E-Test Horrors

[sperold]

I failed my E-test on my 95 MTX.
Of course, my rickety old 89 passed with no problem. I ran the 89 through just for curiosity, as I am trying to figure out what its future will be. It just got a lot brighter.
So, I am considering all possibilities for my 95 to get it over the ****.
The KOEO test went well. In the contiuous memory, I got a code indicating my fuel pump secondary circuit was faulty.... but I ignored that. Mainly because my fuel pump works fine.
The timing check seemed to do well as the timing changed, but my crank pulley was dirty enough that I couldn't tell if it really did move the timing ahead 20 degees.
The KOER test did well, except I got a code that said there was a fault in my Wide Open Throttle (WOT) procedure, but I wrote that up to me not holding the gas pedal down very long (just a stab and right back up).

I had pulled the spout and it still failed.
Any insight?

I live in Ontario Canada, and the authorities have been monkeying around with this test ever since they put it in. They have lowered the acceptable allowed numbers... so that now, the car is expected to be cleaner than the requirements were, when it was new. Tough task.

 

[hawkeye18]

What did it fail for? Nox? CO? The solutions for repair will be different based on what the test it failed, and by how much, were.

If a SPOUT pull doesn't fix it, usually it means the cats are bad and need replacing. As even the 95's cats are now 15-16 years old, this is a definite possibility.

 

[sperold]

It passed the CO, failed the Nox and HC, but not horribly. I have had much worse. My test results are 120 miles away, but I will post them on Tuesday when I am back.
I was so depressed that I canceled the insurance, and I am driving the Mustang until the weather turns sour.
I need a hug.
I was looking at cats ( funny you should mention them), and I see Shosource has systems that are general and another for California for $80.00 more. Two questions:
Do the California cats flow and work just as well?
Do they have more "stuff" in them to scrub the exhaust, so, better bet on passing the near impossible test?
What makes me despondent is, I have heard of cars with no cats going through the test and passing with the spout pulled.
I need another hug, it is lonely at the bottom.

 

[hawkeye18]

The "california" cats have CARB compliance numbers - I'm pretty sure that's the only difference. It is expensive to get stuff CARB certified.

I'd hug you, but Canada's a long way away.

Was the car good 'n warmed up when you took the test? A cold engine can produce high hydrocarbons, and the Nox is usually caused by a lean condition resulting in high cylinder temps. Is the EGR clogged?

 

[Phoenix]

The "california" cats have CARB compliance numbers - I'm pretty sure that's the only difference. It is expensive to get stuff CARB certified.

I'd hug you, but Canada's a long way away.

Was the car good 'n warmed up when you took the test? A cold engine can produce high hydrocarbons, and the Nox is usually caused by a lean condition resulting in high cylinder temps. Is the EGR clogged?

MTX = no egr.

Can o2 cause high nox?

 

[beaudeen]

Sperold...I feel your pain
Went through the same 4 years ago trying to get through the Ontario E-test cash grab..kept failing for high Nox numbers. I just said screw it and registered the car with my parents address up in Sudbury..plate sticker is half the price and NO E-TEST up there..YET

 

[sperold]

The car was good and warm when the test was done, and Beaudeen... that is one good solution you came up with. But I don't think your parents want to register my car too! My only other way out is to buy a farm.

As soon as I get over my grief, I am going to do all the standard stuff.
I will go for new plugs and wires, pull the valve covers while I am there and take a look at the valve lash. And I am going to go with new Motorcraft O2 sensors. This is my first e-test with this car, and I don't know the condition of the stuff I am changing (as I bought it lately), but I do know it had the original rad hoses on it with the wacky clamps. I do know it gets 30 MPG, and runs great, and has no issues as far as driving manners are concerned. And this is with 200,000. miles..... but it passed the e-test to get it in my name 2 years ago! Since then I have done the belt, the crank sensor and water pump.
Any recommendations on the brands of plugs and wires? My first choice is Autolite App3924, with Denso PK16PR-L11 a close second, and United Ignition Wire, or Delco or Taylor for wires. I got confused about tall plugs / short plugs and what wires worked with what plugs.
Thanks for the tip on the California thing.... that would have been money poorly spent.

 

[hawkeye18]

MTX = no egr.

My bad, he mentioned something about having to get a Y-pipe approved for sale in california and somehow equated that to him having a CA car, which has EGR.

 

[93 SHO Tuner]

I live in BC and have had cars that would fail at one station and pass at another without doing anything. There's a few things I always do when a car fails ; of course make sure there's no CEL, run "Guaranteed to pass" additive in the tank until empty and fill up with ethenol 94 octane gas, make sure to drive the car for at least 1/2 and hour so its warmed up, and try to get it tested on a warm and dry day. Also put in new air filter.

 

[Phoenix]

The car was good and warm when the test was done, and Beaudeen... that is one good solution you came up with. But I don't think your parents want to register my car too! My only other way out is to buy a farm.

As soon as I get over my grief, I am going to do all the standard stuff.
I will go for new plugs and wires, pull the valve covers while I am there and take a look at the valve lash. And I am going to go with new Motorcraft O2 sensors. This is my first e-test with this car, and I don't know the condition of the stuff I am changing (as I bought it lately), but I do know it had the original rad hoses on it with the wacky clamps. I do know it gets 30 MPG, and runs great, and has no issues as far as driving manners are concerned. And this is with 200,000. miles..... but it passed the e-test to get it in my name 2 years ago! Since then I have done the belt, the crank sensor and water pump.
Any recommendations on the brands of plugs and wires? My first choice is Autolite App3924, with Denso PK16PR-L11 a close second, and United Ignition Wire, or Delco or Taylor for wires. I got confused about tall plugs / short plugs and what wires worked with what plugs.
Thanks for the tip on the California thing.... that would have been money poorly spent.

