Getting smogged in CA, passed emissions except for NO!!

[puffpio]

It's an 89 Honda Accord

It passed HC, CO, but not NO. Failed that one by a lot
What can I do do reduce the NO emissions? New cat? anything else? Magic stuff to put in the gas tank? any other tips?

 

[amnesiac]

$40 and a sketchy inspector should do the trick.

 

[TheNinja]

Make sure you have a clean air filter and premium gas in the tank when you get checked. I had a friend fail it, brought it to a shop, they put an air filter in and it passed.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Staley8
Make sure you have a clean air filter and premium gas in the tank when you get checked. I had a friend fail it, brought it to a shop, they put an air filter in and it passed.

Gasoline octane (should) have nothing to do with it.

Make sure your car is fully warm, and go through again. I bet you will pass.

 

[conjur]

Originally posted by: Staley8
Make sure you have a clean air filter and premium gas in the tank when you get checked. I had a friend fail it, brought it to a shop, they put an air filter in and it passed.

Wouldn't premium gas be detrimental in a car not designed for it? It won't burn properly as the compression ratio isn't proper.

 

[desertdweller]

Get it as hot as you can before you take it in next. Drive the crap out of it for at
least 15 minutes at a moderate to high RPM to make sure the cat is good and hot
and also to blow it out a bit. If the oil is old, I'd change the oil (sometimes helps
on older cars). Check the air filter and PCV.

If it still doesn't pass, take it to a mechanic.


DD

 

[ThisIsMatt]

don't put high octane in it

 

[TheNinja]

I don't see why high octane premium fuel would be bad. Seems to me that it would burn cleaner due to the high octane reading. I could easily be wrong as I just made an assumption to put in high octane and a clean filter and it has always worked for me but I don't see how it could hurt.

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Staley8
I don't see why high octane premium fuel would be bad. Seems to me that it would burn cleaner due to the high octane reading. I could easily be wrong as I just made an assumption to put in high octane and a clean filter and it has always worked for me but I don't see how it could hurt.

No, No and NO! For the last freaking time;

Octane rating has nothing to do with fuel quality.

DO NOT put Premium in your car unless your engine is designed for it! You will hurt your performance! The higher the octane, the slower the fuel burns. If your compression ratio isn't up to snuff, you're going to increase emissions and decrease power. Not to mention you're wasting your own money.

 

[TheNinja]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: Staley8
I don't see why high octane premium fuel would be bad. Seems to me that it would burn cleaner due to the high octane reading. I could easily be wrong as I just made an assumption to put in high octane and a clean filter and it has always worked for me but I don't see how it could hurt.

No, No and NO! For the last freaking time;

Octane rating has nothing to do with fuel quality.

DO NOT put Premium in your car unless your engine is designed for it! You will hurt your performance! The higher the octane, the slower the fuel burns. If your compression ratio isn't up to snuff, you're going to increase emissions and decrease power. Not to mention you're wasting your own money.

Calm down, I was just asking why. I thought those with hippies for avatars were supposed to be mellow

 

[ThisIsMatt]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: Staley8
I don't see why high octane premium fuel would be bad. Seems to me that it would burn cleaner due to the high octane reading. I could easily be wrong as I just made an assumption to put in high octane and a clean filter and it has always worked for me but I don't see how it could hurt.

No, No and NO! For the last freaking time;

Octane rating has nothing to do with fuel quality.

DO NOT put Premium in your car unless your engine is designed for it! You will hurt your performance! The higher the octane, the slower the fuel burns. If your compression ratio isn't up to snuff, you're going to increase emissions and decrease power. Not to mention you're wasting your own money.

Wrong, wrong, wrong!

























lol, j/k What he said...

 

[Scouzer]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: Staley8
I don't see why high octane premium fuel would be bad. Seems to me that it would burn cleaner due to the high octane reading. I could easily be wrong as I just made an assumption to put in high octane and a clean filter and it has always worked for me but I don't see how it could hurt.

No, No and NO! For the last freaking time;

Octane rating has nothing to do with fuel quality.

DO NOT put Premium in your car unless your engine is designed for it! You will hurt your performance! The higher the octane, the slower the fuel burns. If your compression ratio isn't up to snuff, you're going to increase emissions and decrease power. Not to mention you're wasting your own money.

