Jan, did you clean your oxygen sensor? I don’t remember. Maybe it’s dirty - unable to fully detect exhaust oxygen.
If that doesn’t work - your son was into electronics, right?
“An oxygen sensor will typically generate up to about 0.9 volts when the fuel mixture is rich and there is little unburned oxygen in the exhaust. When the mixture is lean, the sensor’s output voltage will drop down to about 0.1 volts.”
Have your son make a “thing” that bumps the voltage up slightly. Or even make it manual control to be able to spoof the computer by altering the sensor’s reading going down the road. That could be helpful for hybriding as well.
OK that engine is not getting hot enough for best emissions combustion. 87.2C is too low.
Find out why. Get it to hotter running. Cycling 104-110C.
IF it was a factory electric fan vehicle the fan had better be cycling to get least tested exhaust emissions.
Catalytic converter had better be showing HOT, HOT with a contact or non-contact thermal reader. Minimum of 200C above exhaust pipe temp.
Dead inactive cats read exhaust pipe temp.
To any confused about test cycle “Gaming” do realize this vehicle is 25-26 years old.
ALL of the “stake-holders” want this vehicle to have been taken off the road decades ago.
The auto manufacturers want this.
The Union auto workers want this.
The Dealership sellers, and vehicle contract financiers all want this. Insurance providers want this.
The friggin’ Eco-freaks’ want this.
They all care not one bit about your vehicle operating costs as a percentage of your annual income/out-go’s.
YOU DO.
That is why you drive old.
So “cheating the test” is just snap-shot putting your best appearance on, for one time only.
Like that very carefully set up brides wedding picture. She’d fall out of that special squeeze-in, push-up dress trying to work; or moving around. Stumble in her legs shaping special shoes. Her makeup would melt, and run ugly.
Or. . . do not like this sexist comparison?
“Staging” a home for sale, then. Right down to baking the cookies for that homie smell.
Do; could; people with children, actually live that perfect house presentation way? Nope.
JanA were you ever able to get a scanner to give you the computer tripping codes?
Even better: can you now get data stream information? It will help to be able to see what the computer control system is seeing.
And see it’s response in ignition timing and injector time-on commanded.
S.U.
JO, I cleaned the sensor first but it did not help so I bought a new one, I got rid of the error code with the new one.
Yes, it would be an idea to fool the computer so it does not give as much gasoline, it should work as a hybrid.
Steve, when I got to the inspection I had a cloud of smoke around the hood of the car, a hose had started to leak, so I probably had no pressure in the system.
With the scanner I can read quite a lot, if i can trust it.
Has around 0.35volt on oxygen sensor 2, and it flutters quite a lot, so due to that I am thinking of Catalytic Converter
I think a standard oxygen sensor has an off-on output, not a steady analog out. Expect “fluttering”. The inexpensive rich / lean panel meters average the reading, more to “lean” or more time at “rich”. The more expensive "wide band " oxygen sensors have a range where they work in analog mode so an analog meter would be steady in that band. The racing guys use the wide band and dash instruments to match. This is my source: https://www.boschautoparts.com/en/auto/oxygen-sensors/wideband-af-oxygen-sensors
Good Morning JanA,
The meter you show would be ~$240 USD.
It only measures carbon monoxide. At engine exhaust levels. So probably would only read a maximum of ~8-10%.
Wood gas we want to see at least 12% to 20% carbon monoxide.
So better to spend your money in other places.
You asked my progress on my woodgas system for my Toyota Camry.
The drawings are done.
Goes slowly now coming up with the system to weld down to 0.8 to 0.5 mm thickness stainless steels.
I am still stuck on only 1.27 mm capability.
I must have the thinner capability to meet my 70 kg rear hanging out weight goal.
Thanks Steve, I thought about that device to see if my values are too high for the inspection, it costs about 70 dollars the first time and then 50 dollars if I have to go back for something wrong, I have 1 month on me to fix all the errors.
If you have a mig weld, cant you try flux wire?
Old milk jugs, milking machines or electric hot water boilers can be made of stainless steel.
Or maybe stainless steel buckets.
I use a Temco stainless milk can for my alcohol fuel still, and ever since I got it I’ve wanted to make a reactor out of a stainless beer keg and milk cans. Paid about 50 dollars for an 8 gallon container and 70 for my half keg(used).
Would be neat for a motorcycle unit.
Duel shielding is adding a gas protection to the flux-core process.
For your tail pipe true exhaust measurements that only 0.5% resolution machine may not be sensitive enough to get you under your 0.5% CO maximum limit.
But fine for older carbureted vehicles with 1.5% CO limits.
With your before and after cat oxygen sensors system hard to spoof the after cat readings ( catalytic converter monitor) as the OBDII self-testing will be intentionally over and under fueling looking for forced changes responses.
Sometimes the only solution is to replace the catalytic converter. $240??
S.U.
Oh, you have things, you’re just getting started, the sooner you save money.
I had big problems with the flux thread when I started, had a hard time seeing when it was the right temperature so it burns through, but now it is starting to go better. Now I’m annoyed that it’s squirting everywhere.
The inspection has its own meter which they put 30cm (12 ") into the exhaust pipe, which makes it sensitive to leaks in the system, it measures the oxygen content, and if I have a leak, the meter thinks the engine is wrong.
I bought a new catalyst last year, and had it down and checked now, it looked very nice.
But had a leak in a joint on the pipe, and 2 spark plugs that were a little black, I wonder if i made a fool of my self when I had copper paste on the threads, if it was on the electrode and the porcelain.
Do you have any way of knowing if I burn the gas before the engine, I think the radiator pipes get hotter than usual.
I do not see that it leaks when I turn it off.
About the flux core. I’ve been watching videos on You-tube about it. Some good information at Weld.com. He says to reverse your leads when welding flux core so that your work clamp is out of your positive post and your electrode from the negative.
Did you try Wayne’s newspaper trick? Roll a newspaper and put it into the ash dump area. Go for a ride and open up next morning. With no oxygen present the newspaper should still be in good shape.
