Mazda Rotary Club

General => General Technical => Anything Engine/Performance/Tuning related => Topic started by: Daston on April 11, 2015, 02:25:57 PM

Title: Unable to pass emissions test plus some smoke.
Post by: Daston on April 11, 2015, 02:25:57 PM
Hey guys n gals.

Trying to get the RX though it's MOT (first one since I have owned it).

The good news is everything is hunky dory apart from the emissions, which are way way out!

On idle the CO is around 9% and the HC are 2400pp. The pass rate is 0.2 and 200 so as you can see she is just a tad over lol.

The car is standard part from a catback exhaust and it's 2000 miles into a freshly built engine. One thing I have noticed over the last week is a definite puff of blue smoke on start up and my garage floor is spattered with black flecks which have come from the exhaust....not sure if this is normal (with the TVR I had this was a good sign that the engine was fubar).

Could it be something as simple as a dead cat? Or something more sinister? If I wasn't 300 odd miles away from the engine builder I would pop in lol.
Title: Re: Unable to pass emissions test plus some smoke.
Post by: boosted on April 11, 2015, 06:31:13 PM
what series car mate?
Title: Re: Unable to pass emissions test plus some smoke.
Post by: jinx on April 11, 2015, 08:13:29 PM
Mine melted the exhaust probe at its first post rebuild MOT with numbers off the scale.
1 bottle of Cataclean later it aced the test - deeply inside the allowed bracket.
Title: Re: Unable to pass emissions test plus some smoke.
Post by: Daston on April 11, 2015, 08:37:37 PM
Ah yeah that might help lol

Its a 1997 FD
Title: Re: Unable to pass emissions test plus some smoke.
Post by: boosted on April 11, 2015, 08:42:57 PM
You on an apexi?
Title: Re: Unable to pass emissions test plus some smoke.
Post by: Daston on April 11, 2015, 08:51:02 PM
The whole thing is totally standard, ECU and engine etc. The only thing that has been added is a cat back exhaust.

We tried running the car at just over 2k rpm on the fast idle to see if the air pump would lower the emissions, we got to around 6% Co and 300 odd HC. The weird thing was we held it at near 4k RPM and the Co dropped to 2.3% and the HC were around 160 (which is a pass).

I am a bit reluctant to start buying bits and bobs with the hope that it might work lol.

Title: Re: Unable to pass emissions test plus some smoke.
Post by: boosted on April 11, 2015, 09:11:35 PM
As jinx said mate cataclean first. I put it through all my cars and then see whats what.
Title: Re: Unable to pass emissions test plus some smoke.
Post by: Daston on April 14, 2015, 08:44:38 PM
Right just went out to double check the ECU and its deffo standard (was hoping for some kind of a surprise lol).

My garage has a lip to it which means I can't push it in so started it up and got the normal blue puff of smoke but this time it was way longer than normal and hung around when it started warming up too. Should I now be worried?? The warentee on the engine is up next month so if this is the start of an issue I really want it looked out now tbf.

Uh sorry for the shit camera skills, got to love modern phones

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/godaston/Mazda%20RX/th_Smoky%20Rex_zpsfqrwg5yw.mp4) (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v232/godaston/Mazda%20RX/Smoky%20Rex_zpsfqrwg5yw.mp4)


Title: Re: Unable to pass emissions test plus some smoke.
Post by: Daston on April 16, 2015, 10:04:11 PM
Cataclean turned up today (got to love Amazon prime...ordered it Saturday!) and chucked the bottle in.

She smoked for a good 15 min and then cleared up. A few blips of the throttle chucked a lot of white/blue smoke out and then that stopped too so looks like its running as it should. Going to get it retested on Monday and see if it's still out.
Title: Re: Unable to pass emissions test plus some smoke.
Post by: Daston on April 20, 2015, 11:00:44 PM
Right tried the cataclean and still running way too high, HC is still around 2200 and Co is 9% on idle :(
Title: Re: Unable to pass emissions test plus some smoke.
Post by: boosted on April 20, 2015, 11:18:51 PM
is the car running good?

limited info poss o2 sensor. with high hc and co......its running rich.
Title: Re: Unable to pass emissions test plus some smoke.
Post by: boosted on April 20, 2015, 11:23:53 PM
Ill have a word with my mate tomoz he is an MOT tester and knows the levels inside out and possible causes.
Title: Re: Unable to pass emissions test plus some smoke.
Post by: Daston on April 20, 2015, 11:50:13 PM
Seems to be running fine idles fine around 750rpm and drives perfectly. Smokes a bit on start up but runs clean when up to temp.

The tester seemed to think the Cat could be the problem but as they are only a testing station and not a garage they were unable to run any tests.
Title: Re: Unable to pass emissions test plus some smoke.
Post by: boosted on April 21, 2015, 01:04:21 PM
Spoke with my mate and sounds like running rich......in no particular order.
Plugs
Air leak/ vacuum
Lamda o2
Or cat.
Maybe time to get back to builders so they can take for mot for you.....check it over and rotary friendly mot.
Title: Re: Unable to pass emissions test plus some smoke.
Post by: boosted on April 21, 2015, 01:10:32 PM
Just re read your thread. And your 300 miles away from builder.....is this a rotary garage closer as there all well versed with getting cars through mots.
Title: Re: Unable to pass emissions test plus some smoke.
Post by: Daston on April 22, 2015, 08:47:40 AM
Sadly our local one closed. I do however have a friendly TVR specialist near who some how managed to make my old mans decatted 5ltr V8 run as clean as a fiesta ecoboost lol.

As the plugs n sensor are quite cheap will get them changed and see what's what. Emailed the engine builder last night and will follow up with a call today so they are in the picture.
Title: Re: Unable to pass emissions test plus some smoke.
Post by: boosted on April 22, 2015, 09:04:35 AM
Is the mot out yet? Have a look at old plugs also give good indication of what going on. If the cats original its surely had a had life and toast by now...tbh my was decatted and never passed just got lucky with friendly mot guy.
Title: Re: Unable to pass emissions test plus some smoke.
Post by: Daston on April 22, 2015, 10:36:24 AM
Yeah mot ran out a few days ago :(

The cat isn't new but I don't know how old it is, I was under the impression the car was modded before the rebuild so its likely the cat was added when it was put back to stock.
Title: Re: Unable to pass emissions test plus some smoke.
Post by: boosted on April 22, 2015, 11:09:39 AM
I think mate prob gonna work out cheaper in the long run to get back to builder this is the first mot since purchase so hopefully help you out! Have you got the emissions print out from the previous mot? i doubt it! 8) doing the plugs is simple and maintenance but you could end of throwing loads of money at it when it simply wont pass.
Title: Re: Unable to pass emissions test plus some smoke.
Post by: Daston on April 22, 2015, 12:40:26 PM
I do indeed have a print out from the last mot, we are not sure if its accurate or not as the readings are very low.

Will get on the phone with reworx and see what they say, warrentee ends next month so really want to get it sorted