Emissions Test Failed - Help?

[Dave Hord]

Thanks for the help Bob!

First off, apparently they don't measure the NOx levels on this car in
Ontario...the NO ppm line just as "N/A" written across it.

My 90 quattro passes without a cat, so I assumed this one should as well.

I will have to check the mixture on teh car next week when I return from a
business trip.  I've been burning 91 Ocatane in the car since I bought it.

I bought the car March 5th, and thus don't have a history on it. I've looked
for obvious vacuum leaks, and I belive I solved one with the crank-case
breather hose.  As your diagnosis would suggest, I didn't notice any
real 'change' in the way the car ran after fixing it.  Sounds more and more
like the mixture is rich.

The car recieved new plugs, new wires, new cap, new rotor, timing belt, H20
pump, 02 sensor, catalytic, oil change, air filter and valve cover gasket
(leaking big) after I bought it.

I will check the fuel mixture (Martin Pajak if you're out there I might need a
hand next week with this...hint, hint!) when I get back from PA.

-Dave

--
86 4ksq 266,600km new to me as of March 5th 2003... will it stick around??
89 90q  330,000km as of Feb 26th.
Rally Conversion...perpetually in progress...
Roll cage shots available at:
http://home.the-wire.com/~spokes/rollcage/page1.htm


Quoting Robert Myers <robert at s-cars.org>:

> The numbers say that the mixture is too rich.  Your car should pass
> emissions testing even without a kitty - IF everything is running
> right.  What was the NOx level.  I'm wagering that it was well below the
> limit.  Decreasing the fuel/air ratio will lower the HC and CO levels and
> raise the NOx level.
>
> You might be able to get by the test without actually correcting the
> problem by pulling the dipstick thus creating a leak which will increase
> the amount of air (unmetered air) in the mixture and thus leaning the
> mixture out for the test.
>
> What grade fuel are you burning?  87 octane?  Running a tankful of high
> octane fuel may also help.
>
> What is the condition of the ignition system?  Has the car had a fairly
> recent tune-up?  New plugs?  If so were the correct plugs used?
>
> Has the car ever had a vacuum leak?  If so someone may have "corrected" the
> problem by adjusting the mixture to too rich in order to permit the engine
> to run with a leak.  Does, perhaps, such a leak still exist?
>
> At 10:54 AM 4/29/2003 -0400, you wrote:
>
> >Hey all,
> >
> >Patient: 1987 Audi 4000 quattro
> >Problem: Failed Emissions Test.
> >
> >Test is done at 2500rpm (in neutral) and Idle RPM
> >
> >I don't have my first emissions test in front of me, but after failing the
> >first test I looked in the archives and everything there seemed to point
> >towards needing a new Catalytic Converter.  Easy enough, we make them.  I
> >had a
> >new O2 sensor in my desk, so I installed that as well.
> >
> >My new test this morning was a fail with pretty much the exact same
> numbers.
> >Todays test:
> >
> >2500RPM
> >HCppm: Limit=300 - Reading=312
> >CO%:  Limit=1.5 - Reading=8.76
> >
> >Idle
> >HCppm: Limit=300 - Reading=580
> >CO%:  Limit=1.5 - Reading=10.07
> >
> >Anyone have some bright ideas as to what I should be trying next, and
> >where the
> >problem might lie?
> >
> >Please CC me as well as the list, as I am switching to not-recieivng the
> list
> >due to work being rather hectic this month.
> >
> >TIA,
> >
> >-Dave
> >
> >--
> >86 4ksq 266,600km new to me as of March 5th 2003... will it stick around??
> >89 90q  330,000km as of Feb 26th.
> >Rally Conversion...perpetually in progress...
> >Roll cage shots available at:
> >http://home.the-wire.com/~spokes/rollcage/page1.htm
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
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> ____
>
> I've been wondering...  Who would Jesus bomb?
>
> Bob
> *****
>   Robert L. Myers  304-574-2372
>   Rt. 4, Box 57,  Fayetteville, WV 25840 USA  WV tag Q SHIP
>   '95 urS6 Cashmere Grey - der Wunderwagen   ICQ 22170244
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>