Got a Samurai a couple weeks ago. It hasn't been registered for a couple of years, the owners used it infrequently to go to Pismo. Engine is all stock and looks totally unmolested. It actually runs pretty good. It does have a spring over and 31's so it's a little slow but that's it. Odometer shows 13k, I assume 113k based on the condition of the vehicle.

First try at CA smog. Nothing done to it at all.

15mph 11.2% CO2, 0.0% O2, HC=287 (max=154), CO=5.44% (max=1.14%), NOx=161 (max=1166)

25mph 11.0% CO2, 0.0% O2, HC=268 (max=126), CO=5.68% (max=1.45%), NOx=162(max=1282)

So I failed the first time on hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide. I was told this was incomplete combustion.

So I did the normal tune up stuff and a few extras.
Changed the sparkplugs, wires, cap and rotor, air cleaner. Put in a new universal O2 sensor and changed the oil.

Went back for a re-test.

15mph 12.0% CO2, 0.0% O2, HC=235 (max=154), CO=4.22% (max=1.14%), NOx=180 (max=1166)

Went down a little, but not enough.

I did not clean out the EGR, but I read that a bad EGR will cause high NOx which isn't my problem. I was not able to check the timing when I did the tune up cause I couldn't find my light. I'll check that next.

Anything else I should be doing? Carb adjustments?

5 years ago my old samurai barely passed at 151,the cut off was 152 when i got home i tore the cat off and it was hollow...
check the cat
turn the idle up to 1099 or as close to 1100 as possible
and the hotter the exhaust is when it's checked the better,but usually thats not an option...

pretty sure its going to be your cat. I've failed smog once on mine and it was high HC and CO due to the cat being bad. I can't believe the smog test station didn't give you some recommendations.

pretty sure its going to be your cat. I've failed smog once on mine and it was high HC and CO due to the cat being bad. I can't believe the smog test station didn't give you some recommendations.

The station was test only (no repairs) He did offer some suggestions, but he didn't want to tell me what specifically to replace.

The amount of CO you have in those readings is too excessive to be covered by a new catalytic converter. You need to have someone look at the carburetor, including the electronic portion for fuel mixture control, then make repairs or adjustments accordingly.
Once you know the vehicle is in "fuel control," then test/replace the Cat.

HC is poor ignition, weak compression, or fault in your carb/fuel system. NOx is EGR, and CO points to your cat. simple as that.

1- bring it to the station HOT
2- use some snake oil crap in your fuel and oil, but drive 50 miles or so first.
3- replace your vacuum lines- all of them.
4- test PCV and EGR, replace if needed.
5- buy a weber, header, and ignition box, move to a different area, and never worry about smog again. that's what i did. :grinpimp:

Well I don't know about your emissions #'s but I know a guy who helps me pass smog every time and one of the most helpful tricks is to disconnect the vacuum advance before it gets tested, a ratarded motor produces less emissions. I think the gearing with 31's is killing you IMO, but I dont know that for sure. If you got an extra set of stockers floating around slap them on when you go in as well. And I also second replacing the vacuum lines, that will kill you if they are hard and leaky. As for carb adjustments there really isn't any adjustments, just replacing modules on it. Send me a PM with an e-mail address and I will hook you up with some carb information.

Well I don't know about your emissions #'s but I know a guy who helps me pass smog every time and one of the most helpful tricks is to disconnect the vacuum advance before it gets tested, a ratarded motor produces less emissions. I think the gearing with 31's is killing you IMO, but I dont know that for sure. If you got an extra set of stockers floating around slap them on when you go in as well. And I also second replacing the vacuum lines, that will kill you if they are hard and leaky. As for carb adjustments there really isn't any adjustments, just replacing modules on it. Send me a PM with an e-mail address and I will hook you up with some carb information.

My email is no secret.
earlkann@msn.com

Thanks.

The CO numbers are most definitely your Cat. They don't go bad under normal operation. If you dump too much fuel or soot into them from running too lean or rich, that will back them up and cause them to fail. If your O2 sensor is giving faulty readings, this would cause your fuel mixture problem (your high HC numbers) and will lead to the eventual failure of your Cat. Thats just one possible cause to add to the many suggested so far. If the other thins don't work, put a volt meter on your O2 sensor and see if its functioning correctly.

cats are easy to test, thermal gun inlet side should be about 400 and outlet side should be about 500, min. is 100deg differance

Welcome to the Samurai side of things. :-)

My van had similar numbers on the last smog I had to do and it turned out to be a dead cat. The old cat brick was not even in the case anymore! I had a spare cat left over from my old Samurai project and tossed that on the van. Passed with flying colors. :smokin:

Your EGR is fine. If it was bad you would have NOx off the scale.

