Failed smog, take a look at my numbers? (1 Viewer)

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Jun 3, 2004
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SF Bay Area - Redwood City
Failed smog again this year. Woo hoo! Gross polluter status, same as two years ago. Last time my shop put in a new hi flow CAT and everything was fine. Could it be burnt out again already? I don't have the CAT temp sensor installed.

Here are the numbers, what does it mean?:
15mph HC(ppm) 264 CO(%) 2.53 NO(ppm) 407
25mph HC(ppm) 252 CO(%) 3.43 NO(ppm) 218

Appreciate any help you can give me.

dave
1987 fj60 2f all stock
 
Last edited:
HCs are usually because of cats. check your air injection too- Dynosoar had an issue too and his air injection was clogged with all kinds of crap.

HTH.
 
It looks like it's running rich-when was your last carb rebuild?

With that said, based on my experience of 1 FJ60, the problem will be in the air injection system. Look for broken hoses, clogged valves in the ABV, and similar problems. Also, replace all the vacuum hoses-it makes a big difference.
 
dmede808,

my 60 failed last year with numbers very similar to yours; i also ended up with the gross polluter status. i'm in the bay area as well and was sent to a test only station whereupon i was given the illustrious gross polluter status.

my problem was with my air injection system; one of the check valves. looking at your readings, i'd say you're either running too rich or your air injection system is not working properly. the air injection system is critical for converter operation. what were your O2 levels? this can give an indication of how effectively your cat is working.

is your cat temp sensor missing altogether or plugged in but not attached to the cat?

FYI: if you failed at a test only station and gross polluted you can qualify for free money from the state to help you pass. regardless of your income level, you can get $500 from the state to help pay for diagnosis, parts, and repair. this is what i did and it ended up costing me nothing after my initial failed smog test. this money is essentially your tax dollars at work so you might as well take advantage of it.

here's a link to the California Bureau of Auto Repair:

http://www.smogcheck.ca.gov/stdpage.asp?Body=/Consumer/cap_program.htm

good luck
 
How are your air filter & pvc?

A friend in Sac. a few years back had the same problem in his 82 FJ40 this is what we did. We turned in his idle mixture screw until it ran really ruff then enriched it just a tad to lean out the mixture and retarding the timing about 4-10 degrees.

D-Day
 
Do you have an emissions manual?
Mine failed up here in San Rafael with similar numbers. I found a bas VSV which was keeping the AI system in bypass mode, so no air was getting to the manifold/cat, and it still failed
I swapped another new cat in after only a year and it passed, but not with the numbers it should have. I knew there was something else going on, so had the carb rebuilt (a rich condition can mean a bad power valve in the carb) but there was still a stinky smell comming from the exhaust! Then I put in a new air pump (the old one was really loud) and the stinky smell went away!
So my advice would be to get access to an emissions manual and make sur the stuff is working properly, then make sure the air pump is doing its job.
 
X2 on the advice about the manual, and how important oxygen is for the cat to work properly. I live in the Bay Area too, and I get a report of the oxygen content as well as the emission gases. If you're oxygen is very low or zero, then you may have something wrong with your air injection system. If you have residual oxygen, then your cat may be bad.
 
Cool, this is good advice.

Here are the CO2 & O2 numbers:
15mph CO2 12.52% O2 .32%
25mph CO2 12.45% O2 .10%

I have the emissions manual but haven't gone over the system in a couple of years. Everythig seems to be working ok, but who knows. I was never sure I had the air injection system working properly. Carb was rebuilt by Jim C 3 or 4 years ago. I do have a strong vapor smell coming off the exhaust sometimes.

BTW, I failed as GP 2 years ago and got the free money to fix the problem. Basically the state paid for my new cat.
 
I have made a lot of polluters pass . You can jump your air pump to run all the time, it will backfire, but who cares. This will show more pure air in exhaust then there actually is. Change your oil (It burns that too, and the fuel in the oil will show up) Accidently put about 8 cans of heat in your tank. (alcohol has no emmision) Retard your timing a bit, this will allow longer burn time. Make sure your motor is really hot (not overheating). You can put a hotter thermostat in to do this. Make sure the choke is opening all the way, wire it if you have to. Last, right before you get there plug the pcv. this will eliminate any crankcase hcs from getting burned. Unplug when done. There is lots of ways to pass other than these things like jetting and what not, if you really wanna go that far.
 
Interesting topic as I think we are finally headed towards vehicle testing ourselves up here.

Does each vehicle have to meet it's original emissions manual specs or what #'s are used on what vehicles?

Are these examples of the components and speed at which they are tested then?
15mph HC(ppm) 264 CO(%) 2.53 NO(ppm) 407
25mph HC(ppm) 252 CO(%) 3.43 NO(ppm) 218

15mph CO2 12.52% O2 .32%
25mph CO2 12.45% O2 .10%

Jut a curious mind...:idea:
 
Cool, this is good advice.

