CA Owners - Smog Results

[nckwltn]

I'm having difficulty passing smog. I'm JUST passing on the 15 mph test, and am failing on the 25 mph test. The conspiracy theorist in me wants to think that CA is making it more and more difficult to pass smog, such that a well running vehicle that is a little older will slowly be squeezed out due to unobtainable emissions standards.

I thought it might be helpful to share actual SMOG results with other owners so that you can have an idea of how well you are doing or not doing in your SMOG pass attempts.

If you have your result sheet, send me the numbers or the copy of your report, put them in and I'll update the table on the first post of the thread.

Test Date	User	Vehicle Year	Miles	Test Weight	Test Results
3/25/2017	nckwltn	1999/3.5L	168,796	5840	Test RPM %CO[SUB]2[/SUB] %O[SUB]2[/SUB] HC (PPM) (max/avg/meas) CO (%) (max/avg/meas) NO (PPM) (max/avg/meas) Results 15 mph 1700 15.1 0.0 50/7/50 0.64/0.03/0.02 508/90/51 PASS 25 mph 1670 14.8 0.3 34/6/18 0.78/0.03/0.00 761/84/1 PASS
3/11/2017	nckwltn	1999/3.5L	168,780	5840	Test RPM %CO[SUB]2[/SUB] %O[SUB]2[/SUB] HC (PPM) (max/avg/meas) CO (%) (max/avg/meas) NO (PPM) (max/avg/meas) Results 15 mph 1848 12.8 2.9 44/7/44 0.56/0.03/0.05 478/90/317 PASS 25 mph 1726 12.0 3.9 27/6/31 0.69/0.03/0.04 731/84/248 FAIL
2/20/2017	nckwltn	1999/3.5L	168,225	5539	Test RPM %CO[SUB]2[/SUB] %O[SUB]2[/SUB] HC (PPM) (max/avg/meas) CO (%) (max/avg/meas) NO (PPM) (max/avg/meas) Results 15 mph 1821 13.5 1.8 42/7/42 0.54/0.03/0.05 472/90/330 PASS 25 mph 1764 11.1 5.0 26/6/40 0.67/0.03/0.05 725/84/317 FAIL
2/04/2017	nckwltn	1999/3.5L	167,591	4000	Test RPM %CO[SUB]2[/SUB] %O[SUB]2[/SUB] HC (PPM) (max/avg/meas) CO (%) (max/avg/meas) NO (PPM) (max/avg/meas) Results 15 mph 1680 13.7 1.8 50/7/50 0.64/0.03/0.04 508/90/257 PASS 25 mph 1629 13.2 2.4 34/6/38 0.78/0.03/0.05 761/84/165 FAIL
1/16/2017	nckwltn	1999/3.5L	166,783	4000	Test RPM %CO[SUB]2[/SUB] %O[SUB]2[/SUB] HC (PPM) (max/avg/meas) CO (%) (max/avg/meas) NO (PPM) (max/avg/meas) Results 15 mph 1694 13.4 2.4 50/7/50 0.64/0.03/0.06 508/90/271 PASS 25 mph 1651 12.8 3.2 34/6/38 0.78/0.03/0.06 761/84/228 FAIL

 

[Toasty]

Didn't California allow some kind of racket where you can pay a third party to "pass" your vehicle?

 

[jeep-N-montero]

It's a fairly common and documented issue with info here http://forum.expeditionportal.com/t...for-Montero-Owners-Who-Need-To-SMOG-Their-Car and a lot more here https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=montero+test+smog

 

[Painted Mountain]

Make sure you get that vehicle good and hot before going in! Cat needs high temp to work properly. Don't turn off the engine before the test keep it running!! I'm not saying red line it the whole way there but I'm not saying don't either.

Also noticed your third test was more strict than the first two. Don't know whats up with that.

Good Luck

 

[SD_Montero]

Just put denatured alcohol in it

 

[nckwltn]

Also noticed your third test was more strict than the first two. Don't know whats up with that.

Yeah.. I have no clue.... the gross vehicle weight went up on that test... was thinking that was what might have impacted it.....

Just put denatured alcohol in it

Denatured is my next approach.




Also, the purpose of the thread isn't to fix my smog problem, it is to share data so that other users know what ranges other members are achieving. If further constructive conversion comes from the sharing of data, even better.

 

[mike5]

I don't have my emissions decoder ring right now, but I think what you're saying is that you're failing the sniff test. That's different than what I pointed out in my thread. Having said this when I went to a smog guy, he was able to sniff it without running the actual state test. He looked at the numbers and said I needed a new cat. So I replaced my cat as part of the smog process. Make sure cat is California compliant.

So bottom line look up what the numbers mean. If it means bad cat then replace it. Cats do go bad over time.

Edit: looks like high HC means unburnt fuel on the exhaust. So maybe engine isn't running quite right. Maybe tune up maybe more.

 

[nckwltn]

Updated with 2 more smog test results.

The test on 3/11/17 was with 1/4 tank and 16oz of denatured alcohol. It helped my numbers quite a bit, but not enough to pass me. I still don't understand why the numbers fluctuated for my max allowed values. Perhaps it had something to do with the levels measured in one metric causing the max allowed to fluctuate.

The test on 3/25/17 was with a brand new cat (CA approved for a 99 Montero) and a full tank of fuel. Numbers across the board were quite improved. The test took less than 1/2 of the normal test. The way I understand it, the longer the test takes the worse you're doing.


In any case, hopefully the numbers help someone understand what a new cat can mean to the smog results.

 

[JohnnyBfromPeoria]

Dang, you're "that" close. Looks to me like a touch of rich mixture (lean would "up" your NOX reading). I'd try anything that could help: remove the air cleaner element. Run regular, not premium fuel (just a touch of easier "light-off" potential with regular). Drop a $20 on the inspection garage floor when you get out...KIDDING!

Good luck.

John B.

 

[nckwltn]

Interesting notion about lower grade fuel. Makes sense.... Low grade will combust early causing knocks.... So hopefully you can be it is burning all of the fuel.....

I did pass today, so I'm good for a couple of years now! Glad to have this monkey off my back.

 

[MIKEYRULES]

Wow. No wonder its been so hard to smog my gen 2.5, its been needing a smog for almost 2 years. I thought paying an armenian bro $300 was only way to smog it.

 

[JohnnyBfromPeoria]

I did pass today, so I'm good for a couple of years now! Glad to have this monkey off my back.

What did you do differently? Are you going to post the results?
Oh, congratulations!

John B.

 

[nckwltn]

What did you do differently? Are you going to post the results?
Oh, congratulations!

John B.

Thought I mentioned in an earlier post, but I put in a new cat on the 3/25/17 test. You can see how much it dropped my numbers across the board.

For the 3/11/17 test, I had 1/4 tank of gas with denatured alcohol added. It also dropped my numbers but only by a little, and not by enough to pass.

 

[j_hare]

Didn't California allow some kind of racket where you can pay a third party to "pass" your vehicle?

Yeah, I've been speaking with the CA air resource board about this for my vehicle and they referred me to their Grey Market Lab (714-545-9822), only lab they work with.

 

[nckwltn]

Yeah, I've been speaking with the CA air resource board about this for my vehicle and they referred me to their Grey Market Lab (714-545-9822), only lab they work with.

What numbers are you getting on smog tests?

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