For o2 sensors you can go cheaper , I always ordered Denso's from rockauto and they work great.

For wires , so far Ive tried the generic RCM ones at 49$ and the Taylors ones , and both of them are A1.

For plugs , I always stay away from champions.

NGK , Bosch, ford , denso and autolite are good brands too - cant be wrong with that.

 

[hawkeye18]

You can never go wrong with Autolite APP3924 or XP3924 plugs.

 

[sperold]

Tell me more about the "Guaranteed to Pass" additive. I am living under a rock here in Eastern Ontario and don't get out enough to hear about these things.
I was so sure it was going to pass, that I did not even put in a new air cleaner, so that is another thing to put on my list.... and thanks for the tip on the ethanol type gas, but I guess all fuel has it now here.
And I can't help but feel the test may have been wonky, my car was nicely warmed up, but my car was the first test of the day.... so was their machine warmed up?

 

[93 SHO Tuner]

Tell me more about the "Guaranteed to Pass" additive. I am living under a rock here in Eastern Ontario and don't get out enough to hear about these things.
I was so sure it was going to pass, that I did not even put in a new air cleaner, so that is another thing to put on my list.... and thanks for the tip on the ethanol type gas, but I guess all fuel has it now here.
And I can't help but feel the test may have been wonky, my car was nicely warmed up, but my car was the first test of the day.... so was their machine warmed up?

I pick up the "Guaranteed to Pass" at Canadian Tire and it's only $10 so with the headache of emissions testing its worth it to me to run it through the system before I go in for the test each year.

A lot of times its something simple that can make you fail, like a dirty maf or bad O2 or idel sensor. For example, I picked up a Merkur XR4Ti cheap that couldn't pass and it had a rough idle so I cleaned out the idle air control motor with carb cleaner and it passed no problem.

 

[shoon]

Worked at a shop near Toronto Ontario.. Failed NOx. tested again, still failed but just barely.

pulled the spout failed again with lesser NOx, and increased hydrocarbons.. tried again with the car warmed up fully and a full tune up, (o2, spark plugs and wires) and I was just barely able to scrape by.

A large part of the test is keeping the RPM's in the right spot... I had some chick do it the first time and she bypassed the RPM monitor and revved the snot out of it in second gear, which is probably why I failed.

Make sure whoever is testing your car uses a fan to keep air flowing through the rad (maintain proper operating temp!), and also try to ensure they aren't bypassing the RPM indicators.. for some reason the SHO is tricky for unfamiliar SHO drivers to E-test and maintain specific RPM's during the test.


I've since driven the SHO to BC and cut my cat's off. I no longer have to worry about E-tests

 

[rubydist]

the combination of high HC and high NOx is almost always due to a lean mixture. this could be O2 sensors that are sick, and could also be dirty mafs reading less air than there really is. since you report no cel, there is a good chance it is a combination of both of those.

I have also seen bad cam timing result in high HC and NOx readings, so you might double check that the timing belt has not skipped a couple of teeth.

Unless there was zero change by pulling the spout connector, I would not expect new cats to change the results.

 

[Eric VerValin]

Never had a problem with my mtx passing... The only time my numbers were a little off was when the cats weren't warm enough.


How new is that fuel filter? I like to try the cheap things first.... you don't have to pay for each test do you? Only the one you pass right?

 

[shoon]

... you don't have to pay for each test do you? Only the one you pass right?

IIRC its $35 / test with 1 free re-test. After that you gotta pay again. It's a PITA because you need to get it done every 2 years or so, and they wont let you get your license plate stickers without it.

 

[hawkeye18]

Yeah, if you have a lean condition, it's usually either the O2s or the MAF; the MAF is reeeeeeeally easy to clean and get to - I would try that first. Just get a can of MAF cleaner (DO NOT use carb cleaner, you will mess the MAF up!) and spray it down the sample tube. If the wire gets coated with oil/crap, as it will over time, it will report less air going through than there already is. Less (perceived) air = less fuel = lean condition.

How old are your O2s? If you can't remember the last time you replaced them, it probably wouldn't hurt now. You'll want to disconnect the battery and step on the brake pedal to clear the computer's long-term memory so it'll recalibrate itself to the new O2s, which will probably be giving different readings than the old busted ones.

 

[Eric VerValin]

IIRC its $35 / test with 1 free re-test. After that you gotta pay again. It's a PITA because you need to get it done every 2 years or so, and they wont let you get your license plate stickers without it.

Well, I think in Ohio, they made you pa for the first one, but you could go back as many times as needed but yea the sticker is the end result.. you pass or you don't get it...

There was an exception,, if you did something like $350 in repairs to try to fix it, and have reciepts, they give u a pass for 2 more years...

 

[sperold]

In Ontario the first test is $35.00 (plus taxes) and all other tests are half price, if done at the same test center. You can kind of see how that is not working for you!
So maybe my 30 MPG is not a good thing! It is hard to tell when you are doing well in this world.
I have not put O2 sensors on this car, and I never trust anyone else's choice of brands. I think the shops buy them by the bag-full from a generic supplier, but they did pass the test that allowed the ownership change.
Rubydist's comment on the timing belt has me worried a bit. I did change it, and it was done at the Ford Dealership in Ingleside that Josh (Shonut) recommended. That will be my last resort though, as it performs great, and has very good manners while accelerating (feels like my 89 and 90).
It is a toss up as to which bothers me more.... my 95 failing, or my neglected 89 passing with no effort. This is the odd number year of manufacture that gets the mandatory test this year.