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Car Forum / Saab Cars / March 2004Passed emissions!
Here in CT we have an auto emissions testing program, which has been filled with problems. The former contractor was booted out a couple years ago when widespread corruption (bribery etc.), was uncovered. Now the state has started the program back up, using local repair shops to do the testing. They discovered glitches in the software which caused about 13,000 failures or vehicle that should have passed. Failure means you have to spend $660 on repairs at a designated repair shop to get a waiver on the test. Failure to get the test done means they pull your registration, and the police get your name on a lookout list. Knowing all that, I reluctantly scheduled my test for today, and took my 1988 900s 16v with 197603 miles on it for the test. They run the car at various speeds on a dynamometer, using a sensor at the exhaust which reads emissions under various conditions, (idle, and designated speeds). They also test the gas cap for fume leaks. I didn't expect to pass, but the guy gave me a readout which said PASSED on the top, and said that the car was "well maintained" in his opinion. I owe a lot of that "well maintained" status to you guys here in this group, who have answered so many of my questions in the time I've had the car. So, thanks from me and my old car! James F. Hodgdon Jr. Hodgdon Scale Models http://hometown.aol.com/hdgdn/index.html > I didn't expect to pass, but the guy gave me a readout which said PASSED on > the top, and said that the car was "well maintained" in his opinion. > I owe a lot of that "well maintained" status to you guys here in this group, > who have answered so many of my questions in the time I've had the car. So, > thanks from me and my old car! Now doesn't that just prove to a lot of the "Environmental" politicians that we have in power, that just because a car is old, doesn't mean it should legislated off the road, by stricter and more stringent testing meaning only the newest cars should pass. Good to see that you "old car, like mine" can pass tests that a lot of newer "Greener, Cleaner" cars fail on.  SignatureThe poster formerly known as Skodapilot. http://www.bouncing-czechs.com > Now doesn't that just prove to a lot of the "Environmental" politicians > that we have in power, that just because a car is old, doesn't mean it > should legislated off the road, by stricter and more stringent testing It's not even as simple as that. Consider a new 4x4 doing the school run. It might well have a cat but until that has warmed up to full heat, it's not going to be very efficient and you may well find that running long distances in old cars is no more of a problem than mums doing the school run in brand new cars. Of course all things being equal, lower emissions are good. > > Now doesn't that just prove to a lot of the "Environmental" politicians > > that we have in power, that just because a car is old, doesn't mean it [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Of course all things being equal, lower emissions are good. oh yeah, quite agree. When my T16 passed the MOT last week the readings where. CO 0.3 (can have upto 3.5 for my pre CAT 85) HC 450PPM (can be 1200ppm for older cars). Tester was impressed, and said he thought it might be running lean, other Saab owners have said it might even be a bit rich as with an uprated FPR boost wound up and bigger injectors their CO was about the same, and their HC was somwhere in the 200s. Seems too much unburn't fuel might be making it's way through, although I tend to get between 27-29 to the gallon as long as I don't hoof it around to much like holding 3rd until 70 :) SignatureThe poster formerly known as Skodapilot. http://www.bouncing-czechs.com > oh yeah, quite agree. > When my T16 passed the MOT last week the readings where. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > 27-29 to the gallon as long as I don't hoof it around to much like > holding 3rd until 70 :) Might be a touch lean, should be more like 0.5-1.0% co, should help bring the HC down a tad... But if it runs OK, just leave it.... > > oh yeah, quite agree. > > When my T16 passed the MOT last week the readings where. [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > But if it runs OK, just leave it.... Cheers. To alter the CO, it's inside the airmeter isn't it? Small screw that you are supposed to tweak while measuring the airmeter resistance? SignatureCarl Robson (The poster formerly known as Skodapilot) http://www.bouncing-czechs.com > Cheers. To alter the CO, it's inside the airmeter isn't it? > Small screw that you are supposed to tweak while measuring the airmeter > resistance? Yep, you sometimes need to drill out the red plastic plug. Should read roughly 380ohms, check between pins 3&6, though exact mixture setting depends on the particular car really....so best hook up to a CO meter while adjusting. HC sounds a bit high, possibly due to incomplete combustion from a weak mixture. Other possibilities are slight misfire from worn plugs/leads etc or perhaps minor oil burning. > > Cheers. To alter the CO, it's inside the airmeter isn't it? > > Small screw that you are supposed to tweak while measuring the airmeter [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > depends on the particular car really....so best hook up to a CO meter while > adjusting. Got a Gunsons gas tester, so I can rough Idea of CO > HC sounds a bit high, possibly due to incomplete combustion from a weak > mixture. So richening it up a bit may help then. > Other possibilities are slight misfire from worn plugs/leads etc or perhaps > minor oil burning. OK, leads look in good solid condition, plugs and rotor and cap where replaced about 6k miles ago. Condition is good, check them regularly and use the correct NGK copper plug although it did have bosche platinums in when I bought it, and didn't run quite right then either. Might be a little oil burning as I've noticed a slight amount more going through the breather since I bought it as the last owner had been using semi synth and I'm using 5w40 synth changed every 3k miles (usually use either Halfords, or Chevron as they tend to be cheapest bearing mind I stick to the mineral oil change period) No noticable smoke, and it only gives off vapour when cold (overnight condensation etc) fluid levels stay good. SignatureCarl Robson (The poster formerly known as Skodapilot) http://www.bouncing-czechs.com > > > Now doesn't that just prove to a lot of the "Environmental" politicians > > > that we have in power, that just because a car is old, doesn't mean it [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > CO 0.3 (can have upto 3.5 for my pre CAT 85) > HC 450PPM (can be 1200ppm for older cars). Wow, 450 PPM? Do they have different cams over there or is it just the lack of a cat? I think when we had my gf's '88 900s tested it was 16 PPM or so, I know the limit to pass for any car less than 25 years old is 220 PPM. > Wow, 450 PPM? Do they have different cams over there or is it just the lack > of a cat? I think when we had my gf's '88 900s tested it was 16 PPM or so, I > know the limit to pass for any car less than 25 years old is 220 PPM. Lack of cat. Our limit for cat cars is 200 max if I recall correctly. > > > > Now doesn't that just prove to a lot of the "Environmental" > politicians [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > of a cat? I think when we had my gf's '88 900s tested it was 16 PPM or so, I > know the limit to pass for any car less than 25 years old is 220 PPM. Cars upto late 92 didn't need a cat fitted, and could have upto 1200PPM (it was different again for cars pre '74 I think). The cams on the 1985 can be radically different too, the 16v was first built in 1984 and fitted in 1985. And some of the early '85 Model years had a far hairier cam set than the later ones. I've just checked my log book, and it was first registered 9 Nov 1984 (ie a 84/85 crossover, I thought it had actually been regged in 1985) so I might have a set of the early lumpy cams. At 2.5k revs the turbo spools up, and at 3 all hell brakes loose, and I'm shifting at 5k before I know it. It idles nicely if slightly lumpy, and seems not just off boost sluggish, but actually fighting back at low revs, but spin it up, and it really wants to take off. SignatureCarl Robson (The poster formerly known as Skodapilot) http://www.bouncing-czechs.com |
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