"radderar" (radderar)
05/10/2015 at 22:00 • Filed to: None
3
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"radderar" (radderar)
05/10/2015 at 22:00 • Filed to: None | 3
| 8 |
In November, I bought a 1990 Miata NA for $2,000. I knew that it was going to have issues. I knew that while “Miata” is the answer to everything, “188,000 miles” was also the answer for “when does everything fall apart on a Miata?” But I felt like (at age 35) I was ready for my midlife-money pit-project car, that spent a lot of time being looked at in my garage while I drank beers.
The car ran, it drove, it leaked (water in the top, oil out the bottom). I ripped out all the carpet. I bought new tires. I installed a stereo (of sorts). I put 5,000 miles on it in the first 5 months I had it, and I converted a lot of bros who love BMWs into at least admitting that the Miata was as fun as their 2002s. And then it was time to take it through the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).
I just had a feeling I was going to fail, and I did, massively.
I needed a 220HC to pass, and pulled an 1847HC, and my CO was over as well.
A mechanic friend thought that I probably had a burnt out cat, and I knew I had a bit of an exhaust leak, so it made sense. $125 later, and I had a new catalytic converter, and still got a fail from the DEQ (this time a 1500HC, so an improvement!).
It seemed like it was either compression or timing from here. I did a compression test, and I found the answer. #2 had 50psi, and it should have been closer to 150. Put some oil in the cylinder and confirmed that rings were the issue. Low compression, not burning all the gas, extra pollutants in my exhaust.
I spent a week thinking about engine rebuilds, dropping an 1.8L in, and ignoring my friends who demanded I cram a 5.0 into my Miata. I had wanted to upgrade to an 1.8L anyway, but I’m cash poor, and I hate the idea of tossing the 1.6 when it still runs and drives. It took a while before the real solution finally hit me. I had been looking at this problem all wrong. The problem was NOT that I had bad rings. The problem was NOT that I had low compression. The problem WAS that I had unexploded gas in #2, and that it was going out my exhaust port into the DEQ’s sniffer.
So I unplugged the fuel injector, drove it in on three cylinders, and passed with flying colors.
And that was it. Problem solved. Occam’s razor wins again. Earth hating polluter no more. I certainly didn’t leave the DEQ, pull into a parking lot two blocks away and plug the fuel injector back in. I certainly won’t be driving this car for the next two years on 3.3 cylinders, spraying gas out of my tailpipe like a madman.
This “fix” obviously has lots of caveats. I can at least tell you that a 1990 Miata on three cylinders will not throw a check engine light. I have no idea what cars this will or won’t work on. I can tell you that it will pass a sniffer test, but almost assuredly not an OBDii or just anything in California because nothing ever passes there. But hey, have an old car that’s got some dead rings and fuel injection and won’t pass smog? It’s worth a shot, and a hell of a lot cheaper than actually fixing the problem. And while I want to upgrade 200cc to the 1.8 in the future, the immediate problem was tags, and that problem is solved.
Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
> radderar
05/10/2015 at 22:12 |
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That’s why I love illinois, all they do is an obd2 test so if I have a code I just clear it before going in and boom I pass
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radderar
> Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
05/10/2015 at 22:37 |
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1990 Miata has no OBD2, hence the sniffer test.
Frank Grimes
> Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
05/10/2015 at 22:50 |
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except unless the machine is retarded your OBD2 system wont be emissions ready and you will fail.
TheD0k_2many toys 2little time
> radderar
05/10/2015 at 22:59 |
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Michigan. Land of no tests. I would fail with all but one vehicle. My beater jeep only has a cat on the exhaust and nothing else. Miata is a straight pipe, Talon is a straight pipe cause turbo, and escort has massive exhaust leak
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Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
> Frank Grimes
05/10/2015 at 23:00 |
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It’s worked 3 years in a row at 3 different test stations sooo....
Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
> Sampsonite24-Earth's Least Likeliest Hero
05/10/2015 at 23:08 |
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I know a guy (who is me) whose wife’s car passed emissions because we had coincidentally put in a new battery that morning and the CEL had not come back on yet. It came on immediately after we pulled out of the parking lot after passing the test.
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radderar
> TheD0k_2many toys 2little time
05/10/2015 at 23:42 |
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Oregon only has tests in the high density metro area. A back-up plan I had was to sell it to a friend in Southern Oregon, have him get it tagged, and then sell it back to me. Transferring title is still cheaper than an engine swap.
Tohru
> radderar
10/01/2015 at 05:28 |
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Wisconsin does emissions testing in the 7 counties closest to Chicago. I am not in one of those counties.