Very informative Don, but I have a question for you.
I live in Reno, NV where we have to have our vehicles smogged every year, (another great americian
screwing). When I take my Ford F250 for a test they charge me extra but they don't do any thing
"extra" They connect the same wire to the plug and stuff the same probe up the exhaust then run the
same test.
Am I being ripped off????
TIA,
Buzz
On Sun, 16 Dec 2001 10:31:07 -0800 (PST), you wrote:
>The MV slant here only applies to what I know is happening in
>California, and only part of CA.
> The boss bought a nice $45k smog machine that will be required for smog
>tests after May1,
>2002.
> I had to attend several classes (above and beyond all the schooling
>already required) in order to run it.
> In short, its a computerized dyno made specially for smog tests, but
>can be used for
>torque (and then HP) calculations, as well as
>driveability concerns (car does x at 35mph).
> If you have a gas MV, newer than 1973, and
>have it registered in one of the affected areas,
>you'll be seeing it.
> The dirtiest areas, like LA and Fresno and so
>forth have had this test for a couple of years.
> I live in the Central Valley, we got added to the
>dyno list a few months back. (area of non-attainment means dirty air)
> Some states have been doing what's called
>IM 240 tests. My machine is capable of those, but CA only requires a
>ASM 1525 test which is
>cosiderably easier on car and operator.
> If your MV is full-time 4wd, or above 8600 GVW or so, it won't go on
>the dyno. The test will be the old two-speed-idle test except that
>NOx can finally be tested.
> In case you forgot, gas=powered vehicles spew lots of chemicals out.
>We only look for
>HCs, CO, and NOx on the test.
> Believe it or not, clouds of blue oil smoke do not necesarily make you
>fail the test. For the most part it is invisible to the smog machine.
>Blue oil smoke clean-up is the job of the Air Quality Management
>Districts (AQMD) to deal
>with. People get ratted-out to them every day.
> I know most folks don't keep reasons for
>high emissions in their heads, so here goes:
> HCs; caused by cool/ cold engines, over advanced timing, dead and
>ramdom misses.
>Can also be the result of extreme A/F problems
>like too-rich or too-lean. However, CO would then be the main indicator.
> CO: CO is only formed when there is extra
>fuel hanging around that only partially gets
>burned (combined with O2). Anything that makes a vehicle run rich is
>the culprit. On older
>vehicles this would be choke not opening, restricted air filter, fuel in
>the oil (pcv sucks it in), contaminated evap charcoal cannister, high
>carb float level, dirty air bleeds in carb. Once you add computer
>(feed-back) controls to the
>carb, the possible problems double or triple!
>Don't forget idle mix, it can affect A/F throughout engine speed.
> CO problems on fuel injected gas vehicles are: bad O2 sensor, bad,
>wrong, mis or disconnected Manifold Absolute Pressure Sensor, coolant
>sensor, bad or missing thermostat in cooling system( gotta be 190F or so
>for this new stuff). Leaking injector.
>NOx: Anything that causes cylinder temp to exceed a very high set temp.
>So, very lean mixtures, over-advanced timing, inop or restricted Exhaust
>Recirculation Valves (EGR)
>higher than stock compression, carbon deposits
>causing higher compression/pre-ignition. Whenever you hear PING when
>you accel in a
>gas-powered rig NOx is spewing out.
>Higher than normal cooling system temps will
>cause NOx as will disconnected cool-air inlet
>hoses.
> Dyno-Don
>
>
>
>
>
>
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Sun Jan 06 2002 - 22:26:52 PST