Greetings, and thank you in advance for reading and responding.
Having difficulty getting my 1990 Toyota Celica GT to pass the Utah
State Emissions test. I've had my emissions run 5 times with various
different failures. I only have the paper on my most recent failure to
provide what it last tested at. Done alot, and I'm just about at my
wits end.
When I first took it in, the test ran great except my hydrocarbon count
during idle were a little over double the allowable limit of 220.
Everything else passed well within acceptable limits.
My brother-in-law recently used a trick suggested to him by a mechanic
friend to get his car to pass emissions. He put 2 bottles of Heet gas
line antifreeze in his gas tank after a failed emissions test. His
subsequent test had a dramatic drop in the hydrocarbon count. Thought I
would try the same thing.
Put two bottles of Heet in my car. Next test the results flip flopped.
My car passed everything except for the hydrocarbon count at 2500 rpm.
The first time I had it tested, the count was somewhere around 80 with
220 being the limit. After adding the Heet additive, it jumped to about
800 hydrocarbons during rpm. Idle passed at about 140.
Ran another fuel additive through a full tank of gas. Refuled with
premium Chevron gasoline and had it retested. Back to the original
results. Hydrocarbons during idle were too high.
Replaced spark plugs with NGK platinum plugs. Replaced wires with a
Bosch premium wire set. Replaced distributor cap and rotor. Di-electric
grease was used on all contacts. Still failing due to high HC count
during idle.
Had an expensive fule system treatment done on my car. It failed last
year, and they ran this treatment and it brought it into line. HC count
went down, but still over the limit. This was the last test run. Here's
the results:
High Speed Test - RPM: 2392
HC - Standard: 220 Reading: 128
CO% - Standard: 1.20 Reading: 0.66
Co2% - Reading: 13.7
Idle Test - RPM: 741
HC - Standard: 220 Reading: 447
CO% - Standard: 1.20 Reading: 0.43
CO2% - Reading: 13.4
I've just replaced my O2 sensor last Friday evening. Disconnected the
positive battery terminal for about 40 minutes so that my ECU will go
into learning mode. My thought is that my fuel mixture is running too
rich during idle resulting in the high HC count. Haven't had it tested
yet, and I'm not sure if there really is much of anything else I can
do. The air filter in it is clean and was replaced about 3 months ago.
Had my oil changed about 3 weeks ago.
HELP... I beg you!
hachiroku - 25 Jul 2005 23:58 GMT
On Mon, 25 Jul 2005 11:47:55 -0700, thanates wrote:
> Greetings, and thank you in advance for reading and responding.
>
[quoted text clipped - 51 lines]
>
> HELP... I beg you!
THe only thing I could tell you to try is to check the timing. If it is
correct, try advancing it a degree or two. (um, or is it retarding? I know
a tech friend of mine says ADVANCE)
What you're looking for is a longer burn, so more of the HC's will burn
off.
You ran Chevron, that has Techron; do a few more tanks of this. What may
have happened is that the Tecron is 'softening up' the HC deposits and
they are burning off.
Ray O - 26 Jul 2005 00:02 GMT
> Greetings, and thank you in advance for reading and responding.
>
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
> premium Chevron gasoline and had it retested. Back to the original
> results. Hydrocarbons during idle were too high.
The only do-it-yourself fuel injector cleaner additives are the stuff sold
at Toyota dealers and Chevron Tchron. Follow the directions on the
containers exactly.
> Replaced spark plugs with NGK platinum plugs. Replaced wires with a
> Bosch premium wire set. Replaced distributor cap and rotor. Di-electric
> grease was used on all contacts. Still failing due to high HC count
> during idle.
I'm not a fan of Bosch ignition parts on Toyotas. They seem to work fine on
other vehicles but for some reason, not as well on Toyotas. When in doubt,
stick with OEM ignition parts.
> Had an expensive fule system treatment done on my car. It failed last
> year, and they ran this treatment and it brought it into line. HC count
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
>
> HELP... I beg you!
If you are getting a strong spark at every cylinder and several fuel
injector treatments don't work, then the next step is to have the spark
measured to see if it is hot enough, check ignition timing, and have the
injectors pulled to check spray pattern.

