Forum
Avatar
Please consider registering
Guest
Advanced Search
Forum Scope


Match



Forum Options



Minimum search word length is 3 characters - maximum search word length is 84 characters
message
Stupid Smog Tests
April 17, 2009
7:17 pm
Avatar
Guest
Guest
Guest

My name is Keane and I'm a polluter. 🙁

The 4Runner failed smog. Not formally, I had them check it before I did the official test and my NOx numbers were almost twice the allowable. 😯 They recommended starting with plugs, wires, cap, and rotor. After that it looks like the next stop is a new cat.

April 17, 2009
7:26 pm
Avatar
JohnDF
Member

Club Member
Forum Posts: 9521
Member Since:
July 10, 2003
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Bummer... 🙁

I used to wheel a lot. . .

April 17, 2009
8:03 pm
Avatar
BKGM Jeepers
Folsom
Moderator

Club President
Forum Posts: 7060
Member Since:
April 2, 2003
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

With EFI, usually it's an easy fix. Good thing you tested first!

If needed are you going to buy a new cat, or wrecking yard one? I've heard they are dirt cheap from the internet salvage sites.

April 17, 2009
8:10 pm
Avatar
Howdy
Member
Subscriber
Forum Posts: 300
Member Since:
January 7, 2003
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

"BKGM Jeepers" wrote: With EFI, usually it's an easy fix. Good thing you tested first!

If needed are you going to buy a new cat, or wrecking yard one? I've heard they are dirt cheap from the internet salvage sites.

I believe its illegal to sell used cats. Have to buy new.

Heck its a Toyota. Just have someone steal you one since they are all the rage.

April 17, 2009
8:37 pm
Avatar
Guest
Guest
Guest

i would run some "HEET" in the gas tank. here is a link to check out. id watch the timimg tho it seems they recomend to much change. i have used this in the past and seemed to work. also my timming was off and the tech tweeked it and the emissions went way down.
http://www.g2ic.com/forums/pri.....hp?t=38911

April 17, 2009
10:54 pm
Avatar
Guest
Guest
Guest

I think you have to buy a new cat as well.

It sounds like it has a kind of intermittent miss in the 2500 rpm range so that's not good, but the real problem is at idle. I recently ran some fuel injector cleaner through it and the guy thought that could screw up the numbers too. He said with stuff like that it could go either way. I'll do the quick "tune up" burn some fuel in it and have it tested again. Good thing I've still got some time before it's due. I'd rather not try fuel additives and what not. I'd like to actually get it running clean. My gut tells me it's the cat - my exhaust has really started to smell funky over the last couple months. Isn't that one of the symptoms?

The shop didn't charge me for the test since it was my second smog check of the day. The old corolla passed no problem. It should be against the law to have registration for two cars due in the same month. 😀

April 18, 2009
1:07 am
Avatar
RobD
Member
Subscriber
Forum Posts: 1721
Member Since:
July 15, 2005
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

40 inch tires and a green sticker 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀

"Bender" wrote: I think you have to buy a new cat as well.

It sounds like it has a kind of intermittent miss in the 2500 rpm range so that's not good, but the real problem is at idle. I recently ran some fuel injector cleaner through it and the guy thought that could screw up the numbers too. He said with stuff like that it could go either way. I'll do the quick "tune up" burn some fuel in it and have it tested again. Good thing I've still got some time before it's due. I'd rather not try fuel additives and what not. I'd like to actually get it running clean. My gut tells me it's the cat - my exhaust has really started to smell funky over the last couple months. Isn't that one of the symptoms?

The shop didn't charge me for the test since it was my second smog check of the day. The old corolla passed no problem. It should be against the law to have registration for two cars due in the same month. 😀

__________________
'If we ever forget that we're one nation under God, then we will be a nation gone under."- Ronald Reagan

April 18, 2009
4:38 am
Avatar
Guest
Guest
Guest

"RobD" wrote: 40 inch tires and a green sticker 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀

I don't know. I could buy a whole lot of catalytic converters for a set of 40s. 😀

April 21, 2009
2:33 am
Avatar
Guest
Guest
Guest

have you checked the codes in the computer? valve guide seals be bad? if it has a mass air flow sensor that could also mess things up. or o2 sensor. pull the codes to make sure everything is in order. and before you buy a cat do a compression check , it doesnt cost anything! if your low on a cylinder i dont know if a cat will help.

