plsbcheap

1993 Prelude Si, we failed the two NOx test on emissions yesterday (passed everything else). This points to ECR valve or Catalytic problem (they say). on the 25/25 test the reading was 1564 with 945 allowed and on the 50/15 test we read 1827 and 1045 was allowed.

We only drove the car 2 miles or less before the test so I doubt the catalytic converter was completely hot yet but you only get one retest before you pay the fee again. What should we do?

My plan at the moment is to pull the ECR valve out and clean it. With what? Carb cleaner? gas? etc. and put it back in and drive the car pretty aggressive for 30 minutes and then retest. It passed last year fine. I called a muffler shop and he just wants to "check and clean the ECR system for $175 or if it test okay replace the Catalytic converter for $200". Any advice? Would you try the stuff in a bottle "guaranteed to pass" and don't you have to drive it about 150 miles or more first before retesting? Is that stuff helpful with the NOx problem? Thanks,
Dwight

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93 Prelude Si resurrection in process....

red92si

Your cat. converter wasn't hot enough. Take it out on the highway for a good twenty minutes. And when you get to the test station, don't turn off the car if you have to wait to get tested. Keep in running to keep the cat heated, and rev it up a bit right before they test it to get some additional heat in there.

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Tyler

plsbcheap

Tyler thanks for the tips. I took out the EGR valve and it had some carbon etc so I cleaned it and sprayed a little carb cleaner then got my shop vac and sucked out the manifold and knocked the little pieces out of the hole etc. and tried to clean that up too.




Cleaned




Put everything back, drove the car hard for 20 minutes. at high RPM's in 1st and 2nd gear as well as pretty fast to heat it up as suggested. The guy at the emissions place was cool and revved it up a lot before starting the test.................... RESULT..................Failed AGAIN.

This time with worse numbers than before. On the 25/25 we had 1697 (with 945 allowed) and on the 50/15 we go 1702 (with only 1045 allowed). When I looked at last years reading I was just under the "allowed" in both categories.

So my feeling is that since the numbers went up that the cat not being hot enough was not the problem, nor carbon or blockage in the EGR valve. My dilemina is what to do next and how to stay cheap on the fix. I can buy at cat to bolt on through a parts store for $140 or pay a muffler shop 180 to 200 to install one (my guess is they weld in a generic). If I buy the EGR at a parts shop it is $205 alone. super easy to install but which first? Is there a way to check the EGR or Cat to see which one is the problem? Am I going the wrong way with this? Do I take it the muffler shop and bend over?

Ideas? Thanks,

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93 Prelude Si resurrection in process....

plsbcheap

any one got any advice? I need to get this car to pass emissions and get my tag. Georgia, I hate the emissions laws. You have to spend at least $788 here before they will wave the emissions failure.

I just don't know what to do next:
1) Buy and run the "Guarenteed to Pass"
2) Buy and run "Seafoam" (I'm not even sure where to buy and how to use)
3) Buy and Replace the EGR valve (is there any other part to the EGR system?) about $220
4) Buy and Replace the Cat. I can buy a bolt on magnaflow for about $90
5) Take the Prelude to a muffler shop and let them decide if it is the EGR or the Cat... about $200 for either installed. If they replace the cat they will likely weld in a universal. If it was the EGR then their price is about the same as doing it myself (unless the guy on the phone meant he would test it and clean it for $200 !!!!)

I need to make a decision and I'm not sure which way to go. If I could test the Cat or the EGR and know it was bad then the bolt on CAT could be the best decision....

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93 Prelude Si resurrection in process....

TruNinja619

I would replace the catalytic converter first. If anything, a new cat heated up should drop the NOX number significantly. Ideally, you would want to use an OEM cat., but they cost A LOT for one.

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