Failed TX emissions - 31K mile TTA

[1987BuickGN]

Bummer, I see you are talking about a 1989 Trans Am. I was going to tell you your car would be emissions exempt after this year. My 87 GN won't pass either, but I am just going to wing it until the end of the year. Vehicles 24 years and older are emissions exempt in Texas for those who did not know.

You are or the right track..... 2-24 years old has to be emission tested. 25 and older are exempt. My car was driven off the emission testing dyno and almost wrecked (drive on above ground, did not put on safety straps) so I refuse to get another emission test sticker. I am waiting it out also and mine will pass!

 

[Sal 87WE2]

To answer your question, the tint is not inspected under the emission part of the inspection process. It will be checked during the safety inspection part. See link.....

Texas Department of Public Safety - Frequently Asked Questions

As far as running w/out cats, it will not be checked during your inspection process. BUT, at any time if you are pulled over by any law enforcement agency (State Trooper,Local Police, Constable,etc.....) you can be ticketed for not having this equipment on your vehicle regardless if you were the owner of the time of when it was removed or not. People sometimes confuse what is the law and what will fail during a state inspection process.

Wayne, thanks for the info, but the link states what i stated already about the legal limit being 25%. Like i mentioned earlier, the inspector told me on my year vehicle he would not use the light meter and it seemed odd to me.

As far as it being part of the safety inspection part, there is only 1 sticker that i am aware of and in order to get that sticker i thought it has to pass emissions AND safety at the same time. Right? So when the inspector checks my emissions, he will also perform the safety inspection...

Either way, great information!

 

[1987BuickGN]

Well, I assumed you were refering to the earlier post that once the vehicle turns 25 you dont have to get an emission inspection anymore and I thought you were asking if the tint inspection would also go away at that age. My mistake.

I dont know if its as bad as a problem for others as it was for me in the past. I could get around the tint thing at the state inspection station. It was being pulled over for it by law enforcement that kept getting me. They can and will check your windows without any other cause for pulling you over. Ive had my tint not so cleanly X'ed to have removed twice in the past. Wasnt worth the hassle so I went darkest legal.

 

[pmoore4321]

You are or the right track..... 2-24 years old has to be emission tested. 25 and older are exempt. My car was driven off the emission testing dyno and almost wrecked (drive on above ground, did not put on safety straps) so I refuse to get another emission test sticker. I am waiting it out also and mine will pass!

Vehicle does not have to be 25 years old. It just has to be older than 24.

 

[JDEstill]

As far as I know, the translator + timing setting only affects timing at WOT.

The Translator has two timing adjustments, Base and WOT. I looked up the adjustment range, it is +/- 2 to 14 degs. So I could retard my base timing by as much as 14 degs. I can, for example, set the T+ to retard the base timing by 6 degs, then advance the WOT timing by 8 degs. The end result would be that the less-than-WOT timing would be 6 degs retarded from what's programmed in the chip, while the WOT timing would be advanced by 2 degs. They set it up this way so you could pretty much do what you want with the timing, no matter what is actually programmed in the chip.

Anyone have any thoughts about how much I should retard the timing when I go do my retest? Is 4 - 6 degs enough?

John

 

[Sal 87WE2]

Quick update. I passed inspection with no issues.

Last of the hijack from me.

Good luck to your friend, Jerryl

 

[charlief1]

The Translator has two timing adjustments, Base and WOT. I looked up the adjustment range, it is +/- 2 to 14 degs. So I could retard my base timing by as much as 14 degs. I can, for example, set the T+ to retard the base timing by 6 degs, then advance the WOT timing by 8 degs. The end result would be that the less-than-WOT timing would be 6 degs retarded from what's programmed in the chip, while the WOT timing would be advanced by 2 degs. They set it up this way so you could pretty much do what you want with the timing, no matter what is actually programmed in the chip.

Anyone have any thoughts about how much I should retard the timing when I go do my retest? Is 4 - 6 degs enough?

John

You should probibly go with 6 degrees John. The car may be a little doggy but it should be enough to help you pass.

 

[Jerryl]

The Translator has two timing adjustments, Base and WOT. I looked up the adjustment range, it is +/- 2 to 14 degs. So I could retard my base timing by as much as 14 degs. I can, for example, set the T+ to retard the base timing by 6 degs, then advance the WOT timing by 8 degs. The end result would be that the less-than-WOT timing would be 6 degs retarded from what's programmed in the chip, while the WOT timing would be advanced by 2 degs. They set it up this way so you could pretty much do what you want with the timing, no matter what is actually programmed in the chip.

Anyone have any thoughts about how much I should retard the timing when I go do my retest? Is 4 - 6 degs enough?