Kind of off topic...but wouldn't this be good for a long trip over flat ass ground? The fuel burns slower and you don't need performance.. (I have no idea, I just pulled it out of my arse)

I seem to remember my mother using higher octane once and the tank lasted a longer...in a Ford Tempo

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Staley8

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: Staley8
I don't see why high octane premium fuel would be bad. Seems to me that it would burn cleaner due to the high octane reading. I could easily be wrong as I just made an assumption to put in high octane and a clean filter and it has always worked for me but I don't see how it could hurt.

No, No and NO! For the last freaking time;

Octane rating has nothing to do with fuel quality.

DO NOT put Premium in your car unless your engine is designed for it! You will hurt your performance! The higher the octane, the slower the fuel burns. If your compression ratio isn't up to snuff, you're going to increase emissions and decrease power. Not to mention you're wasting your own money.

Calm down, I was just asking why. I thought those with hippies for avatars were supposed to be mellow

Sorry. I didn't mean to sound flaming.

I'm just passionate about my gasoline.

Changing the air filter is good advice though, especially if it hasn't been done in a while. Shame!

Originally posted by: Scouzer
Kind of off topic...but wouldn't this be good for a long trip over flat ass ground? The fuel burns slower and you don't need performance.. (I have no idea, I just got the idea)

I seem to remember my mother using higher octane once and the tank lasted a longer...in a Ford Tempo

Nope... First you have to remember that energy is not created nor destroyed, it just changes forms. Since it takes a finite ammount of energy to propel you forward at 75MPH.. If, for some reason, your engine is making a little less power than normal, you're going to have to step on the gas just that much more to "even things out".

Second, you're thinking on too big of a scale..

It doesen't take very long for the compressed gas inside a cylinder to burn, probably nanoseconds(thats out my ass, i have no idea and am too lazy to calculate it). The faster the gas burns, the more force is going to be exerted on the pistons, and the more power you're going to develop.

The reason the slower burn times of high octane gas is acceptable to cars that are designed for it is because the more you compress the fuel/air mixture, the more energy is released. So you end up on the + side of things.

 

[ThisIsMatt]

Originally posted by: Scouzer

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: Staley8
I don't see why high octane premium fuel would be bad. Seems to me that it would burn cleaner due to the high octane reading. I could easily be wrong as I just made an assumption to put in high octane and a clean filter and it has always worked for me but I don't see how it could hurt.

No, No and NO! For the last freaking time;

Octane rating has nothing to do with fuel quality.

DO NOT put Premium in your car unless your engine is designed for it! You will hurt your performance! The higher the octane, the slower the fuel burns. If your compression ratio isn't up to snuff, you're going to increase emissions and decrease power. Not to mention you're wasting your own money.

Kind of off topic...but wouldn't this be good for a long trip over flat ass ground? The fuel burns slower and you don't need performance.. (I have no idea, I just got the idea)

I seem to remember my mother using higher octane once and the tank lasted a longer...in a Ford Tempo

Your engine doesn't work like a candle

 

[Zebo]

Magic stuff to put in the gas tank?

Magic like chemistry? Try pure ethanol and benzene a 20 to 80 ratio. You will show 0's accross the board.

 

[TheNinja]

Originally posted by: Eli

Originally posted by: Staley8

Calm down, I was just asking why. I thought those with hippies for avatars were supposed to be mellow

Sorry. I didn't mean to sound flaming.

I'm just passionate about my gasoline.

Changing the air filter is good advice though, especially if it hasn't been done in a while. Shame!

It's all cool, and I almost want to make that line my sig "Sorry. I didn't mean to sound flaming. I'm just passionate about my gasoline."

 

[Eli]

Originally posted by: Carbonyl

Magic stuff to put in the gas tank?

Magic like chemistry? Try pure ethanol and benzene a 20 to 80 ratio. You will show 0's accross the board.

While I agree with your general message(except the benzene part.. eww), unfortunately that isn't the case.

Since his engine wasn't designed to run on ethanol, it's going to feature a pretty low compression ratio.. which is bad when you do burn ethanol. His NOx emissions would be pretty high, which is the problem he's having right now.

Why on earth would you suggest adding benzene? :Q That stuff is nastay.. Plus(and I don't know), but for some reason I doubt it burns as clean as ethanol....

Pure Ethanol would be a better choice..