Signature
Ray O
correct the return address punctuation to reply
SnoMan - 26 Jul 2005 00:35 GMT
"" wrote:
> Greetings, and thank you in advance for reading and
> responding.
[quoted text clipped - 82 lines]
>
> HELP... I beg you!
Okay, try this as it has worked for me, retard timing by 4 to 6
degrees and using heet in tank again (several bottles) This will do
two things, alchol added oxygen to fuel as you may know but retarding
spark increases afterburning in exhaust manifold and increase the
amount of air flow through engine too because of retarded spark (more
throttle is needed) so the PPM should drop because of afterburning and
increased airflow and higher catlyst temps to improve its performance
too.
hachiroku - 26 Jul 2005 00:43 GMT
> "" wrote:
> > Greetings, and thank you in advance for reading and responding.
[quoted text clipped - 62 lines]
> the PPM should drop because of afterburning and increased airflow and
> higher catlyst temps to improve its performance too.
I though tit was retarding but a tech told me advancing. Thanks...
TeGGeR® - 26 Jul 2005 00:56 GMT
<snip>
> High Speed Test - RPM: 2392
> HC - Standard: 220 Reading: 128
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> CO% - Standard: 1.20 Reading: 0.43
> CO2% - Reading: 13.4
> I've just replaced my O2 sensor last Friday evening. Disconnected the
> positive battery terminal for about 40 minutes so that my ECU will go
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> do. The air filter in it is clean and was replaced about 3 months ago.
> Had my oil changed about 3 weeks ago.
Did you "prep" the car with a good, hard, highway run for an hour
IMMEDIATELY before the test? Your numbers overall are kinda high, which
suggests an insufficiently warmed-up cat. A cold cat will not convert the
necessary chemicals efficiently.
HCs are raw gas. Rich running will give you high CO. If the cat was good
and hot when you brought it in, then you've got a misfire, I'll bet.
How old are the plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor? How old is your
oil? How's the PCV system functioning?
Don't use sh.t like "Heet" or "Guaranteed to Pass". You're just masking
problems that need fixing.

Signature
TeGGeR®
thanates@yahoo.com - 26 Jul 2005 16:27 GMT
Thanks for the responses everyone. I actually got it to pass this
morning.
I did have the engine fairly warmed on most all of my tests, taking it
for at least a 20 to 30 minute freeway run before proceeding directly
to the emissions station to have it tested. Having the engine running
hot wasn't making a difference.
Yesterday while blindly searching for any other possible things that I
am capable of (I know enough about car repair to be dangerous) I found
that it may be a good idea to change my PCV valve. Being a $6 part, it
couldn't hurt and was relatively inexpensive. Consulted the Chilton
manual for my car and found the point where it indicated my PCV valve
should be at. Looking at my engine, there was no PCV valve on that hose
and the end of the hose was very corroded, cracked, and definitely did
not have a good seal. The hose runs from the top of the cylinder head
to the EFI injector. From what I gathered, the purpose of this hose is
to return unburned gases from the cylinders back to the EFI to be sent
back through the cylinders and reignited. This was definitely resulting
in a vacuum leak, although I would think that those exhaust gases were
being vented directly into my engine and shouldn't really have affected
the HC count coming out of the tailpipe.
Replaced that hose. Apparently my car doesn't have a PCV valve on the
hose even though the Chilton manual for my car says that it does.
Perhaps this is because even though my Celica is a 1990 it was actually
manufactured in October of 1989 and is one of the first of the 5th
Generation Celica's made. Most likely mine does not have a PCV valve
there whereas a 1991 Celica definitely would.
Anyways... after replacing that hose, and coupled with the new O2
sensor here is how my emissions test looked when it passed this
morning.
High Speed Test - RPM: 2457
HC - Standard: 220 Reading: 91
CO% - Standard: 1.20 Reading: 0.66
CO2% - Reading: 14.0
Idle Test - RPM: 1022
HC - Standard: 220 Reading: 122
CO% - Standard: 1.20 Reading: 0.44
CO2% - Reading: 13.9
Thanks for the suggestions... I may need to go through this ordeal
again next year. I'm loathe to get rid of my Celica being that I love
it, I own it, and I would rather not go back to making monthly car
payments.