April 21, 2009
3:39 am
Avatar
Guest
Guest
Guest

My check engine light isn't on. Will it still show a code without the light?

April 21, 2009
6:07 am
Avatar
Guest
Guest
Guest

im not sure about toys, but i have done head gasget jobs on 4 taurus's and 2 had codes and no light on. i think its called kept alive memory. one did flash once in a while.what year is it?

April 21, 2009
1:33 pm
Avatar
Guest
Guest
Guest

It's an 87 with a 22re. Oddly enough mine does flash every once and a while. Usually after running at low rpms for a while. I usually just give it a quick rev and it goes away.

April 21, 2009
2:15 pm
Avatar
Guest
Guest
Guest

I have a compression tester if you want to check it.

April 21, 2009
3:43 pm
Avatar
Justin
Member
Subscriber
Forum Posts: 1416
Member Since:
January 12, 2007
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

"GonZo" wrote: I have a compression tester if you want to check it.

x2

April 21, 2009
4:09 pm
Avatar
Guest
Guest
Guest

I'm not really seeing a tie between compression and NOx. Sounds like the compression would go up, but I'm not sure that would show on a tester. What about an O2 sensor? It idles rough and I've never been able to figure out why it wouldn't run up at Dusy (high elevation).

April 21, 2009
5:32 pm
Avatar
Guest
Guest
Guest

"Bender" wrote: I'm not really seeing a tie between compression and NOx. Sounds like the compression would go up, but I'm not sure that would show on a tester. What about an O2 sensor? It idles rough and I've never been able to figure out why it wouldn't run up at Dusy (high elevation).

i think your rite, i did a little search and found this:

NOx are caused by excess heat and pressure during combustion. At
excess pressure-temperatures, the oxygen will combine with nitrogen,
forming oxides of nitrogen (NOx; NO1, NO2, etc). EGR problems are a
leading cause of high nox. EGR reduces cylinder temperature by
displacing some incoming oxygen with recirculated (non-combustible;
inert)
Timing that's too advanced
means that the mixture is igniting while the piston is still
compressing, and this causes high pressure and temperature (high NOx)
as the expanding gas is compressed.

since low compression wouldnt cause high temps ,it isnt your problem.

here is a chart that should help,

Image Enlarger

after some more reading i found that high combustion temps are caused by:
timing
vac leak
low fuel pressure cuasing lean condition
high carbon build up on piston and valves
knock sensor{changing timming}
egr valve or plug egr ports

if the cat was bad wouldnt the ohter readings be bad as well?

April 21, 2009
7:43 pm
Avatar
Guest
Guest
Guest

the merc im working on now was running hot and cracked the head, i think i found out why...
Image Enlarger
it was probably putting out high nox numbers as well! you can see that electrolysis can do a lot of damage. if you keep the antifreeze fresh this is less likely to happen. it has something to do with ph i think.

April 21, 2009
8:51 pm
Avatar
Guest
Guest
Guest

Geez...mine better not look like that. It's only about 2 years old. 😀

April 25, 2009
12:36 am
Avatar
Guest
Guest
Guest

I PASSED! WooooooHooooooo!

I changed the cap, rotor, plugs, wires, and O2 sensor. The plugs looked ok. I have the feeling it was the O2 sensor. It had obviously been in there for a while. My numbers are 25% of what they were and the truck is running way better. I guess smog tests aren't stupid. embarassed

Forum Timezone: America/Los_Angeles
Most Users Ever Online: 81
Currently Online:
Guest(s) 1
Currently Browsing this Page:
1 Guest(s)
Top Posters:
JohnDF: 9521
Fred: 3609
Gregulator: 3071
Jeff_R: 1800
RobD: 1721
Josh: 1630
Tom: 1465
Justin: 1416
Gilbert & Betty: 1410
Dan-H: 1378
Member Stats:
Guest Posters: 12
Members: 143
Moderators: 5
Admins: 1
Forum Stats:
Groups: 5
Forums: 24
Topics: 4291
Posts: 66445
Newest Members:
billyvincent26, chassidyoatley1, heykell, Julie Dwyer, [email protected], follosdin, TerryL, [email protected], Ski man, RomikaHill
Moderators: Posse4x4: 1, BKGM Jeepers: 7060, Lynda and Guy: 225, kris_olof: 1132, Jamie (K6NUB): 778
Administrators: k-jeep: 2240
Members Birthdays
sp_BirthdayIcon
Today: Specialsoundman
Upcoming: huck271