trouble passimg smog on your KA? Look here

[dkim1985]

[just updating everyone from my last post]

i took the smog test a week later for a 3rd time and passed.

after the 2nd test, i seafoamed the intake system through the throttle body and poured a bottle of Chevron Fuel System Cleaner with 91 octane and drove the car for a week. when my tank was 1/4 left i took the smog test again and passed 9 points below the California max. (max=559, result=550)
..yes i know..its stupid how close it was..but whatever, it worked. lol

NOTE:
after you clean the intake runners with that brush, i would recommend to seafoarm the intake system like I did. cleans everything out.
and then drive the car around for a few days with the fuel system cleaner (only costs like $5-$10, i used Chevrons Techron $7.99 at autozone.).
before you go get the smog check, drive on the freeway for atleast 30 mins (pushing it/redline etc isnt necessary..just drive it normally).

To ASheng89;
Yes your car is going to smell like its running rich because u broke up all the carb deposits and its being pushed out of your exhaust system. If you spray carb cleaner into your intake, you have to wait for it to dry before your start it up again otherwise your engine isn't gonig to take in much 'oxygen'..which is probably why your engine won't idle smoothly.
Again, try using seafoam through the throttle body with the engine running and at about 3k rpm so the throttle will suck it in. You'll see smoke coming out of the exhaust which means its working. do that for about 5 mins and hopefully it'll clear most of the carbon out.
feel free to ask any questions..

[singlecamslam]

Originally Posted by zerodameaon

I wish that was what would help me. Fixed my egr system before my smog and i had NO numbers of like 9 and 3. Mine was high HC.

If your NO number are that low you can put E85 in your tank (like 15 - 20% mix) and it will lower your HC but raise your NO.

[zerodameaon]

Originally Posted by singlecamslam

If your NO number are that low you can put E85 in your tank (like 15 - 20% mix) and it will lower your HC but raise your NO.

That low of number just seems crazy to me but hey its a supposedly calibrated smog machine so whatever. Im really close to passing HC so i think with some tweaking I will pass.

[dontxploitme]

Are you guys paying for every test? I need a shop in SoCal near ontario that doesn't charge if you fail and that is low friendly

[singlecamslam]

its usually 20 if you fail with a free retest, and 55 if you pass.

[Edwin562]

i tried this and Seafoamed my engine, and it passed with flying colors... thanks for the write up

[zerodameaon]

So i fix all the problems stated on my first smog test and go in for a retest. I failed worse then with all the shit fed up.

[singlecamslam]

high HC is most likely the cat, you might be running really rich thats why your NO numbers are so low. Trust me when i say i feel your pain, i've been smogging (or trying to smog) 240sx's since 2002, and they are retarded. My record was failing about 5 times, keep your head up it WILL pass eventually.

I vote make a thread ALL ABOUT SMOG, where we help our california members with the ever loathing smog test. What do you think?

[zerodameaon]

^Agreed, the smog threads are to spaced out.

I found an interesting issue yesterday that i am curious if it would affect my smog. My throttle was bent. The bar that the throttle cable rotates and the plate is attached to was bent in such a way that it only allowed the throttle to open half way. I will figure her out eventually or run over California's minimum $ amount for a waiver.

[dkim1985]

Originally Posted by zerodameaon

So i fix all the problems stated on my first smog test and go in for a retest. I failed worse then with all the shit fed up.

What was the time frame in between those 2 tests?
same thing happened to me but thats because i didnt drive the car around enough after cleaning it so the 2nd smog test caught all the NOx.
i decided to drive the car for a week after cleaning it again with seafoam and retested with a 1/4 tank left.

[FRpilot]

Originally Posted by singlecamslam

I vote make a thread ALL ABOUT SMOG, where we help our california members with the ever loathing smog test. What do you think?

this.. a sticky faq on top would be great. my registration expires august 2011. i have smog due and its throwing a code 55. i have no idea what i am going to do.

[zerodameaon]

Originally Posted by dkim1985

What was the time frame in between those 2 tests?
same thing happened to me but thats because i didnt drive the car around enough after cleaning it so the 2nd smog test caught all the NOx.
i decided to drive the car for a week after cleaning it again with seafoam and retested with a 1/4 tank left.

Time frame was about 2 weeks. I seafoamed her last week and im looking to go back in this week. Really interested if the bent throttle had anything to do with it.

[Live2Slide]

Originally Posted by FRpilot

this.. a sticky faq on top would be great. my registration expires august 2011. i have smog due and its throwing a code 55. i have no idea what i am going to do.

Lmao dude i think code 55 means there's nothing wrong with your car lol

[zerodameaon]

Originally Posted by Live2Slide

Lmao dude i think code 55 means there's nothing wrong with your car lol

Theres always that saying "A little too quiet"

[FRpilot]

Originally Posted by Live2Slide

Lmao dude i think code 55 means there's nothing wrong with your car lol

exactly why i thought it was a stupid code.

Originally Posted by zerodameaon

Theres always that saying "A little too quiet"

are you saying my engine is going to blow up

because i do kind of have that feeling since its making a ton of weird noises.

also even though code 55 states there is nothing wrong with the engine, in my mind, it translates to THERE IS SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH YOUR ENGINE which is why lately, every time i am driving i have no confidence.

[s13 @ fullboost]

hell ya I did the same exact thing 23rd=gross polluter 25th= clean vehicle hahah the smog tech was like you failed yesterday you already fixed it? haha I also put octane booster in the gas tank it helps alot.

