Hi y'all,

If I am being repetitive, excuse that, I did some searching but didn't really find what I was looking for, so I decided to post about my situation...

I failed the TEXAS emissions test today, high on Hydros and CO both. The numbers are at the end of this post. It could just need a tune up, but who knows. I have got some ideas that I'll play around with tomorrow, but was curious to see if any of you out there have encountered similar numbers and if so, what was your remedy? Basically, I am just looking for someone to have a Yahoo! moment and say "ah, been there, done that, here's what worked for me..." kinda deal. Like a shortcut to find a solution so I don't spend most of the day tomorrow playing around and trying different things out. My taxes need attention too. ;-)

As for the particulars, which I'm sure you'll be interested in, I have an 85 GSL-SE, entirely stock, sans power steering. No mods whatsoever have been done, the car is as it was when it rolled off the assembly line. 70,000 original miles, no rebuilds of the engine, at least that I was made aware of when I bought it. Didn't look like it had ever been taken out, but...as I mentioned this is the TEXAS emissions test (TSI) and I am located in Travis County.

Thanks,

Jerry
-----------------
HIGH SPEED (2665 RPM)
HCCOCO2O2NOxDilution

LOW SPEED (823 RPM)
HCCOCO2O2NOxDilution

 

start with a tune up. New plugs are very helpful. Be sure to get the car very warmed up right before the test.

Beyond that, you can PM me for other ideas. I managed to get my car to pass (travis county), and I don't have any emissions control on it. just straight pipes.

 

Look at it this way, 1 more year to go before you are emissions exempt Then you never hav to worry about emissions ever again on ur FB.....unless u move to California, LOL.

 

I took my car to a place and just told them it was 25 years old (it wasn't at the time) and they did a safety only.

The people in the office were trying to add it up in there head, and I was just like, no its 25 years old.

 

Funny you mention that, as the thought did cross my mind. However I figured that they'd be able to do the math too easily, so I let it go. I am curious though, what happens when the car turns 25 in TEXAS anyway? I mean, I understand that the emissions part of the yearly inspection won't be required any longer and that it'll still have to pass the safety part of that inspection, sure. Of course. However I thought I heard someone try to tell me that they'll label it as a "classic" and since it doesn't have to take an emissions test anymore, it'll be subject to a restriction on the number of miles you can drive it each year. Something ridiculously low like 250 miles or something.

I thought the guy was full of BS, but I thought I'd bring it up in this thread anyway to see if any of you know the answer so that someone coming along in the future could search and find it quickly.

Thanks,

Jerry

 

Sorry, But there is no way you could pass a tailpipe emission test without a fully functional emission system and good catalytic converter.

To the thread starter:

You need to make sure the catalytic converter is still good and the air pump is delivering air to the converter. You can have the converter tested at most muffler shops.

Your test shows that you are very rich at idle which may be due to the converter not lighting off and or maybe a bad spray pattern on an injector or bad coolant temp sensor. There are many variables. AFM may be way out of specs also.

There are a lot of threads on passing emissions that cover just about all the things to look for.

 

Yeah, in Texas when your 25 years or older, they just drive it around, beep the horn and your done. They dont require you to label it as classic.

 

even better drive to San Antonio, we dont test here, just cannt have any exhaust leaks and pass saftey test.

 

er move to alabama, no inspection at all, nada, nothing!!

 

Yup pretty much, they didnt even drive mine around, just checked lights, blinkers, horn and exterior visual. Didnt get under it or anything, bing bang boom, done. No label requirment and no mileage restrictions.

 

The doctor is correct, replace the cat and make sure all is working. The ACV helps control the HC's. I would replace it. Do some searches for the ACV as this has been discussed before.

Next year both you and I will be exempt as Jones said. Another option is to find a "friendly" shop.

I just purchased a full RB SP exhaust system. Next year it goes on!!

 

Two years ago I registered the car using a relative's address just outside of the testing zone of North Texas, and had the inspection done in a small town in the same county, they only required the safety inspection, and no emissions test.

 

High HC's and zero remaining O2 indicates a very rich condition, and possible failure in the smog pump/air injection circuit. You're using up all available O2 and still not burning all the HC's. System is oxy starved.

Low CO and NOx also says running fat and cold.

 

^ ditto, register the car in a non sniffer county(mom's house, grandpa's house, grandma's lake house, etc...) or put three twenties and your insurance card in the seat and hand the emissions tester the keys, he will get the point.

