Finally passed emissions!!!!

[SoCalZR1]

Today was a good day here in Southern California. The ZR-1 made it this time. Well within limits on NO and CO, a close call on HC, but it passed! Final config was:

New injectors
New O2 sensors (I don't think it made a difference)
New fuel pumps
New spark plugs (gapped to stock spec)
stock PROM
New gasoline
Cleaned and oiled K&N filter

And a different test station that kept air flow to the radiator as they should and so NO was well within limits.

Off to celebrate with some prime rib and a cocktail!

Mike

[bobbyhi]

Good to hear Mike - Congrats....

[tomtom72]

Great news! I wonder how much of an influence the cooling air from the fan they did not use on the first test was?

[Ccmano]

Who did you use?
H

[SoCalZR1]

Originally Posted by Ccmano

Who did you use?
H

It was AA Smog Test Only at 14501 Redhill Ave, in Tustin. Let me know if you need more info. I am not sure it mattered that much other than the tech was willing to communicate with me. I asked him if it mattered what gear he was in for the tests. He showed me that it did not as long as it stayed within a specified upper and lower limit. I saw the limits and he could and did stay in first gear. I think that helped for for 15 MPH. He was in second for 25MPH.

The tech had never tested a Vette, let alone a ZR-1. He almost wouldn't do it. I said I would help him, no problem.

Let me know if you need other info.

Mike

[SoCalZR1]

Originally Posted by tomtom72

Great news! I wonder how much of an influence the cooling air from the fan they did not use on the first test was?

I think quite a bit. As soon as the ambient temp dropped NO became a non issue.

[glkuntz]

I am struggling with a 90 ZR1 not passing the NO since The California EPA lowered the limits to 541 at 15 MPH and 498 at 25 MPH sometime in 2010.

The car has only 50K on it and nothing has been modified. I did replace the Injectors with Bosch II design from Fuel Injector Connection in 2008 and that made it a much better running car, and it still tests the same as it has for the last 5 years, but it will not meet the new standards.

Since you passed recently, do you know what standard your car was held to? The old standard was 772 at 15 MPH and 711 at 25 MPH.

It seems a lot of 90 and 91 ZR1 owners are having trouble meeting this new standard.

If I can get enough feedback I will look into filing a request for reconsideration of the limit with the state EPA.

[Z Factor]

Originally Posted by glkuntz

.

Hello and welcome to the forum.





I really feel sorry for you west coast brothers. We here in Florida do not have inspections of any kind, much less smog/emission inspections.

My ZR-1 came from CA and the first thing I did was take off the front license plate which we also are not required to have. I like to visit CA, but I doubt I will ever live there due to all the government regulation, taxes, etc.

[zr1don]

I have a 90 that has not passed smog since the new standards were implemented. It passed fine befor the change in standards. It has only 30,000 mi on the engine. It was due in November, I could not pass, I put new CA approved cats on it, have done all the usual, plugs, new gas, checked all vacume stuff for leaks, new pcv's. still could not pass. NOx was high, I retarded timing, got NOx in and HC went out. My current plan is to try a smog tuned chip. I thought states could not reduce (make smog limits more restrictive) but apparently CA is saying they are not making the standards more restrictive, only taking them back to what the standards were when the car was new. (sounds like making the standards more restrictive to me!!!) I will gladely join any effort to get the old standards back.

[GTOger]

Don (and others)
My 90 ZR-1 passed our Texas (Dallas/Ft Worth) emissions test with no worries. It can be done. I'll offer these suggestions based on my experience with various cars over the years, ranging from turbo 4 cyls to American muscle to British 6's and V12's.

1. First and foremost, make sure you're running right. If something isn't right with the engine, more than likely it's not going to pass. This should seem obvious but I've got pals who will take something that spits and coughs and then wonder why it flunked. Running clean, tuned up, purring like the pussycat you know it can be - that's the way to take it to the sniffer.

2. If the engine was designed with cats, make sure you're running cats. Again, seems obvious, but...

3. If the car has been sitting for some time with old gas, get all that old gas out one way or another. Drain the tank or drive it until it's gone. Fill up with a nice tank of fresh clean gas. I'm very agnostic when it comes to brands. Some guys swear by a specific brand purporting to have a special additive. I've seen a tanker go from a Chevron to an off-brand convenience store, so I have little faith in the marketing. Just use something from a nice station. You know it when you see it. Drive the car through at least that tank.

4. See if you can find a bottle of RXP gas additive. It's a little bitty orange bottle that costs about $8. You'll swear it's too small to do anything. Trust me, it does something. It's a very concentrated formula that will knock the carbon off the innards. Add it to a fresh tank. Do not be alarmed if you blow a bunch of black smoke for the next tank of gas. Important: Do NOT take the car to the sniffer on that tank of RXP gas. Everything that it cleans out has to be expelled someplace... it's through the exhaust. Wait 'til your next tank.

5. Run the car around. Don't just take it up the block and back, drive it around. Drive it around town, to work, on errands, to Grandma's house, whatever. Get it good and warmed up and exercise it. Give that nice gas and RXP a chance to do some magic. When you're done with the treated tank, fill up with some nice "plain" gas (no additive).

6. Once you've taken care of all of the above and you're ready for testing day, make sure you arrive at the sniffer nice and warmed up. I like to drive around for at least an hour or so. Your engine will run far cleaner hot than it does just started up. I don't typically smell very sweet or behave at my best when somebody first wakes me, and my cars are sort of the same. We take a while to get all limbered up.

Now I'm not from California so I can't speak from personal experience there. And I know your standards are more stringent than what we've got here in the Lone Star State. But hopefully you've got everything running right under the hood. I think that if you are, and you follow some of the common sense rules here, you may have a good result at your emissions test.

Best of luck!

Note: here's more on RXP: http://rxp.com/