I'd pull the exhuast really quick and check the cat brick. If it looks good, then I'd pick up some snake oil for the fuel tank. Pretty much anything with some form of Alcohol should do the trick. It will help clean the old coke out of the head and pistons and also heat that cat up some more.

Always drive the SHIT out of the vehicle before you get it tested. Run around at red line and really get things cleaned out and hot. Then hopefully roll right onto the dyno for testing.

-Wayne

New results. Since the tune up stuff listed in post 1 I have,

Knocked the pin out and adjusted the mixture screw by ear. Leaning out till it starts to run badly.

Adjusted timing to approx 13deg before TDC

Had new cat converter installed.

Drove it for 1/2 hour up and down the freeway at full throttle in 4th gear prior to going in for the test.

Results 22 15mph

HC
reading 99, limit 154 = PASS :D

CO%
reading 2.58, limit 1.14 = still Failing. :(

CO2%
reading 13.5

NOX
reading 42, limit 1166 = PASS

So how do I get my CO% down? retard the timing a little more?

I'm sure the carb could use some tuning by someone who knows what they are doing. Found a rebuilt for about $210, but I hate to invest more money in this when I'm just hoping to flip it.

Have you run any of the guarantee to pass crap in the fuel tank yet?

High CO is a lean indicator. It may seem counter intuitive....but richen it up a bit. You might also want ot install the updated vent restrictor for the bog condition which is also due to running lean.

samurai likes to run rich.... too lean and you start gunking up the cat with unburnt fuel. When the mixture is too lean to burn in the cylinder it passes the fuel air mixture into the exhaust. It gets in the cat and starts gunking it up. It's one sure way to wreck your catalitic converter, so fix that ASAP. With the stock carb, the timing doesn't need to be advanced either. Set it to specs and put your mixture back to where it was. It should have passed with just the new cat, but the other stuff you did counteracted that.

Heres a question that no one has asked ya yet. Does the "engine" light flash slowly when the switch under the dash is switched on? After the engine is warmed up, it should flash to show everything is working right. If it does not flash it will never pass smog in CA.

Heres a question that no one has asked ya yet. Does the "engine" light flash slowly when the switch under the dash is switched on? After the engine is warmed up, it should flash to show everything is working right. If it does not flash it will never pass smog in CA.

where is this switch under the dash?

I richened it back up and re-set the timing to about 13deg. Right now it's running the best that it has since I got it. Will try back at the smog one day during the week.

Heres a question that no one has asked ya yet. Does the "engine" light flash slowly when the switch under the dash is switched on? After the engine is warmed up, it should flash to show everything is working right. If it does not flash it will never pass smog in CA.

Huh? Don't know about that one.. On a carbed Samurai, there is simply a switch in the odometer that triggers that light every 60,000 miles. The computer on these samurais only leans the carb, it does nothing else.

-Wayne

The switch controls the dash lite. In one position it is off when driving. In the other position if the system is working right after the engine is warm it should flash slowly. I leave mine in the flashing mode so I know the instant a problem starts. If it stays a solid red your system is not working right. Be sure to give it a bit of gas to be sure the idle micro switch if off.
The mixture solenoid in the carb sort of makes it run leaner, but when the O2 sensor says it needs a richer mixture it richens the mixture also. When the system is not working right (steady red lite) the carb goes into the "limp home" mode and runs full rich mixture. Thats why so many Zuks smoke with low miles. The rich mixture is washing the oil off the cylinders and wearing out the rings.
Most of the time if your O2 sensor is putting out between .2 and .8 volts when running and warm and the light still will not blink it could mean one of the micro switches on the carb is not working. Take a ohm meter and find the light green wire hanging under the dash by the passenger foot well. Hook the wire to the ohm meter and the other ohm meter wire to a ground. Warm up the engine. Shut off the motor. The meter should peg out (dead short) then give the gas petal a little push. The ohm meter should show open circuit. Then push the pedal to the floor. It should show a dead short again. If it does this your micro switches on the carb are working fine. Next check the computer ground wires. One is on the firewall on the same screw as the small battery ground is. The other is on the thermostat housing. They are both black and should be a good clean connection.

Another way to see if everything is working right is to let the engine warm up good. Turn on the heater fan or headlites. The fast idle solenoid should kick in and raise the idle up. I found that onless the system is working right this will not work.

