Date:         Mon, 18 Aug 2003 17:40:06 -0700
Reply-To:     Mike Miller <mwmiller@CWNET.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mike Miller <mwmiller@CWNET.COM>
Subject:      Re: Help needed for 88 Cabriolet emissions failure
Comments: To: gritis@ATTGLOBAL.NET
In-Reply-To:  <003d01c365df$d2bcb240$e40a6720@gritis>
Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

If your cat was as hot as it could get perhaps time for a new cat?

Mike

On 8/18/03 4:24 PM, "Karen Gritis" <gritis@ATTGLOBAL.NET> wrote:

> Please take a minute to help us out, even though this problem isn't Vanagon
> related.  (If it helps, I have a Vanagon.)  My daughter and I went to get her
> Cabriolet emissions tested today.  We were shocked that it failed.
>
> The numbers were as follows:
> HC ppm - 15 mph - (limit 152) - actual 56
> CO% - 15 mph - (limit .86) - actual .64
> NO ppm - 15 mph - (limit 1203) - actual 1614
>
> So everything except NO was within acceptable limits, although the inspector
> said that all the values were higher than they should be.  There is no visible
> smoke.  The inspector said that it could possibly be the catalytic converter
> going bad, but he didn't know for sure.
>
> The engine seemed to run hot during testing.  There is a water temperature
> gauge with a light in the middle, the Cabriolet was running half way between
> the light and the hot zone.  I have the same gauge in my vanagon and I usually
> run just to the left of the light.
>
> One other thing that might have some bearing on this is that it took 4 tries
> for the inspector to get a reading.  He finally had to take apart the probe
> that goes into the tailpipe and blow compressed air through it.  Then he was
> able to complete the three cycles.  So anyway, the car was pretty hot by the
> time he could get a reading.
>
> Any ideas??  Any suggestions??  Any and all are appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
> Karen
>
>