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My Ordeal Posted by Justin VanAbrahams [Email]  (#32) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Justin VanAbrahams) on Tue, 6 Mar 2001 14:48:24
In Reply to: SMOG 9KTurbo, Nothern California, Lars, Sat, 3 Mar 2001 16:35:39 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
Smog is fun, isn't it?
I just went through a major ordeal with my '88 9kt... Took me five tries to get that bugger through Sacramento smog checks, where we have the dyno and everything. You're lucky in that the Bay doesn't qualify as an "Enhanced Smog Area" and you don't have to submit your car to dyno testing. Much nicer, and honestly the car is somewhat less important since they don't test for NOx.
Others have stated how to check the AMM. The O2 sensor can be checked with a senstiive DMM. You'll need to locate the single connector coming off the O2 sensor - somewhere near the torque arm will be a connector where it joins the main electrical harness. Pull back the rubber boot, connect the positive lead on the DMM to this wire, and ground the other side. The voltage should be hovering around +0.5v. It *should* be fluctuating anywhere between .4v and .6v - the closer to the middle, the better. If it's nowhere near this, or not fluctuating, you've got a bad O2 sensor. If it is around there, you've got something else wrong. Another thing to check (and thanks MUCH to Tom Townsend on this!) is the preheater circuit. There will be a second connector off the O2 sensor with two wires. Disconnect it, and check for voltage between the two pins. With the engine running, you should see +12v (battery voltage) here. If you don't, your preheater isn't working. There is a fuse located in the false bulkhead, probably under the ABS or FI ECUs. It's a ceramic fuse in a black plastic carrier. Check this fuse, and check the connection to make sure it isn't corroded or otherwise impeded. I replaced mine with a glass fuse for better reliability, but the key here is making sure it's in good shape.
You need to be sure everything is in good shape. Sounds like you're running rich, so the AMM and O2 sensor are obvious culprits. The ignition system is critical as well - if you aren't igniting properly you'll get unburnt fuel. If you haven't already, change the plugs, wires, cap, and rotor - this can be done for under $100 through IPS or any number of Saabnet sponsors and may solve the problem. Check to be sure the TPS is working properly, or it will screw up your emissions, especially at idle. Check that you've got no vacuum leaks, as they can lead to mixture problems; don't overlook the ELCD as the vacuum valve can rupture leading to a really nice leak. Similarly, make sure you've got no exhaust leaks before the O2 sensor as they can lead to false lean readings (which will cause real rich running). Make sure your injectors aren't clogged or leaky - try some nice injector cleaner (Redline, Berryman's, Amsoil or Techron) through there... old or clogged injectors have an ineffective spray pattern which can lead to poor combustion. Those are the easy things to check. After that, you'll need a temperature probe to perform a basic test on the cat, and a compression tester to check the (obviously) compression.
Good luck... If you run out of options, start throwing money at it like I did. :) I replaced everything that was replaceable on my car, from the AMM to the O2 sensor and everything in between. In the end, it cost me $900 to get my car through smog, but that was including a $500 3" exhaust. Which is nice. The car now runs better than it ever has, so I consider it worthwhile ... I used the maintenance window as an opportunity for upgrades... :)
-Justin
, Tue, 6 Mar 2001 14:48:24 <-- Viewing This Message, Tue, 6 Mar 2001 14:51:41
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