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Car Forum / BMW Cars / June 2007

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E30 318i (M42) NOx doubled since last inspection (also a failure)

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JMH - 07 Jun 2007 22:27 GMT
Hi,
This is the same situation I had the last time I went for
inspection... Nox on my 91 BMW 318i failed. Only this time, it has
doubled from the accepted level!  My car an E30 318i with the M42
1.8L
engine was designed without an EGR or any other sort of NOx control,
except, i suppose for the catalyst in the cat converter.

Background:
For reference, in 2003, my emissions (dyno test) were as follows:
NOx 1114 (standard is 1134)
HC 97 (standard is 146)
CO% 0.33 (standard is 0.82)
CO2% 14.1
O2% 0.2

Failure in 2005:
NOx 1167
HC 96
CO% 0.35
CO2% 15.3
O2% 0.3

Replaced cat converter, reading that passed in 2005:
NOx 1074
HC 133
CO% 0.34
CO% 14.8
O% 0.2

My failure today:
NOx: 2126 (DOUBLED!!!!)
HC:161
CO%:0.54
CO2%:14.1

As a reference, my 98 Chevy truck (owned since new) had these results
on its last dyno test (currently exempted because its an OBDII
vehicle, so these are a little old, but done on the same system):
NOx 16
HC 7
CO% 0.01
CO2% 15.2
O2% 0

Spark plugs are very clean and correctly gapped, etc., I even ran the
new Amsoil PI through the tank just before to ensure that CCs, etc.
were cleaned out. No dice.

I do have a dinan chip, Ill be removing it as of right now, to
hopefully be able to pass... The car runs great and gets me good fuel
economy, Id hate to have to spend $500 on senseless repairs to get a
waiver, just because this car never came with an EGR from the factory
(by design).

UGH!

Any thoughts or comments would be most appreciated.  I have heard
that
ingnition coils (this car has a distributorless system) going bad can
cause funny problems like this.  Any thoughts???

Thanks,

JMH
RJD - 08 Jun 2007 16:25 GMT
> Hi,
> This is the same situation I had the last time I went for
[quoted text clipped - 61 lines]
>
> JMH

Hi JMH:

I'm not an absolute expert on car automotive emissions but I do know
about industrial gas emissions so maybe this will help.

Nox is formed by high gas temperatures during the burn cycle. Most
manufacturers handled this by introducing the EGR vale which allows
inert gas to be recycled back through the air intake to the engine. The
inert gas helps to lower the reaction temperature and thereby lower the
NOx output.

Since your car doesn't have an EGR valve the problem is most likely a
lean fuel condition. As the gas/air mixture goes lean it raises the
combustion reaction temperature and thereby the NOx levels. There is
some indication of this in the emissions numbers you gave us. I'd be
most suspicious of faulty injectors or old o2 sensors, either can cause
a lean condition.  Injectors can be cleaned and O2 sensors replaced.

Don't know if this will help but its my best guess.

RJD
R. Mark Clayton - 08 Jun 2007 22:21 GMT
> Hi,
> This is the same situation I had the last time I went for
[quoted text clipped - 46 lines]
>
> I do have a dinan chip

I would say your dinan chip was retarding ignition leading to incomplete
combustion (high HC and CO), and in some way to the high NO figure.

> , Ill be removing it as of right now, to
> hopefully be able to pass... The car runs great and gets me good fuel
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>
> JMH
SBS - 09 Jun 2007 04:40 GMT
> > Hi,
> > This is the same situation I had the last time I went for
[quoted text clipped - 66 lines]
> >
> > JMH

lean mixture.  check to make sure you have no vacuum leaks and then
check the fuel pressure.   The regulator may not be working.
 
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