Here are the CO2 & O2 numbers:
15mph CO2 12.52% O2 .32%
25mph CO2 12.45% O2 .10%

I have the emissions manual but haven't gone over the system in a couple of years. Everythig seems to be working ok, but who knows. I was never sure I had the air injection system working properly. Carb was rebuilt by Jim C 3 or 4 years ago. I do have a strong vapor smell coming off the exhaust sometimes.

BTW, I failed as GP 2 years ago and got the free money to fix the problem. Basically the state paid for my new cat.

Check to make sure the VSVs are working w/the ABV and ASV,
There is a bypass hose that comes off the air pump and goes back to the air cleaner. Pull it off at the air cleaner and make sure air isn't comming out of it (whcih would indicate the VSV might be stuck and is routing the air back up instead of sending it to the mainfold (below 45mph) or directly to the cat (above 45mph). I had checked to make sure that I had output flow from the air pump, but I didn't know good flow from poor flow. Now that I've got a new air pump the difference in the flow is noticeable, and there is no more rotten egg smell comming form the tail pipe.

The manual is really impotrant to have in the troubleshooting phase.
Has the air pump ever been replaced? If the carb and cat are newer your problem might lie there. Also, all the other stuff, timing & fresh oil need to be done as well. Since pre-tests are around $75, get all your ducks in a row first!!

What is your "vapor" smell? Is it rotten egg, unburned gas, or something else?
 
What is your "vapor" smell? Is it rotten egg, unburned gas, or something else?

Well to me it just smells like a strong exhaust smell. Not really too much sulfer and not super over rich, but I may just be used to it now.

So let me see if I got this correct. I'm showing too much unburt fuel in the exhaust. This could be caused my the ABV pushing air either into the air cleaner or bypassed directly to to the exhaust at speeds below 35mph? The correct setup is that the ABV will push air to the air rails in normal driving under 35mph?

I'll check my air injection ssytem this week, although I remember not getting very far the last time I tried to trouble shoot it. I think I had a hard time gettingone of the hoses of the ABV to test the air flow. The one from the ABV to the exhaust was a bitch to get out IIRC.
 
Let me know if you need a hand testing anything. I might be in your area Friday afternoon.I tested about everything on mine trying to get it to pass last year. If the thermal sensor is shorted to the emissions computer, the ABV will never open and send air down the air rail to the CAT.
 
My sensor is melted in half, is that bad :D

My shop said I didn't need it with the new high flow cat I put in 2 years ago so it's just tucked up under the frame somplace. Smog guys haven't said anything about it yet. Should I cut it free from the wires to be sure the circut is not permanently closed (or open or whatever)?

Thanks for the offer with testing help, I would definitely take you up on it but my wife and I are leaving from the city friday afternoon to go to the Sierras. I think I can figure it out, I just don't want to :D I hate the fj60's smog setup. When ever I think about abandoning my crusiers it becasue of the stupid smog issues I gotta go through every 2 years.
 
My sensor is melted in half, is that bad :D

My shop said I didn't need it with the new high flow cat I put in 2 years ago so it's just tucked up under the frame somplace. Smog guys haven't said anything about it yet. Should I cut it free from the wires to be sure the circut is not permanently closed (or open or whatever)?


You can pull the carpet back under the front console where the sensor connector comes through the floor and unplug it there so the curcuit is open. Then the sensor is still there incase you ever need it again. If you do that, take a meter and measure the 2 leads coming from the sensor with a ohm meter to make sure you haven't been shorted all along.
 
I agree completely with Nocal's approach. The connector is under the center console. If that sensor is good, hang on to it. They are no longer available from Toyota, and when they were, they were over $400. Even if you don't need it now, you might, so do not destroy it!!!
 
Bummer, I cut mine in half.. Guess that was a poor idea lol
 
I'll check the sensor and save it if I can. But I think it was pretty badly mangled from the PO. He must have burnt out a cat cause the sensor (that was already just hanging out under the frame) looked melted.
 
I have made a lot of polluters pass . You can jump your air pump to run all the time, it will backfire, but who cares. This will show more pure air in exhaust then there actually is. Change your oil (It burns that too, and the fuel in the oil will show up) Accidently put about 8 cans of heat in your tank. (alcohol has no emmision) Retard your timing a bit, this will allow longer burn time. Make sure your motor is really hot (not overheating). You can put a hotter thermostat in to do this. Make sure the choke is opening all the way, wire it if you have to. Last, right before you get there plug the pcv. this will eliminate any crankcase hcs from getting burned. Unplug when done. There is lots of ways to pass other than these things like jetting and what not, if you really wanna go that far.


#1 What exactly are these cans of heat your talking about?, alcohol yes but what type?

#2 If the air pump is jumped, is it best to dump air into the pipe or to the manifold?

Yes smog time is next month, your sharing of knowledge is most appriciated-seems always to be trouble.
 

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