help with smog

[ja23merz]

i took my car to a smog check center. before running the test, they stuck the sniffer up the muffler and ran a diagnostic test. it read that my hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide emissions were off the charts. he said my car is running rich. i just replaced my O2 sensor.

possible things that i'm gonna look into:
fuel pressure regulator
cap and rotor
spark wires
cat converter
air filter

for the fuel pressure regulator, is there any way to check to see if it is working properly?
anyone else have suggestions for me to look at? thnx

[4GAccordH22]

What type of O2 sensor did you put in? Was it a Bosch? If so, that could explain part of your problem. Bosch sensors do not run well in our cars...

Also, your list is a good place to start!

[kelton]

You should still figure out whats wrong, but if you have to take the test like now

http://www.cb7tuner.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=70795

[ja23merz]

god damnit. just bought the bosch sensor. however, i'm not too sure that is the problem because i failed smog before with an original sensor that was working.

i read about the denatured alcohol method, but i just filled up the tank. i can't drive my car much either because i have no tags.

anyone with a method to diagnose a failing fpr?

[kelton]

just wondering is it a aftermarket fpr?

[ja23merz]

nope, its oem

[wed3k]

bosch sensor has helped me pass smog twice...

id check your timing as well.

[ja23merz]

timing is perfect

[wed3k]

and you've examined your spark plugs to reconfirm?

[ja23merz]

yea, bought them pregapped. then before installing, i checked the gap just to make sure.

[SamuraiSam]

Have you checked your fuel pressure? If your fpr is failing you could be flowing too much fuel. You should not have to rely on closed loop o2 feedback to pass smog with your car; my guess is that you have a mechanical issue. What's the compression on the engine like? How long since you've done cap/rotor/plug wires? Are you sure the catalysts are intact and not clogged or deteriorated? How about the harness/injector/pcm/engine block+head grounds?

[ja23merz]

i'm gonna check all, or most, of these things this weekend. i will most likely replace the cat, cap, and rotors.

does anyone know a way to check if the fpr is working properly?

[wed3k]

yea, bought them pregapped. then before installing, i checked the gap just to make sure.

no read the spark plugs to make sure you are running rich.

[ja23merz]

ok, so i took my car to a smog test/repair center. the guy check my fpr, ignition system, basically everything that can cause me problems. he concluded that my ecu might be sending too much fuel causing me to run rich which in turn results in high CO2 numbers (6% or something). i went to the junkyard to pick up an ecu (pt3) but it came from an auto. my car is a 91 ex manual.

will the new ecu work properly with my car? i read that an auto ecu will work in a manual. what else could be causing my symptoms?

[demortey@mac.co]

HC - Rises with misfire or rich mixture.
- Hydrocarbons (unburnt fuels)
- Check your EGR with a vacuum pump. maybe take it off and clean it out.
- Lean engine misfire can cause unburned fuel to go into the exhaust.
- Most common causes of high HC is an EGR valve leaking from exhaust to intake (stuck open) or misfire (bad ignition parts)

CO - Rises with rich mixture.
- Product of incomplete combustion. Occurs when there is not enough oxygen available to complete the burning of the fuel.
- Check your HO2s signal with a scope if its available to you. It should be good though since it is new.

I hate e-tests... this is exactly why my other cars are '87s.