Another Emissions failure on turbo SE-R

Jay Hassinger jhassinger@cox.net
Thu, 2 Oct 2003 06:37:31 -0500


The NOx failed on the 25 mph test but passed on
> the 15 mph portion. I'm wondering if a new Cat (Which should I buy?) will
> cure the problem or if I need to weld a bung on the downpipe for the EGR
> tube.

Get a gallon of denatured alcohol at HD or Lowes and dump it in with about 4-5
gallons of gas remaining in the tank.  That usually does the trick for me and
I've passed with some pretty wild set ups.

Alcohol *should* reduce your combustion temps enough to clear the NOx and it
will certainly reduce the HC's.  I wouldn't go more than 25% and in fact
recomend about 15-20% alcohol because your car will run lean with any more and
cause more problems than you solved.

Also, run the car at about 4K for a minute or two just before you pull in the
bay.  In my experience a hot cat always performs much better than one that has
been idling for a while...especially with a turbo car.

Good luck,

Jay Hassinger