Good emissions sign of perfect engine?

[silverrat]

Just passed my Ontario emissions test today. I passed easily. Are the limits a joke or are these results the sign of an engine in good health?

ASM2525 Test
HC ppm Limit 62 Reading 17 PASS
CO% Limit 0.35 Reading 0.03 PASS
NO ppm Limit 467 Reading 102 PASS
at 2636 rpm

Curb Idle Test
HC ppm Limit 200 Reading 14 PASS
CO% Limit 1.00 Reading 0.03 PASS
at 927 rpm

How thoroughly did I whoop this test? What are newer car limits does anybody know? How does this compare to say a 2006 Accord.

Also does anybody know the LEV, ULEV, etc. standards?

 

[SLCraig]

That is why the drive clean is dumb IMO... I pass on every car I've ever bought, for any amount of $. And always by a whopping margin.

It's just a great way for them to make $35.

 

[The_Jeff]

It'll catch someone with a misfire. It frosts me when someone says oh I gutted my cat, blocked off my EGR, feh, I still passed smog so I had no effect on anything... (When they just do an idle test and the hydrocarbons are ok)

Does your region only do a sniffer on OBD-I cars like yours? They probably don't even care that much seeing what a small percentage remain on the road.

Was reading about one car they spec'd to ULEV standards with a more complicated charcoal canister setup. (Another thing the tailpipe test won't catch.)

 

[chrome]

It means the emission control system in your car is working according to spec, and you have efficient combustion and good oil control in your engine. A faulty EGR, or a poor catalytic converter will wreck some of those nice numbers easily.

 

[xxch4osxx]

My truck passed the emissions test last November with flying colors, well below the fail point. My girlfriend's 2005 Grand Prix was tested back in Janurary and it scored better then it did when she bought it used in 2008, lol. Both times were way below fail point.

 

[Bill in Utah]

Its when the vehicle has to do the treadmill IE test that things start to show up.

And yes, I feel that if you can pass smog most of the time your vehicle is more healthy than sick. Esp 1996 and later.

Bill

 

[xxch4osxx]

Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
Its when the vehicle has to do the treadmill IE test that things start to show up.

And yes, I feel that if you can pass smog most of the time your vehicle is more healthy than sick. Esp 1996 and later.

Bill
Our emissions tests are done on a dyno style system with a load placed on the engine at a certain speed.

 

[silverrat]

Ha ha I couldn't make this stuff up, look at this section of the test.

My what a comprehensive inspection they did. Can you say cash grab?

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
It'll catch someone with a misfire. It frosts me when someone says oh I gutted my cat, blocked off my EGR, feh, I still passed smog so I had no effect on anything... (When they just do an idle test and the hydrocarbons are ok)

Does your region only do a sniffer on OBD-I cars like yours? They probably don't even care that much seeing what a small percentage remain on the road.

Was reading about one car they spec'd to ULEV standards with a more complicated charcoal canister setup. (Another thing the tailpipe test won't catch.)


They do a dyno test and my Mustang passed with only the carbon canister and EGR valve in place

 

[willix]

Many engines since the the late 80's will pass emissions tests without a catalytic converter but technically will fail visual inspection due to the federal requirement to have one. A cat will certainly clean up those acceptable emissions further.

A engine passing emissions could be an absolute piece of junk on its 9th life.

 

[CivicFan]

The cars have improved so much that the emissions tests have become obsolete. Maybe they need to tighten the thresholds to ULEV or SULEV standards so that people don't think that they are a rip-off.

 

[mechtech2]

This tests the catalytic converter more than anything.
There are no gross problems with the engine.

But for sure, an engine can burn oil , misfire, have rod knocks, etc, and still pass most measured emission testing.

 

[Scott_Tucker]

One thing they are thinking of doing on modern cars is to do a system scan only. If the monitors are set and there are no codes stored then it is likely that the emissions will be low. The cost for this would obviously be lower than for a two speed dyno test. In the future they could even use telematics so you don't even need to go in for a smog check.

I don't agree that emissions checks are a money grab. If you saw the brown air we had in my area in the 80's and compare it to the relatively clean air we have now you would know it has made a huge difference.

 

[CivicFan]

Oh, yes. Sometimes I come across these old school cars prior to the regulated emissions. These things stink up the whole area. I can only imagine what the air was when all the cars on the street were like them.

 

[PandaBear]

Originally Posted By: Scott_Tucker
One thing they are thinking of doing on modern cars is to do a system scan only. If the monitors are set and there are no codes stored then it is likely that the emissions will be low. The cost for this would obviously be lower than for a two speed dyno test. In the future they could even use telematics so you don't even need to go in for a smog check.

I don't agree that emissions checks are a money grab. If you saw the brown air we had in my area in the 80's and compare it to the relatively clean air we have now you would know it has made a huge difference.


Yes, and also the emission test is to see if you have failed components on your car, not if your car is as clean as the newer ones made this year, so congrat if you have a wide margin.

I've found a lazy O2 sensor and replaced it myself, when I am 1 ppm below the limit on HC and also very near the limit on NOX, so definitely it catches something when they don't work. After the replacement it drop to way below limit.

 

[willix]

Emissions inspections is a useless form of taxation that has been long obsolete.

 

[KilgoreBass]

Originally Posted By: willix
Emissions inspections is a useless form of taxation that has been long obsolete.


Maybe it depends where someone lives, but most states (provinces) have an inspection, of which emissions is only part of. I would hate to see what junk would be going down the road without some kind of periodic check, it's bad enough already.

Once you've payed for the safety inspection, might as well also look at emissions. $35 per year (or whatever) well spent in my book if it makes for safer and cleaner roads.

 

[silverrat]

Originally Posted By: KilgoreBass
Originally Posted By: willix
Emissions inspections is a useless form of taxation that has been long obsolete.


Maybe it depends where someone lives, but most states (provinces) have an inspection, of which emissions is only part of. I would hate to see what junk would be going down the road without some kind of periodic check, it's bad enough already.

Once you've payed for the safety inspection, might as well also look at emissions. $35 per year (or whatever) well spent in my book if it makes for safer and cleaner roads.


That would be good, but we don't need a safety inspection unless we are transfering ownership. And if a car is over 20 years old, it does not require an emissions test anymore.

 

[Shannow]

Originally Posted By: willix
Emissions inspections is a useless form of taxation that has been long obsolete.


And when the OEMs know that they aren't going to be checked up on year after year, what will happen to the quality of the installed components ?

 

[mechtech2]

Checking for stored codes is what they do in Illinois, for years.
The idiots with dynos ruined a lot of engines and transmissions before.