[zerodameaon]

the stated above weird noises are most likely timing chain related.
I changed my ECT and my gas mileage went from 17 to 27. I think ill pass now. I did pass 2 weeks ago on a pretest with no warm up so.

[zerodameaon]

So my friends car passed with a SR (tech willing to look the other way during visual.) His numbers were higher for his car but yet we both own the same car with two years difference, both came with KA24DEs, except mine was a auto at the time of my testes and his has always been a manual. I guess what Im asking is did my numbers go up now that I'm swapped over to 5spd or is there really that much difference in two years.

[wangan_cruiser]

i just took my smog test yesterday and it fail because of high nox. i stumble on this thread, im trying to find the allen nut but i cant find it. anyone wants to show me where it is? the pics dont work no more. thanks

NO max : 493
my NO : 609

[dkim1985]

Originally Posted by wangan_cruiser

i just took my smog test yesterday and it fail because of high nox. i stumble on this thread, im trying to find the allen nut but i cant find it. anyone wants to show me where it is? the pics dont work no more. thanks

NO max : 493
my NO : 609

err..i'll try to take a picture later tonight but..you have to move the intake 'tube' to access it. its right above the throttle body on the intake manifold i believe..
i would just use seafoam..that sh*t works wonders. thats how i passed smog.
used chevron's fuel system cleaner into the gas tank and used seafoam through the throttle body for a few minutes to clean the intake system.
and then drive it on an open freeway for about 30 mins and u should be good.

[darkslide92]

right behind the upper radiator hose. it's kind of a bitch to clean out without disconnecting the hose, but it can be done
IMG_0635.JPG

IMG_0634.JPG

[darkslide92]

okay i have a question for those who have used the seafoam. I have Mopar engine degreaser. supposedly a little stronger than seafoam, and i was just wondering if you guys changed your oil after running the seafoam or not.

thanks

[darkslide92]

Originally Posted by dkim1985

err..i'll try to take a picture later tonight but..you have to move the intake 'tube' to access it. its right above the throttle body on the intake manifold i believe..
i would just use seafoam..that sh*t works wonders. thats how i passed smog.
used chevron's fuel system cleaner into the gas tank and used seafoam through the throttle body for a few minutes to clean the intake system.
and then drive it on an open freeway for about 30 mins and u should be good.

^^ What were your NoX readings before you seafoamed your car, i'm just curious to how low my numbers will drop. i'm currently getting 1550ppm @15mph on stock timing but if i fully retard it, it reads 850ppm.
thanks for any info

[wangan_cruiser]

Originally Posted by darkslide92

^^ What were your NoX readings before you seafoamed your car, i'm just curious to how low my numbers will drop. i'm currently getting 1550ppm @15mph on stock timing but if i fully retard it, it reads 850ppm.
thanks for any info

holy shit thats high. i was already tripping out when mine was reading 609 (ppm) compare to the max 493

ill post pics i just cleaned mine. i didnt have to pull out the throttle body and upper rad hose. all i did was unbolt throttle cable and use that 10mm allen nut with a pipe for more leverage to break it loose. use that brush singlecamslam mentioned and soaked it with a carb cleaner.

[singlecamslam]

Sorry guys i was cleaning my photobucket account and accidentally erased all the pictures. The ideal way is to take off the manifold and get it hot tanked or something, but thats way too much work. Theres some really good ideas people have in this thread. Smog your cars the legal way!

[darkslide92]

I actually cleaned those runners quite recently maybe month and a half two months ago and they were quite clean. I just took off the other smog stuff

[darkslide92]

on the drivers side next to the brake master cylinder leading towards the air box. I'm going to carb clean it and then pater see if I can remove the pipe that leads from egr to exhaust manifold and then clean it out with the same brush mentioned earlier if possible. And then spray the mOlaf stuff in the throttle body

[wangan_cruiser]

so i just cleaned mine and there is a noticeable difference on idle and acceleration. took the car out for a quick spirited driving and my car run smoother than before. now going to have use some cleaner and run it through this week and ill take my smog again. will be posting an update about it.


so heres my fair share of these thread. took pics for everybody who has having problem with high nox.on the pics my intake was off but it was unnecessary. i thought i was able to sneak in between the upper rad hose and use a 3/8 10 mm allen wrench but i was wrong.

just take off 2 10mm nuts (green circle) and remove the throttle cable bracket so itll give you some space for the 90 degrees 10mm allen wrench to get in and slowly move the upper rad and you will be able to loosen the 10mm allen nut (red circle)


the carbon build up


the brush i used


behind the 10 allen nut


i used a carb cleaner from walmart cost me $1.97 per can. soaked it overnight then scrubbed it with the brush i used. gotta remember if you soak the intake runners your car wont start until you dry it out. so dont freak out that thinking you did something wrong.

ill post more pics for the sohc, ill be doing it again because my wife's sohc needs smog for next month. to the op thanks!

[andisan]

^^^ thanks buddy, i need to do this to my KA before i take it in for smog on tuesday, thanks for the pics too, and the how to write up. I've been afraid to do these all due to the removal of the radiator hose, I've done it one two many times, and dont want to do it again, but ill do it that way you did it, Thanks again.

[niteridaz503]

LOL thought i was the only one with damn issues with smog, I haven't tried cleaning that area above the throttle body but even after cleaning EGR system, replacing o2, full tune up, replacing fans(one was dead), seafoaming the ish out my coupe and i still have failed 3 times.

One question though, my exhaust system is as follows: 2 1/2 yr old cat, 2 1/2" piping to a resonator & 3'' all the way out no muffler im thinking this is also posing a problem as im thinking its too free flowing.