DRACO A5OG

Loverly, a recent FAIL due to high HC ( too much fuel ). Oh the Joy!

1996 ES300 with 337,000 on the clock.

2 years ago, it also had high HC so freakin smog repair steal shop sold me a new Cat, readings were still high but passed by 1 point. WTF??? Arsebite did not fix the issue. He just bandaided it and as a result it failed because the problem persisted. Wonderful!

I suspected the Fuel Pressure Regulator (FPR) but Haynes test procedure showed it was good and for extra measure I removed the vacuum line and no leak was detected. I know, not too scientific but a massive leak would have been apparent.

So a week later, I went to another Smog Repair Shop for an $85 Diagnosis, turned into $130 due to a CEL, great "Catalyst Low Efficiency"

Diagnosis:

$300 FPR
$500 New Cat ( below 50% due to dumping fuel )
$400 New O2S's ( yay 3 of those suckers )

Yes, $1200.00

I was pissed to no end, I told them forget it I will just junk her and get $700!

Took her home and calmed my butt down.

I decided to DIY:

Phase 1

Went to Clarks Discount and purchased a new FPR & 3 Denso O2S's for under $250

Started the swap out only to discover Bank 1 O2S dislodged from the bracket and melted on the manifold. CULPRIT FOUND.

Apparently the connector and wire melted exposing the wires, touching the manifold and created a short making the ECU think Bank 1 was rich and leaned the hell out of it. The sensor was white grey in color.

Bank 2 O2S was fouled with soot. Possibly from a failed FPR or ECU compensating for Bank 1.

So now it makes sense why repair shop stated O2S's were reading slow.

But dumping of the fuel definitely fouled the CAT to -50% efficiency, Whatever

Removed passenger side seat and exhaust to install the down steam sensor, It too was all white grey in color with a soot around the edges. It was the OEM that came with the car. It needed to be changed after 300k miles.

FPR may be good but changed just in case. It failed 6 years ago when I had crazy miss-fires, again dumping too much fuel.

Phase 2:

Now the Cat, I got a quote for $340. I love Peoples Republik Kalifornia. Screw That!

I decided to try some CataClean. I know I know, Snake Oil. But $27, WTF

Calculated 4 gallons or under a 1/4 tank and poured it in and drove for 50 miles. DING DING DING, Winner Winner Chicken Dinner CEL turned off by itself.

No more smoking at start or initial idle even after 3 -5 mintues, smoother and more power ( I know I sound like the silly commercial but it is true but only if all parts are working, a failed FPR or O2S's will do nothing ).

Cleared Memory of all old data.

Drive Cycle:

Found a Kool Kat on youtube, OldSkool Funk that posted a Drive Cycle , compared to the Factory Drive Cycle it was hell of allot easier and straight forward:

1. Let car sit over night with 1/2 tank of gas.
2. Start the car and turn on lights and defrost for 3 minutes
3. Get to the freeway and only use hand brake to stop, tricky but doable, just drive slow.
4. On the Freeway 60MPH +/- 5MPH but do not go below 55 or over 65 for 7 minutes, Be careful of other cars
5. Get off the Freeway and use city streets to go back home keeping it below 35MPH ( you need to stop and go using foot Brakes Now.
6. Shut the car down, remove key, open and close door. Connect OBDII and check for READINESS "Y"

Easy and smooth throttle, do not floor it.

She is ready to Smog Re-Check for $10.00.

surgeon0

Good work. Interesting. CataClean. Wonder how this compares to seafoam? Checked out website and it says its not an additive but you put in fuel so it is... It cleans the lamda part of sensor. Usually seafoam before any smog test to clean out the gunk. Will keep this in mind though. It might come handy if it works.

DRACO A5OG

Update:

PASSED: overall all number were down HC 57 to 44, limit was 50 at 15MPH. CO & Nox barely anything. WOW.

But I still do not like the HC numbers, I think the 337,000 injectors are ready to go. I bet one or more are leaking. I still get a ploom of grey smoke in the initial cold start but a minute later it goes away. Enough of those plooms and Cat may clog or soot up the sensors.

Car drives much better but it could be a little smoother at stops for my liking. New Motors mounts all around, so it ain't the mounts.

Now to go test those injectors.

DRACO A5OG

So, I tested BANK 2 fuel injectors ( Front of the car, since they are the easiest to test )

SPEC OHMS should be 13.4-14.2, at 68+ degrees F

Here are the readings 16.1, 16.1 & 16.2. at 71 degrees F. Oh the JOY :-o

Just ordered new injectors. will check ohms before install.

For extra measure, I ordered a new PCV/Grommet/Hose Kit, it was wet around the valve at the grommet.

DRACO A5OG

Update new PCV hose kit swap:

Hmmm? It appears to have helped allot, no more ploom of smoke. Will test again when cold. Very Interesting but will still change out the injectors and fuel filter for that matter.

Note, be very careful, the grommet crumbled on me, I had to fish the bottom half of the sucker out. When I tried to remove the hose from the old PCV, it also crumbled.

DRACO A5OG

Ha...

2.5+ hours later, still a little ploom ( very little ) but dissipated in 10 seconds. Real test in the morning, but it is promising.

Google Search results showed it will take 2-3 days to completely disappear. Will post results.

DRACO A5OG

12+ hours later...



Cold Start, no ploom, just the normal little mist of condensation ( that quickly dissipated within 3 seconds ) and drips of water but no excessive exhaust smell.

I will report back in couple of days or so.




Came with two grommets :-)

$19.75 shipped

I remember when I smogged my 911, I cleaned my oil breather tube of oil residue and it lowered the HC readings

gabzor

great work, i wish my mom's es had luck like that, i think we might need to let her go, has like an impossible leak and the only chance we got is welding the downpipe and manifold shut, or trying some goop like exhaust cement

DRACO A5OG

So do you have a leak at the connector?

When the previous Smog Steal Shop put on my ridiculously small cat, they weld it on cockeyed so my rear section of the exhaust was twisted and when I tried to reinstall it I could not align the bolts.

Had a proper one installed at a real muffler shop locally and asked them to align everything. No more sag of the muffler and pipe ends are straight now.

DRACO A5OG

Update Refurbed Fuel Injector Swap.

Measured 3 at 13.8-13.9 & 3 at 14.0-14.1, new o-rings and grommets :-)

Measured rear old injectors at 14.3 on all 3. Specs are within tolerances but will swap anyways.

I decided to use the 14.0-14.1 injectors in the back and 13.8-13.9 ones up front since the fronts on the old ones measured so high.

Wow, what a difference, started right up, no ploom.

Oh yeah, fuel filter was dirty, swapped with a Mann Filter.

I will update in several days.

DRACO A5OG

Success!

No more Plooms of Smoke at start up. A little ploom after sitting over night but quickly dissipates within 10-12 seconds. I see condensation and pretty clean exhaust.

I think the PCV plus new hose did the trick.

Fuel Injector smoothed the idle down to almost new :-)