[V8] Re: V8 smog blues

[Bob & Missy]

Sorry about the off-list mail.  I actually have sent several messages out to
folks that I had intended for the list and was perplexed when they didn't
show up on the list.  This list works a little differently than the other
lists I'm on in that a Reply goes to the author by default, instead of the
list.

And back to our regularly scheduled program...

> -----Original Message-----
> From: v8-bounces at audifans.com [mailto:v8-bounces at audifans.com]On Behalf
> Of Buchholz, Steven
> Sent: Wednesday, April 21, 2004 2:29 PM
>
> ... thanks to all of you who have offered suggestions on and off list!
> Funny, with me being as busy as I am I often forget to mention some of the
> other things I had intended to note in my initial message ...
>
> One thing I noticed was that while the test was going on the engine RPMs
> were varying noticeably, perhaps 100 RPM peak to peak.  I don't
> know if the
> tech was messing with the throttle while he was running the test,
> trying to
> hold the idle steady ... or perhaps trying to increase the
> emissions ... he
> didn't try to get me to pay him to fix it, so I don't think he was
> deliberately trying to make it fail ... nonetheless I find that when I try
> to hold steady 2500 RPM I can do so just fine from the handle on the
> throttle body.  Perhaps this was just enough variability to put
> the car over
> the maximum ...
>
> Since the car has permanent AWD it was not forced to sit on the
> dyno, so the
> dynamics of how quickly the engine was throttled ... or whether or not the
> car has a manual tranny don't apply.
>
> ... as to the comment about the second car ... even though this is the car
> with the "new" engine, I actually am a bit concerned as to
> whether or not it
> will pass.  Where a whiff of the exhaust on #344 gives no obvious
> hydrocarbon smell, I can tell that #2 is running rich for some reason.  I
> suppose I should figure it out because it is rich enough to noticeably
> affect fuel economy ... that said, I have been considering
> whether or not it
> makes sense to try swapping things like injectors ... but since the car is
> close to passing, I'm hoping that some less expensive approaches
> will do the
> trick ... not that a set of plug wires are that cheap!
>
> ... the comment about heating up the cats might be a good one, but I am a
> bit skeptical because the standard process is that if the
> emissions fail on
> the initial attempt the program runs the car at 2500 RPM for 3 minutes
> before retesting ...
>
> >
> > I have heard it said before on this list that during the
> > test, bring it
> > up to RPMs slowly, and drop them slowly...  Doing it to quickly causes
> > it to belch environmental obscenities.
> >
> > Here in Portland, they have to do the sniffer test (as our DEQ doesn't
> > have an AWD dyno) and they have the owner do the stepping on the gas.
> > If you are close to passing, this might help.
> >
> > If only Steven had a second car he could swap parts off of... ;-)
> >
> >
> > You might want to take the V8 out for a spin on the highway
> > to make sure
> > the cats are fully up to temp.  I have heard of this helping.