John

John,
Not sure how many degrees, and for the record; I stand corrected on my T+ comment which was posted against my better judgement. :redface:

 

[Hacksaw]

Also, carbon in the combustion chambers increases compression ratio, which increases both HC & NOx.

 

[Jerryl]

Well, I have not yet seen the last inspection sheet, but the car failed again.
Changed the EGR with a Delco unit . . . . Test said EGR is bad.
I will go through the diagnostics of the EGR solenoid, verify signal, AND add E-85.

 

[charlief1]

What were the numbers Jerryl?

 

[Hacksaw]

It's also a good idea to take the EGR valve off & run a stranded steel wire through the 2 EGR passages to make sure they are not plugged up. I've had those passages crud up on 2 different cars. The actual ERG valves & diaphragms were OK, but opening the EGR by a vacuum pump at idle didn't reduce the RPM like it should have, showing the passages were plugged.

 

[Jerryl]

Just an update . . . . for future reference. :wink:
The car passed on straight 93.
Apparently the one year old CAT was fubar.
Replaced the CAT with a new $350 unit, along with a NEW EGR and she is good to go.

My buddy had his mechanic replace the cat and he was told that the CAT was only good for one year. He was told; "These cheap CAT’s are made somewhere overseas and do not hold up much longer than one year."

Oh . . . . my buddy also had his mechanic go through the trans to fix the 1-2 flair.
Hopefully they put all the right parts back in.
Only ONE local I trust with my trans work.

 

[Pronto]

Maybe he should pull the new cat and save it until next inspection. Glad there's no emission inspections for me.

 

[jakeshoe]

A little late for this thread but

HC's are hydrocarbons. That is unburnt fuel. Usually cuased by a misfire. This can be ignition system, too rich, too lean, or other problem.

CO is carbon monoxide, this is burnt fuel. If you have high HC's and CO look for a too rich condition.
If you have high HC's but CO is OK, look for the misfire.
Look at the O2 levels to see if it's running lean causing the misfire.

NOX is oxides of nitrogen and is almost ALWAYS an EGR related failure.
You test this by vacuum testing the EGR to see if the diaphragm is good. If so it should cause a stumble or stall at idle and hold vacuum. If the EGR is good and it stumbles, then check the EGR solenoid, vacuum hoses, wiring, etc.

Borderline high HC's at low rpm can usually be fixed with timing.

E85 may help but it's not a fix.

 

[pmoore4321]

All TRs will be emissions exempt in Texas on 1-1-2011, correct?

 

[TurboTJT]

Vehicle does not have to be 25 years old. It just has to be older than 24.

I always thought TX vehicles had to be 25 yrs old to be emissions exempt.
So '85 & older are currently exempt. While '86s will become exempt on 1-1-11.

 

[TexasT]

Just an update . . . . for future reference. :wink:
The car passed on straight 93.
Apparently the one year old CAT was fubar.
Replaced the CAT with a new $350 unit, along with a NEW EGR and she is good to go.

My buddy had his mechanic replace the cat and he was told that the CAT was only good for one year. He was told; "These cheap CAT’s are made somewhere overseas and do not hold up much longer than one year."

Oh . . . . my buddy also had his mechanic go through the trans to fix the 1-2 flair.
Hopefully they put all the right parts back in.
Only ONE local I trust with my trans work.

I used to do business with Billy Taylor over at AVS Muffler in Humble. The Catco Cats he sells were made in Indiana when I toured the factory several years ago. I know he used to do things for Conley when they were in Business. He is down on J M Hester right south of 1960 and 59 on the west side of 59. Tell him Rich the Camelot guy sent ya.

Or you could try Ripley's over on 1960 and Kuykendahl, They have a madrel bender.

 

[alwayscode390]

Here in MO the car is emissions EXEMPT ... BUT they still check for all the emissions equipment. If anything is missing it fails ( I dont have a cat and my car failed ) ---

 

[JDEstill]

An update - I finally got around to taking my car back (no big rush), and it PASSED!

Changes I made: I dumped in a few gals of E85 (not sure if that really helped any or not), and I reduced my timing by 6 degs with the Base Timing setting on my Translator+.

The NOx at 15 mph dropped from 1126 ppm on 3/13/10 to 810 ppm on 8/11/10 (1146 is the limit).
The NOx at 25 mph dropped from 1377 ppm on 3/13/10 to 736 ppm on 8/11/10 (1047 is the limit).

HC and CO got a tad worse, the worst was the 25 mph HC which went up from 17 ppm to 33 pm, but all the rest were very minor changes, and I was so far away from the limits that it was no big deal at all.

Ah, relief - now I can put my regular TT chip back in, reinstall my THDP, and be good for another year or two or three, at the pace with which I get this thing inspected.

John