Also I have "NEVER" seen a computer on a 1.3 carbed late 80's samurai go bad. Not to say it can't happen from messin with it, but in normal service I have yet to see a bad one.


And Earl, if ya want to run it down here to San Marcos some weekend I have the stuff to tell ya what you need to fix with no guessing.

So where do I find this switch? I looked under the dash but didn't see anything.

It's actually running really good right now, so I'm gonna take it back for a re-test tomorrow. The re-tests aren't costing me anything, but I think the guy is getting tired of seeing me. :laughing:

Heres a few pics to show the location. You have to take the cover off under the steering wheel to get at it.

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j73/Sharons-pics/Img0080.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j73/Sharons-pics/Img0077.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j73/Sharons-pics/Img0078.jpg

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j73/Sharons-pics/Img0079.jpg

All the replies but one are STUPIDIDY

You are out of fuel control
Carburation
O2 sensor flatlined
Mixture Control Solenoid
ECM
Ground(s)
Air Filter
Exhaust leak pre O2 sensor
Other Sensor(s)

EGR deals w/NOx
A Catalytic converter will not reduce above 1.7% CO
High CO is RICH not lean
High CO will make HC high NOx Low

Take it to a certified Smog Repair station, preferably a Gold Shield Station because they can certify it after repair w/out having to go to a Test-Only.

EA143483
Evan
RRH (3 of 11 members Smog Techs)

Hey Donald, you do know that it's the seller's responsibility to have the vehicle smogged right? The guy you bought it from is really on the hook for the repairs to get it to pass even if he sold it "as is".

I could not get my Sami to pass WA emissions with the 1.3 carb, and that was even after replacing all the normal tune up specs, playing with the timing, rebuild the carb gaskets and seals, and a new 02 sensor. Finally said fawk it, and went to a 1.6 'kick with fuel injection. Passes just fine now, although the low gearing makes the guys at the dyno test facility look funny at me when I have to shift into 3rd to hit 25mph. :D

Fortunately though, we don't have the visual inspection and engine change rules that CA does.

All the replies but one are STUPIDIDY

You are out of fuel control
Carburation
O2 sensor flatlined
Mixture Control Solenoid
ECM
Ground(s)
Air Filter
Exhaust leak pre O2 sensor
Other Sensor(s)


Greetings from Arizona.

I agree. All new cars trim the fuel to get to an air-fuel ratio of 14.7:1. This is the point where HC and NOX is lowest.

All the replies but one are STUPIDIDY

You are out of fuel control
Carburation
O2 sensor flatlined
Mixture Control Solenoid
ECM
Ground(s)
Air Filter
Exhaust leak pre O2 sensor
Other Sensor(s)

EGR deals w/NOx
A Catalytic converter will not reduce above 1.7% CO
High CO is RICH not lean
High CO will make HC high NOx Low

Take it to a certified Smog Repair station, preferably a Gold Shield Station because they can certify it after repair w/out having to go to a Test-Only.

EA143483
Evan
RRH (3 of 11 members Smog Techs)

Stupidity... my spelling sucks, but when I'm calling someone stupid I try to spell it right.

He replaced his Cat and picked up almost 3% on his CO
Poor rich combustion could raise CO's (partial burn of fuel mixture) Poor lean combustion raises HC's (unburnt fuel mixture) His HC's are under control now, and his CO level is %1.5 away from passing.
High CO isn't just from a rich mixture though. It can also occure in a slightly lean mixture with a timing advance. Advancing the timing will allow a leaner mixture to burn, than would normaly be able durring a normally timed compression stroke. Because this mixture is still too lean to burn completely but still partially burns, it elevates the CO levels (partially burnt fuel/air) rather than the HC (unburnt fuel/air) levels. This is similar to a "too rich" mixture. The difference is seen in the CO2 reading. With a rich mixture, the CO2 level will stay low because the ammount of fuel/air required to produce power hasn't increased but the CO (partially burnt fuel) level will be very high. With a slightly lean mixture and a timing advance, the CO level is only slightly high, but CO2 level goes way up. This is caused by a larger volume of fuel air being burnt to achieve the power output necessary to turn your wheels. His CO levels are almost there, his CO2 is going up, but still at passable limits and his HC is passable.

I'm not a smog tech so this is all just my understanding of how it works which could be completely wrong. I don't mind being schooled, Just make sure you slander me with correctly spelled insults. :p

Edit: My understanding is that If his registration says TEST ONLY, can not take it to a test and repair facility. This was the first year my samurai didn't have "TEST ONLY Facility" stamped on the renewal notice. If he can take it to a test and repair, that's the way to do it.