 

Not sure where you had the inspection done, but my Uncle-in-law (also in Travis Co.) failed his f-150. Oddly, the same parameters. We replaced the cap and rotor, air filter, and dumped Seafoam down the PCV as well as in the tank. He drove it around for a week or so and then took it back. Passed with flying colors. The guy at the shop(Quick Lube @ Parmer and 1325) was amazed at how well it did. So, I concluded it either worked or there is that much variability in his test method / equipment.

 

Hi y'all,

It's been a crazy-busy last couple of months...just getting back to dealing with this emissions issue. 'Can't believe it myself! Anyway, I crawled under the 7 tonight and found some exhaust wrapping that was covering the second pre-cat. Some of it was also found on the top of the first pre-cat. It looked and felt like strong Reynolds wrap kinda material. Hell it may have been, dunno. Underneath this wrapping I found some metal, almost like part of the pre-cat had shed a layer of skin due to rust! ;-) Frankly, I've never seen anything like that. I decided to just peel it off, as it was coming off anyway. See the attached photos.

Anyone know what this stuff was/is and does?

Thanks!

 

Go to a county with no emissions testing (most in Texas have no requirements) and find a shady inspection shop. They won't even look to see if its in the right county. I've done it many times...

 

The "reynolds wrap" stuff I've no idea, but the second skin with the fuzzy stuff is for heat absorption.

Do you have a shop manual? you can find one here for your year to make sure all the emission devices are functioning.

 

Well that would have been my guess, but didn't want to state something I wasn't sure of. This wrapping and second skin were practically coming off as it was, so I just decided to give it what it wanted...it practically shredded in my hands...

What I found curious was that only the second pre-cat had all of this stuff on it, the first only had it on the top. Perhaps it had already come off on the bottom. That too would be my guess. All of this leads to the natural follow-on question which is how necessary is this "second skin"? I found some used-new pre-cats that a guy in CA was getting rid of that I could swap out, but there's no second skin that came with them. And for a real noob-at-second-skin-stuff question, where do you get such stuff in the first place?

I have the FSM for an 84 GSL-SE and as I have read there weren't any real changes in the SE between 84 and 85, so I haven't spent the time or $$$ to track down the 85 FSM. Reasonable?

Thanks!

 

It's not that simple. You have to register your car in that county then. IE....inspection sticker matches the registration. Also your insurance card would need to match up as well.

Don't get me wrong, it can be done. Like someone said earlier....maybe best to register at grandma's house or something.

Also I believe in Texas you might be able to get a one year waiver if you prove that you have spent money towards mitigating the problem. That will buy you that year and then you will be exempt for life here in Texas.

 

Yeah but then wouldn't I have to marry my sister, live in a single wide, and grow a mullet????

 

Well, what the previous poster (and others) is saying is that there are shops in the non-emissions counties that don't really care or check that kind of stuff, they just get you in-and-out without any hassles. Take your money and off you go. No looking anything up, no verifying anything, hence the "friendly inspection station" moniker that goes with them.

And I wouldn't mind doing that actually, but with my 85 SE my intentions are to keep it stock, completely stock and keep everything in working order. Call me a purist, whatever, don't care, that's just what I'd like to do with it, so I will. Thus the reason I'm addressing the emissions issue head-on.

Yeah that's correct you can apply for an exemption, but then you're looking at having restrictions placed on your vehicle as a result. Sure it'll all be moot 7 months from now, but I'd rather not have that on record regardless. So I'll correct the issues properly and keep to the high road on this one.

I just took my 84 SE in for its inspection this morning. 'Tapped the horn, checked the safety items and I was on my way. 'Somehow seemed just TOO easy. ;-) This one is my project car however...

Thanks,

Jerry

ps-I need to join the TEXAS Rx's....gotta make time for that...

 

For my case, I live in a county with emissions, I just told them it was 25 years old when it wasn't at the time. They didn't ask questions (nor do math apparently) and I got my sticker. (he literally pulled the car in the shop and put a sticker on it, not even safety only)

 

OK here is the way you pass legit.

1/8 tank of 88 octane, drive the car as hard has you can until it is almost 1/16th of a tank add 1 gallon of denatured alcohol, go to inspection station, DO NOT KILL ENGINE, have them run the car, it will pass with the alcohol

If you need just a little more to pass, advance the timing just a tad.

 

yep. first thing is to test the Air Control Valve, if its not putting the air pump air into the EXHAUST PORTS you are going to have a really hard time passing no matter what else you do.

i live in CA, and i've been smogging these things since 93.... gsl-se's always pass with a good acv