Okay.. I took my car back to my usual mechanic. He looked at my failure report and said.. Cat or EGR. Like Phuong said. But I insisted that I run the test again with my fresh tank of gas. I passed! My mechanic said it's probably not the techron. *Probably* not. More like the machine at the sunoco was uncalibrated. He said his machine is the new type. And the one at Sunoco was a old "ESP" machine. The types of machines the DMV don't use anymore. Anyways. I passed.. Here are the differences in #s.

Last Test : Today's Test
HC- 0.52:0.31
CO- 5.43:2.83
NOx- 2.02:1.36

So when you guys get your emissions done. Don't go to a place that has the old ESP machines. I saw one at the tire place I went to today. It says.. "ESP" on it. Not saying they are all inaccurate. But they are old. Keep the techron out of the tank just incase too...

ZuM

 

Congrats man good to hear you passed...

 

I wonder if I can pass with Y-pipe and no cat. Should I even risk it??

 

I'm not sure how the setup is on the Maxima, but on the Z we could pull the vacuum hose leading into the balance tube from the fuel dampener.. this would cause the car to run slightly lean.. less fuel during the testing makes the CO literally 0.01 LOL

If you don't have your main cats, a visual inspection will most likely be an immediate failure (if they check).

 

1MAX2NV:
Most places don't bother putting the car on the lift. At least not in NY. They roller machines are on the floor. They just drive it up to the rollers and run it. They don't look under the car. As for passing. I would think your CO levels would go through the roof without a cat. I don't think its worth it. Just run a RT cat.

Gotrice:
My mechanic claims the thing that I thought was the EGR isn't. And we never found the EGR. Haha. He said the thing I thought was a EGR has a tube going to the back of the car probably to the gas tank. So its something else. Oh well, I passed. Thats all that matters.. =)

ZuM

 

The next time I meet up with the Maxima guys I'll locate that damn EGR valve and take a picture of it LOL

 

hmm should i charge you a fee for telling you to run a fresh tank of gas?? hmmm??
Dan

 

Zum--glad to hear you are on the road again with the new results.

 

Phuong:
Really, take a pic of that EGR next time. Its nowhere to be found from the top of the engine bay. At least not on my 97 or my friend's 98. My mechanic couldn't find it. You think its under the car?

Dan:
Maybe it was the gas. I wish I was able to tell if it was. If my mechanic didn't tell me about the ESP machines being faulty sometimes. I would have blamed it on the gas. But I told my mechanic about the injector cleaner when he was looking at my failure report. And he said that wouldn't do it. I dono. Fresh gas couldn't hurt though. I was stupid taking the car in for inspection with something in the gas. Especially since there was almost no gas.

Brian:
Yeah, less stress. I was thinking I was going to have to vist the dealer. Blah blah. Buy a new cat. Though I really wouldn't have minded an excuse to buy a RT-Cat.. =)

Thanks for the help guys.. =)

ZuM

 

most likely it's hidden under the upper intake manifold towards the firewall.

 

What mods do you have on your Max? I'll be having to do smogs soon too and want to know what I might have to take off if anything.
also, i may have missed the old post but did you have Techron in the tank before and then put some other gas in?

thanks for the info.

 

The only things that would effect emissions that I have is a Y-pipe and a intake. I had techron concentrate in the tank on my first inspection. A fresh tank of Mobil gas on the second pull. But they were at different machines so we can't determine what the problem was. But if you just have intake and y-pipe you should pass. Post up your #s so we can compare.

ZuM

 

I won't have to do the smog for another 6 months but I'll let you know.
I have the intake, y-pipe and rt cat.
I usually use Chevron gas so I think I may put in something else before I go in just in case.