FAILED EMISSIONS 5kcsq Please Help

[Dave Hord]

Tony,

I learned a few tricks from my couple of years working at a Toytoa dealership
when emmissions testing was first introduced in ontario.

There are three things that we used to always do (toyotas, VW's, Hondas) to
pretty much guarantee a pass:

1a) Fill up with Premium gas.
1b) Change the oil
2) Change the spark plugs
3) Get the thing DARN hot

Changing the oil (regardless how clean) ensures there are no deposits burning
off.  Changing the spark plugs ensures you're getting the hottest spark
possible.  Getting it REAL hot makes sure the catalytic converter can do it's
job best.  Don't do these things a week before, a day before or even a few
hours before.  Change the oil, swap the plugs and drive it for 30min on the
highway...pull it right up onto the emissions testing machine and test.

90% of the 'failed' cars passed using these tips. The other 10% had honest,
actual, problems that needed to be repaired.

Around here a 'retest' costs only $15...so it's always worth the try.

-Dave
---------------------------------------------------
89 90q  300km+ Rally Conversion...
Roll cage shots available at:
http://home.the-wire.com/~spokes/rollcage/page1.htm


Quoting tony <tony at madrabbit.ws>:

> Hello people
>
> My newly purchased 88 5kcsq Avant failed emissions today.  I wasn't sure
> what would happen but I haven't even changed the oil on it yet (it looks
> clean from PO) so everything is open.
>
> The car failed CO readings badly at idle.  Limit is 1.5 and this car
> showed 6.36!  According to the diagnosis on the report that would mean
> that air/fuel mixture is too rich.
>
> So, how do you go about leaning these cars out at idle?  The car seems
> to run fine.  The idle doesn't appear to vary as I would think it would
> if there was an air leak somewhere.
>
> To be honest this is the first time I didn't take my car out and get it
> really HOT before testing either though.  Usually I will run a bottle of
> Red Line fuel treatment and get the turbo good and hot before I take it
> to test.  I did have to wait a bit in line too.
>
> Any thought suggestions would be helpful.  If I wait until Feburary the
> price of registration goes up!!!
>
> Thanks as always
>
> Tony B.
> 2002 Jetta GLS TDI
> 1988 5000 CS Avant
>
>