Emissions help! don't want to go to a mechanic.

[Mystic511]

Hey, I just failed jersey inspection for emmissions for my 92 tsi awd. Here's the breakdown:

HC Standard: 100
My HC: 112
CO% Standard: 0.50
My CO%: 1.05

So I barely failed. I'm speculating that it's a bad catalytic convertor, but could it be something simpler? I want to try driving hard for 30 minutes to heat up the cat and go back, but if it's something else I don't know about that's easy to fix, i want to try those first.

Let me know what you guys think, thanks in advance for your help.

 

[AWDPetmitsu]

When was the last time you did a basic tune up? Maybe a change of plugs and wires will help. Have you considered trying those formulas to help you pass emissions?

 

[luv2rallye]

80% of the time it's one of the 2 oxygen sensors. These are a bit pricey ($50-80 each?) so don't just blindly replace them unless you're desperate. Often a bad one will show up as one of the diagnostic trouble codes that can be read out for free at some auto stores (eg. Checker) with a scan tool device (or you can pay Mit. $100 for the readout).