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Any quick tips to pass emissions tests?


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Hey everyone,

 

I took my emissions test a couple weeks ago and failed. My HC's at idle were WAY too high, and at speed they barely passed.

 

Anyway, I'm going back in to re-test tomorrow morning. I poured a bottle of this emissions cleaner I found at Schucks in, but I was wondering if anyone had any little tricks. Should I drive it hard and get it really warmed up... or should I try to keep it as cool as possible?

 

It's not big deal if I pass or fail (which is the reason I've spent no real money on fixing it) because I can just register it with my aunt and uncle's name, as they live in a town that requires no emissions.

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Guest lothar34

My old Volvo failed last year, but it was for NOx, not HC.

 

If you haven't changed the oil already, do that. If you use some sort of cleaning gas additive, you should let that tank run out before you test it again.

 

Get the car warmed, and you might try advancing the spark timing a little as a last resort (then switch it back).

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Well I thought you'd all like to know I passed.

 

Either it had to do with the oil change, that emissions stuff I dumped in, or the fact that I left the car idling while in line this time (last time there was over an hour wait and my car started overheating).

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Glad to hear you passed. One tip that might not have been mentioned, you have to have the engine (and more importantly, the catalytic converter) hot. Never turn off the engine (if you can avoid it) while waiting in line and maybe cruise for 10 minutes or more on the Interstate to get the system good and hot before your emissions test. A cold engine or cat will generally fail emissions.

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I thought it might have been the cat, but the car was in no way cold when i tested last time.

 

I had just driven about 20 minutes on the freeway, then arrived to over an hour long line. I kept the car running the last 10-15 minutes in a line, but maybe that wasnt enough :-)

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