Tech Forum : Failed Emission Test

	Posted Thursday, Jul 31st 9:04pm [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Post nr. 5	I have a 1981 320Is that is failing emissions for high HC at idle. I found a couple of threads that refer to a 3mm allen key, but I have not been able to find one on my car. Where is it? DVD

	Posted Friday, Aug 1st 3:32am [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Post nr. 192	There is no 3mm allen key on the car, it's a tool used to adjust the air/fuel mixture. DON'T mess with that adjustment until you have done eveything else to make it pass. Unless that adjustment has been messed with by someone it doesn't need changed and something else is wrong. Have you: Done a complete tune up? Plugs, cap, rotor, wires, timing set correctly, valve adjustment? Have you changed your air filter? Have you changed your oil and oil filter? Synthetic oil will help it pass too. Have you replaced your o2 sensor? They are relatively cheap and can make all the difference. Once you have done ALL these things and it won't pass you MAY need to adjust your fuel mixture. ken

	Posted Friday, Aug 1st 6:46am [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Post nr. 293	agreed 100% with ken, the parts he suggests are VERY cheap aswell. Start with Rotor, Rotor cap, plugs, plug wires, 02 sensor. put 2 bottles of fuel injection cleaner in the tank before fill up, or one big bottle of the smog stuff. valve adjustment can also help. if all that doesnt work, the first next step could be a new distributor(spark, not fuel). but really, the rotor and rotor cap, + the spark plugs will do it for most people. (Not to mention, have you checked your cat converter? that can also be a problem, but if you dont do everything else first, you will kill the cat first)-(go to a shady part of town with a muffler shop, cat converters normaly only cost 100$)

	Posted Friday, Aug 1st 6:47am [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Post nr. 294	only after everything i just said, try the mixture.

	Posted Friday, Aug 1st 1:16pm [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Post nr. 1021	Or you can also cheat (the way I do ), pull a random vacuum hose (the one going to the distributor works well) and let it suck in air. This will result in a crappy idle running a bit lean, but allows for much cleaner burning. Go to the tech inspection, pop the hood, pull the hose, pass the test, then put everything back into place and hit the road

	Posted Saturday, Aug 2nd 5:29pm [Edit] [Quote] [IMS] [View car]
Post nr. 6	Thanks for all your input, the distributor was replaced last year, new cap, rotor, wires, plugs this year. The car is running better than ever but still no pass. When we tried to adjust the 3mm rich/lean screw it got worse so it is back where is was. Fortunatly the emission guy took pitty on us and helped us trick the sensor. On the up side my new plates are collector series and I do not have to re-test for five years. Thanks again, DVD