Passed smog test by 1 ppm

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Originally Posted By: Blkstanger
Originally Posted By: dave1251
I failed a test in 04 on my 97 stang. The bad part I actually passed emissions but had a CEL. Of course had a bad 02 sensor.
That is the part that [censored] me off. You can have a clean running car and still fail. The persons that wrote the smog laws need an [censored] kickin.


Agreed.
 
Originally Posted By: Blkstanger
After a little research I found that my car has six CATs on it. Three on each side. $1,000 is the cheapest I found online. In the future I plan on buying some o2 sensors, Plugs and wires and clean the EGR tube and MAF/throttle body. Next time it's due for smog I will have it sniffed early and see what happens before I shell out that kind of money.
A buddy of mine has aftermarket CATs on his Cobra and it passed smog. Only because the tech was to lazy to get under the car to look.


1,000 is for all 6 cats? I'd definitely be trying to remove, soak and clean them out to save that kind of money. I could see 4 being a CA car, check again and verify they are all cats. Sometime resonators look like cats. Also, its usually the cat closest to the engine that fouls the worst. Is it a true dual exhaust? What side did they perform the smog test on?
 
Yes. $1k is for an H pipe with all 6 CATs. They used the driver side for the test. I would have to have a huge tank to soak the whole setup.
 
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They are all welded on? Not sure if a replacement exhaust would come in one long piece with cats welded on. Would think the cats could be removed somehow, then its just a bucket. The front one closest to the engine is likely the culprit.

Also, no need to replace the rear/post cat o2 sensor, its better to leave that one till it fails. It has no impact on the fuel/air mix like the front pre/cat o2 does. Leaving that one old and fouled is actually desirable, makes a catalyst efficiency CEL less likely.
 
Too bad I didn't give mine away, I had the stock 6 cat pipe off of my 98 sitting around when I switched to a Bassani offroad X-pipe that you could have tried. BTW the car gross polluted with the Bassani pipe, blew 0's with the stock pipe.

The new replacement part is obsolete from Ford, so you are stuck buying CARB approved replacement cats, or going to the smog ref for a parts availability waiver.
 
Originally Posted By: Blkstanger
After a little research I found that my car has six CATs on it. Three on each side. $1,000 is the cheapest I found online. In the future I plan on buying some o2 sensors, Plugs and wires and clean the EGR tube and MAF/throttle body. Next time it's due for smog I will have it sniffed early and see what happens before I shell out that kind of money.
A buddy of mine has aftermarket CATs on his Cobra and it passed smog. Only because the tech was to lazy to get under the car to look.


If I were you I would not worry about it for two years, remember you did pass the test! I would recommend that before your next smog test replace the plugs and wires if it is time and have someone check the o2's for you, we very seldom see cat failures on todays car's. If you did have a bad cat the MIL would be on and you would have a code for a bad cat so I honestly doubt you need cats.
 
Originally Posted By: crazy8
Originally Posted By: Blkstanger
After a little research I found that my car has six CATs on it. Three on each side. $1,000 is the cheapest I found online. In the future I plan on buying some o2 sensors, Plugs and wires and clean the EGR tube and MAF/throttle body. Next time it's due for smog I will have it sniffed early and see what happens before I shell out that kind of money.
A buddy of mine has aftermarket CATs on his Cobra and it passed smog. Only because the tech was to lazy to get under the car to look.


If I were you I would not worry about it for two years, remember you did pass the test! I would recommend that before your next smog test replace the plugs and wires if it is time and have someone check the o2's for you, we very seldom see cat failures on todays car's. If you did have a bad cat the MIL would be on and you would have a code for a bad cat so I honestly doubt you need cats.

Oh Im not rushing into anything. Just wondering if you all had more knowledge about the high HC at low rpm.
I plan on doing almost exactly as you were saying though.
 
[/quote]Oh Im not rushing into anything. Just wondering if you all had more knowledge about the high HC at low rpm.
I plan on doing almost exactly as you were saying though. [/quote]

High HC at idle could be spark plugs, pcv or fuel control. I would thnik about changing them before your next test and use only Motorcraft, forget all the fancy stuff, it's a waste of money. We actually see some cars with very expensive triple, platnum iridum whatever spark plugs cause failures.
 
I only use Motorcraft parts and have had good luck with them over the years. Been a Ford guy for quite some time.
 
I'm in the same boat: I just smogged my '96 Camaro yesterday and it tested 50 on HC at the lower speed and I was about 20 off the limit at 25 mph.

I checked last smog test and it was about half the amount of HCs. I'm not too worried about it. I'll change the plugs/wires for sure and the o2s might get changed as well.
 
Originally Posted By: InvalidUserID
I'm in the same boat: I just smogged my '96 Camaro yesterday and it tested 50 on HC at the lower speed and I was about 20 off the limit at 25 mph.

I checked last smog test and it was about half the amount of HCs. I'm not too worried about it. I'll change the plugs/wires for sure and the o2s might get changed as well.
Well that my plan and I just hope they don't lower the limit on us in the next two years. I have been keeping my eye out for another "older" car. I sold my 57 Chevy a while back and am now regretting that decision.
 
In two years you may well decade to buy another vehicle, I wouldn't worry about it for at least 22 months...
 
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