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Failed MD emissions Badly, Please Help

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AWD1GTSI

Probationary Member
10
0
Feb 2, 2004
Baltimore, Maryland
I am new to DSM's, my last car was an 91 MR2 turbo R.I.P., I just got my car a few mo's ago and yesterday just failed MD state emissions badly. Any help anyone can offer is greatly appreciated. I will try to offer as much info as possable, let me know if you need more. Ok here it is:

SS=state standards IR=inspection readings
HC SS=1.0000 IR=2.8922GPM
CO SS=20.0000 IR=26.1081GPM
NOX SS=2.2000 IR=6.1011GPM
C02 SS=N/A IR=429.2719 GPM

other info when tested: car=92 tsi awd, mods(same as profile)= kn drop in, ngk BPR7ES at .28, Magnecor 8.5mm wires, MBC at 15psi, 10gauage to stock fuel pump, apexi auto timer. Prev owner says turbo was replaced(stock 14b) a year ago, but no recipt, new fuel filter, new thermostat, new temp sensor (the one the ecu uses), new BPR7ES's, wires are a few mo's old, kn is 1mo old. Comp. test about 3mo's ago was around 150 w/no more than +/-5 on any cyl. (sorry I don't have the exact no.'s but I can get them later tonight and will post them). The car was driven for 2hrs b4 testing so it was definitely warmed up, outside temp was about 70. Vac at idle=18. I have noticed a slight whine when the turbo spools but it has no prob getting to 15 and holding it, infact on cold nights it somtimes spikes to 16 or 17 for a sec. I have also noticed that after the car is driven hard for a while and shut off, if it is restarted while still hot the idle stumbles and is very low, I have to give it gas or it will stall, but if I drive it for a min it is fine. When the car idles it will studder for an instant maby once or twice per min of idle. No other idle probs. When the car is started there is some white smoke from the tail pipe and it seems to go through alittle oil, maby a bit less than 1qt a mo (gonna do a leakdown in a week or two). Over all the car runs very good for 132,000 and want to get it running right b4 I do any more mods. Please Help I cant figure it out :cry:
 
Im out in cali...I just got done going through all that emission hell, but I had really high numbers too...My biggest problem was my NO and HC...I replaced my EGR valve and took the intake off and cleaned it completely....My next test passed great....So it might not hurt to look in that area
 
Originally posted by Defiant
Change those plugs to 6. And, is your cataclysmic diverter gutted?

I dont think so, it sounds stock, I don't know for sure but I'm guessing I would really hear it if it was.
Also about the 6's, Should I run those even if driving it really hard w/15psi boost? If so, after what mods should I go to 7's?

Originally posted by TalonR
I replaced my EGR valve and took the intake off and cleaned it completely

I was thinking the same thing based on the hot idle problem and also I noticed the throttle body was very hot when I touched it the other day after driving around, and I saw somewhere, I don't remember where, that a bad EGR can cause that.

Thanks for the ideas guys

Also I was considering the O2 senser, but I think that would throw up a CEL right?
 
Check out this link, it has some tips on what the exhaust gas readings mean. http://www.interro.com/techgas.html

To me it sounds like you're running rich, or your cat is bad. I had this problem and it turned out one of my spark plugs was bad. If you can pull your plugs and read them, you may find one or more of your plugs shows signs of running rich. If they aren't running rich, then my guss would be gulp...sorry its expensive...the cat.

How to read plugs. http://www.atlanticjetsports.com/_techtalk/00000005.htm look at the bottom of the page. If the engine is rich, the plug may look "dry fouled" if it is running normally the plug insulator will look like the one in the normal picture (or may be a mocha brown)

good luck
-Jon
 
compression no's: 1=155 2=150 3=152 4=151 as of 1/23/04 at 131337

Thanks for those links, that's some great info. I'm pretty sure te car is running rich from looking at the plugs, so i'm gonna start by going back to ngk 6's and gap them at .32, if that doesn't do it, then i'm thinking i'm gonna have give up on an easy fix, stop being lazy, and pull/clean everything from throttle body to maf.<--I think this will help if its a boost leak. If that doesn't do it then its 80$ for an EGR. What do you guys think?
 
Ok here it is:
HC =2.6012 FAIL
CO =17.4310 PASS:thumb:
NOX=6.5554 FAIL
CO2=481.2949 N/A

So far I have replaced a few vac hoses that looked cracked at the ends and confirmed that everything is routed right, checked that all intercooler pipes are in good condition and tight, changed to ngk 6's at .032, removed splash sheild from behind intercoller, pulled - bat cable to reset ecu, and ran 1 tank of 94 oct gas. I don't know where to go from here, I'm thinking maby the plugs should be at .030 or maby the EGR is bad.

As a side note the car seems to be runing much stronger and I took it to the track for the first time last night and it ran 2 14.8's

Any ideas/help is greatly appreciated
 
I'm guessing I sould not go any lower than 93 oct to avoid timing problems, correct? thanks, Sam
 
I found out that the answer to the age old question, "What should my first mod be?", is get a pocketlogger.

I also found out that I have crazy stupid high knock at anything above idle, and the timing is gettion pulled way back. AKA phantom knock caused by lifter tick, I think. I'm still new to DSM's so can someone confirm this for me, or offer other idea's as to what causes the same symptoms.

I also noticed the O2 sen is cycleing between 1 and 9, as opposed to the norm 2 and 8, so I'm also thiking time for a new O2 sen, right?

O and BTW I did also change the plugs to .028
 
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