-- I know
it's new, so that shouldn't be a problem--  $65 seems like a lot to check
the mixture-- but again, you are in New York... and if they guarantee
you'll pass with a HC of under 200 for $65, go for it.  But really, you
should be around the 25-50ppm mark at most with that engine.

	I would also get in touch with Toby and see if he has any old Emissions
reports on the car-- see what it did last time he had it done.  Maybe the
engine has always run high on HCs, in which case just get it to 219 and be
done with it! :)

	Jason



----------
jason@scirocco.org
1987 Scirocco 16v
57,000 original miles.
http://members.aol.com/rocco16v  

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