Failed Emissions
 

New Jersey Inspection checks AWD vehicles at idle speed of 2500 minimum.
The SVX failed for HC @198 over the 100 limit.
CO was .45 under the .50 limit
CO2 was 14.1 and no limit.
Speed was 2628rpm

My SVX now has oh about a mere 284 thousand miles. This engine has about 200 thousand on it.

The SVX has been getting about 28mpg, no warning lights, spark plug have about 40k on them.

I use 10W-30 and the level drops about 1 quart in 1500 miles but I think this mostly from the bad rear engine seal because I smell it burning on the exhaust. I added used a qt of Lucas this oil change.

I did realize that I had filled up with regular before the test. That is all the station had that day, schedule timing problem and end of the month. Could this make the difference in the HC reading, regular instead of premium?

Over this past weekend I changed the AF, PVC, FF and cleaned the throttle body. The PCV was a little gunky. The TB did not look to bad no worse than usual. After doing this the idle speed was high when I started it and stayed high at about 1000rpm. This seems to happen every time I clean out the throttle body. Any thoughts in this area would be appreciated.

I reset the ECU and now the idle is good cold but then it increases when the engine gets warm????? I am thinking vacuum leak or something like that.

I changed the temperature sensor last year so I think it is good unless I got a bad one. There was no change in anything when I put the new temp sensor in. So the temperature didn’t effect the idle speed.

I am also leading toward I got another almost bad coil or two and maybe that affects the idle speed and HC.

If a knock is detected due to running regular, the ECU will pull timing. I am not the expert, but this should adversely affect emissions.

Oh yes I agree with that and I was looking as you say for an experts opinion. That would be an easy fix.

What is the condition of your catalytic converter(s)?

That is the one thousand dollar question, the price to replace with original equipment. My thinking is to try all the less expensive parts before I get to those cats.

I would imagine that you could get all three from a parts car. Spares seem pretty prevalent in your neck of the woods....

Anywho, a bump again so someone can provide a definitive answer to your first question.

Thanks :)
Here in NJ it is illegal to buy used cats from a salvage yard. So the yards just mash the exhaust system on all the cars when they pickem up with the forks. I have looked a few used SVXi but the exhaust was never in great shape on them, leaks, corrosion, missing heat shields.

The exhaust system on my SVX is now oh about 14 years old. I have taken the system down several times in the last 6 years and one thing I have noticed is that the flanges for the connecting bolts keep getting thinner. The pipes and the rest of the parts seems to have held up well to the corrosion but the flanges are getting so thin I think they will break soon just from the spring tension. It appears the flanges are different material than the pipes.