Help, looking for emissions experts!!!

[HAWAIIZR-1]

Okay, after a 6 hour round trip in stop and go traffic with no A/C (that is another issue to resolve) I failed my first emissions testing in Japan for imported vehicles. I had to fork over $2500 US or 191,000 yen and only have 3 chances with one used already. If I cannot get this corrected I will suck it up and just look at the Z in the garage under the car cover until I return back to the US in 3 to 5 years.

I am ready to give up, but will not throw in the towel just yet. I have sent an RFI to Marc H to see if there is anything he can do with chip programming, etc. but it might need more than that.

Basically I have the 500 HP package, just owner new rebuild, GVD full porting, stock exhaust manifolds with cats and air pump, B&B exhaust and SGC Stage 1 camshafts (big mistake coming over here to complicate things). The chip has been programmed by Marc, but I don't know all the technical details. Everything is new from plugs, to coils, to wires, injectors, secondaries, vacuum and all components to include PCV system and valves with oil catch can, etc. No fuel additives added.

I heard their standards are strict like CA, but I know squat about emissions or what it takes to pass to fix my issues. During my ownership since 2003, the car has never gone through emission testing since we don't have that in Hawaii.

One note is I did not have exhaust manifold so I was given a set from a 91 and the emissions technician asked me about the two bungs I have plugged after the CAT. On the cat the two O2 sensors are there, but further back there was two more bungs in the pipe and I just plugged them since my 90 had nothing to connect to it or am I missing something?

Anyway, here is the print out:



Here is what they gave me as max allowed:

CO = 2.70 (my reading is 10.076, 4 times more than allowed)

HC = 0.39 (my reading is 0.564, 1.4 times allowed)

NOx = 0.48 (0.310, this is the only one that I passed)

Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts and experience. I will contact the Manager of Yokosuka Navy Base Auto Crafts Shop since he used to import vehicles or over 20 years and see if he knows a good shop to help fix this.

Craig

[tomtom72]

Do you have an original EEPROM Craig? Ya know I mean an OEM program.
I have one, AUAH that I use for NYS emission's testing...I could send it to you?
You mean on the O2 sensors that they are in the stream before the CATs, right?.....not actually screwed into the CATs.

My take would be to find some one with an exhaust gas analyzer so you can makes changes and run the test to see what's coming out of the tail pipes....I figure that they use a sniffer to do the exh gas, right?


Tom

[HAWAIIZR-1]

Originally Posted by tomtom72

Do you have an original EEPROM Craig? Ya know I mean an OEM program.
I have one, AUAH that I use for NYS emission's testing...I could send it to you?
You mean on the O2 sensors that they are in the stream before the CATs, right?.....not actually screwed into the CATs.

My take would be to find some one with an exhaust gas analyzer so you can makes changes and run the test to see what's coming out of the tail pipes....I figure that they use a sniffer to do the exh gas, right?


Tom

Tom,

No, my original as retuned by Marc for higher HP after the motor was built and my spare was retuned specifically for emissions testing (that is the one I used).

Thanks for the generous offer and I'll let you know. I wish the motor were stock right about now.

I'll just say O2 in stock location as I can't remember, but the guy was trying to draw a picture to ask me about the plugs I have in the exhaust after the cats. The stock exhaust manifold/cats came off a 91 and I don't remember my old system have those bungs with some kind of valve inside. All I could do was cap them since I did not have anything on my car to put there. I can't even remember since the last time I saw my original stock exhaust was 2003 and you know at our age and no ginko biloba.

When I did a pretest at a local shop they only did at idle or reving without load. Today they had the car strapped down on rollers like dyno testing and had it running for quite some time and too several test. They showed me a graph that look like a like detector test from Obama (Carter will like this one) and it was all over the place for the CO so it looked bad. I will see what is available around the area and make sure it is tested with a load.

Thanks again Tom!

Craig

[tomtom72]

Okay Craig. On a 90's OE exh manifold/CAT combo the O2's are just before the CATs. Maybe the 91 had wide band O2 plugs for tuning?

Did you reconnect your CAGS? I do that for my NYS test with the CAGS it forces the roller test driver to do the skip shift. Keeps the rpms low I guess means less garbage out?

Is the A.I.R. system connected? I think that comes on in certain situations even after the CATs are hot, not just at start up. If I remember correctly....yea old age stinks!


Tom

Jez I forgot this! you know if you find a chassis dyno, you can simulate the roller test procedure using the sniffer.

