new mexico emissions\smog fails help

[jonstaley89]

Hey guys,
Im stationed here in ABQ and the GN keeps failing emissions. Is there a simple way to get in a get it passed without dumping 500 bucks to get it done? The car has no cats even though the paper says it does. Here is my readout

 

[thadeal4real]

I am NOT an electrician so I will pray for you good luck man

 

[turbolou]

Your problem is high HC at idle indicting an ign. miss fire. This can be caused by a number of things, Coil pack, wires, plugs, 02 sensor, engine wear, wrong chip etc. Although the standards are pretty loose in your state you still need a healthy cat to pass. But I wouldn't rush to do that till all the rest of the components mentioned are verified to be in good working order or you will destroy the cat very quickly. Even though you hate to spend money the benefit besides clean air will be a smoother running car which I'm willing to bet it isn't right now.

 

[jonstaley89]

Your problem is high HC at idle indicting an ign. miss fire. This can be caused by a number of things, Coil pack, wires, plugs, 02 sensor, engine wear, wrong chip etc. Although the standards are pretty loose in your state you still need a healthy cat to pass. But I wouldn't rush to do that till all the rest of the components mentioned are verified to be in good working order or you will destroy the cat very quickly. Even though you hate to spend money the benefit besides clean air will be a smoother running car which I'm willing to bet it isn't right now.

Lol well you would be right. She isnt running strong, besides the volts problem she has a miss while in idle. I was going to replace plugs and wires either way.

 

[turbolou]

Lol well you would be right. She isnt running strong, besides the volts problem she has a miss while in idle. I was going to replace plugs and wires either way.

Go for the coil pack first, Check with ohm meter across the terminals. It has three separate coils joined together a good coil typically ohms out at 1150 to 1300 & they all should be I would say within 25 ohms of one another. The average life span is about 50,000 miles. the other most common is plug wires. Plugs should be R43TS gaped at .030. You also shouldn't ignore any check engine light or codes problem.

 

[lolo86GN]

You also failed the visual inspection and the gas cap pressure test.. Maybe there are broken/unplugged vaccum hoses or missing emissions components in the engine bay? aftermarket valve cover breathers?

 

[jonstaley89]

I didnt rwalize that I failed visual inspection. Not sure that matters of I pass everything else. Im not sure what smog componets are supposed to be under the hood. There is after market items but I only seen one broken vac line and it was to that circle thing that stands up in the front driver side

 

[ALVAROG1983]

Egr is circle shape and its part of emissions.

 

[ALVAROG1983]

repost.

 

[lolo86GN]

You can pass the actual emissions tests and still get a fail for failing the visual or gas cap.. you must pass all parts of the test. No exceptions unless you know the smog tech personally and they let you slide... post pics of engine compartment and we can see what you might be missing... also listen to Al about the egr.. everything has to be connected properly.. if you have loose vacuum hoses your engine will suck in more air causing the computer to add fuel.. need to check all your vacuum hoses for cracks or leaks

 

[turbotroy]

I'm not familiar with NM emissions, but your going to have to get it where it passes visual and gas cap. I wish I 'd known about that and the electrical issues a week ago as I was there a few days ago and could have stopped and helped. Pm me your phone # and I'll try to help. I'm still learning how to tune our cars but I once was considered an electrical genius ;-)

 

[jonstaley89]

Heres some pic

 

[jonstaley89]

The visual I have no idea what he seen, and there should of been nothing that I seen. Gas cap makes sense and isnt big deal. Cats will have to be put on there eventually. Im running rich at idle which I understand could be alot of diffrent things plugs, wires. Another question I got for you guys is. What plugs and wires should I run? Also Im thinking the car could use a tune to help fix this rich problem. I called a tune guy today and he said he had no software and stuff to do it, but he would do it if I brought it.
So the question is to tune what do I need? And what is the connector for the GN to see this?

 

[Heskahoka]

I would do what turbolou suggested in the post above. Check your coil pack as he outlined.
Replace your plugs with what he advised you above. Fix all of your vacuum leaks, especially to the EGR. Replace your gas cap. Check which chip you have in your computer. I have an emissions chip you can borrow here in ABQ for your next emissions test. Make sure you are running fresh gas in the car.
Do you have a Scanmaster on your car? If not, try to get one. It is a great tool that can give you a lot of information useful for diagnosis and eventually performance tuning.
My mechanic I suggested to you can help/do these things for you if you cannot.
I was in the same boat as you here in ABQ-I flunked my first emissions test. I fixed this by getting a tune up (plugs, vacuum lines, compression test, wires, etc), getting a cat put on the car, then buying the Emissions chip. I passed emissions easily the second time.
Finally, the emissions station you choose can make a difference. The one I use happens to be a fan of Turbo Buicks.
PM me if you need some help.
Mike B

 

[ALVAROG1983]

Forget about a tune right now get the car back to normal first. Use the plugs that Lou mention nothing else there made by ac delco wires don't really matter on the brand.

 

[lolo86GN]

The visual I have no idea what he seen, and there should of been nothing that I seen. Gas cap makes sense and isnt big deal. Cats will have to be put on there eventually. Im running rich at idle which I understand could be alot of diffrent things plugs, wires. Another question I got for you guys is. What plugs and wires should I run? Also Im thinking the car could use a tune to help fix this rich problem. I called a tune guy today and he said he had no software and stuff to do it, but he would do it if I brought it.
So the question is to tune what do I need? And what is the connector for the GN to see this?

From your pics one part I would fail is that breather on the passenger side valve cover. Thats part of the PCV system and should be connected to the inlet bell of the turbo if you have the stock turbo. It cant just be left to breath crankcase vapors into the air like that. Go buy some 7/32 vacuum hose and change out the vacuum lines. There are only a few and since vacuum hose is not expensive it might be good insurance... all the lines come from that block on top of the throttle body. On a side note..... Is your boost solenoid connected to the turbo at all? Looks like there is a screw in the vacuum line???? Or do you have a manual boost controller hidden somewhere?

 

[jonstaley89]

I actially didnt notice that. The breather is a vacum line that runs to the inlet of turbo? The hole looks big to be a vac line. Also it doesnt look like it is hooked up to the turbo. So I guess since that isnt hooked up that flex harness bypass wont work for my charge problem? Im not sure where that vac line with the screw goes to? But there os no boost controller that I have seen. Looks like the privious owner probably had one.

 

[lolo86GN]

Not a vacuum line... more like a big tube.. There is a plug on your inlet bell where it hooks up to the turbo but you have a bypass kit on it. The boost solenoid bleeds off pressure from the turbo to control boost. Its that Red/Orange colored solenoid on the passenger valve cover with a screw in it. You should have the turbo connected to that solenoid for proper operation... take that screw out of there since that solenoid has to bleed air to the atmosphere and shouldnt be blocked... it actually can with a small filter which can still be purchased.. and no it doesnt have anything to do with your voltage problem..

 

[jonstaley89]

Okay so correct me if im wrong. When I get the $1.69 pcv for the valve cover it has everything I need to install to inlet corectly? Just need that thing, or is the pcv thing installed and then vac line runs from that to the inlet? Also I dont have that flex harness on yet, its on its way. So there is 2 lines out of that solenoid on valve cover. 1 runs down to the front of motor, other(screw) is just open? So put a small filter on it?

 

[lolo86GN]