[Paul in VA]

Hi:
First a diaclaimer... I am no expert! The below is rumor...

Obviously if you have a bad injector you won't ever pass. Need to check them.

CAGS or testing the car in 4th gear is mandatory (and the way Cheverolet intended these cars be tested).

Is E85 available in Japan? If so, a little birdie told me... get gas tank level down to 1/4 a tank. Fill to 1/2 a tank with E85 (no Hydrocarbons in Alcohol). Get car tested. Immediately after fill with GAS (to dillute the added E85).

Last suggestion is to find a friendly emissions tester...

Good Luck!

[HAWAIIZR-1]

Originally Posted by tomtom72

Okay Craig. On a 90's OE exh manifold/CAT combo the O2's are just before the CATs. Maybe the 91 had wide band O2 plugs for tuning?

Did you reconnect your CAGS? I do that for my NYS test with the CAGS it forces the roller test driver to do the skip shift. Keeps the rpms low I guess means less garbage out?

Is the A.I.R. system connected? I think that comes on in certain situations even after the CATs are hot, not just at start up. If I remember correctly....yea old age stinks!


Tom

Jez I forgot this! you know if you find a chassis dyno, you can simulate the roller test procedure using the sniffer.

Tom,

Thanks. The deal on the 91 exhaust appears to be factory and not add on bungs; I wish I had a picture of it. They must have put the car on a lift to notice that. I'll hope Marc replies with what that is on there if not O2s.

Nope, CAGS not connected and chip was reprogrammed so I'll check if I can just connect it back since I remember I had the plug in there before it was programmed on the chip. Thanks for mentioning that and never thought of that. I guess NYS is strict too so your info is valuable.

Yes, the a.i.r. is connected and working I noticed it upon start up and my rattling flywheel is a little loud with the cams so maybe it does come on otherwise too. I saw another post that Pete said to have it running and I could consider wiring that up, but I think these guys are too smart for that as they are very detailed and meticulous. My car was tested in an actual laboratory.........they are serious about this emissions thing.

Yes, I is necessary and I saw that the pretest shop I did had rollers but designed for FWD since majority of the car here are.

Thanks again,

Craig

[HAWAIIZR-1]

Originally Posted by Paul in VA

Hi:
First a diaclaimer... I am no expert! The below is rumor...

Obviously if you have a bad injector you won't ever pass. Need to check them.

CAGS or testing the car in 4th gear is mandatory (and the way Cheverolet intended these cars be tested).

Is E85 available in Japan? If so, a little birdie told me... get gas tank level down to 1/4 a tank. Fill to 1/2 a tank with E85 (no Hydrocarbons in Alcohol). Get car tested. Immediately after fill with GAS (to dillute the added E85).

Last suggestion is to find a friendly emissions tester...

Good Luck!

Thanks Paul, you're no expert but you know way, way more than me living in VA. Injectors are new RC engineering (not that it does not mean bad).

Got it on the CAGS and will look into that.

I did not see E85 gas here.

The testers are very friendly as are all the staff at the facility. You know Japan is a service oriented country and it will be hard to leave here and go back to the US after being spoiled. They don't even seemed to be able to be bribed and would be more insulted than anything. But they guy was very cool and tried his best to explain and felt bad that he could not pass me. My wife was on the cell translating for me, but does not know car jargon and the guy did notice it was not a stock car so he thought that was the problem.

Thanks a lot and I need the luck or the car will go into storage which really sucks.

Craig

[XfireZ51]

Craig,

Do you think the guy was trying to say that the O2 should be behind the cat not ahead of it?! Why would the sensor be upstream of the cat?

[tomtom72]

Originally Posted by XfireZ51

Craig,

Do you think the guy was trying to say that the O2 should be behind the cat not ahead of it?! Why would the sensor be upstream of the cat?

Okay, I know I'm a bit senile....but I swear that on a 90 anyway the O2 sensors are before the CATs....I'll go look after work & post back up....but I'm fairly positive they are before the CATs. On my headers the bungs for the O2 sensors are in the collectors.

As to why upstream of the CATs.....doesn't the ECM have to know O2 content unaffected by the workings of the CATs to adjust the fuel numbers?

Tom

see link: http://jerrysgaskets.com/store2/root...roducts_id=379 click on the link, then click on the small pict to enlarge.

[XfireZ51]

Craig,

Never mind. Bit of a mental lapse on my part. DOH!