I failed my smog test here in California with High hc on the 25 mph portion and I have new spark plugs , wires , good coils , good cat , fresh oil , and runs perfect no check engine light and was wondering what can I do to pass the smog my car has about 175xxx miles any help is appreciated

 

Quick questions --

Are you burning/using oil between oil changes, and what weight oil are you currently running ??

 

This might be a good reason to change the infamous engine temperature sensor, but there also could be a bunch of other reasons.
I nver had problems passing smog with mine even though the catalytic converter was half destroyed.

 

don't use gas with ethanol in it.

It screws up your Engine Control Unit, makes it burn richer.

 

MikeIndiana --

Check out Ramos' original thread ... he's in California. I seriously doubt that he'll find a station anywhere there that doesn't run an ethanol blend

 

That's so dumb, I was putting that ethanol in my saturn 2000, then I found out it screws up the emissions computer and the 'service engine soon' light comes on, and it starts running rich and getting about 10 miles per gallon. As soon as you put regular gas in it, it starts getting 25 miles per gallon, because the emissions computer is working correctly, So their environmentalism is actually causing more smog and pollution, actually doubling it in my car's case.

Plus, I've heard that ethanol corrodes your engine.

Also, it raises corn prices, corn syrup is more expensive, makes snickers bars 89 cents now.

The Corn Lobby is very powerful and that is why we have ethanol. They want high corn prices, but it makes food more expensive for everyone else, makes corn-fed livestock more expensive.

Here is an article explaining why ethanol corrodes pipelines, it absorbs water.

http://www.enewsbuilder.net/aopl/e_article000570935.cfm

I guess the stated reason for switching to ethanol is the reduction of methyl tertiary butyl ether, (MTBE'S) in gasoline. In 1990, the passage of the clean Air Act led to gasoline actually containing up to 10-15% MTBE. MTBE mixes with water readily, and contamines ground water, and is thought to be a carcinogen.


The reason though, for using MTBE was it increases your gas mileage, therefore producing less polution. I've noticed gas with high MTBE definitely gives alot better gas mileage, it also burns up all the residual carbon, which might coat your catalytic converter's catalytic surfaces, which is the main pollution control device.

 

In short, older car's emission systems aren't designed to burn ethanol, they are designed to burn the MTBE fuels. You could just add some MTBE to your tank, to pass emissions.

 

Mike,
I'm not sure where you have been getting your information from but alcohol in one form or another has been available as a fuel mix commercially since some where in the late 60’s and mandated for use in some states as an oxygenated additive apparently depending on whether it is referred to a ethanol or not, some where in the 70’s or 90’s depending on the article read.
I currently own 5 cars where my 94 Saturn is not old, it is the second newest. My oldest is a 1970 currently.
The all run on the same currently available fuel what ever is in the hightest fuel pump if required and have since I have owned them and the fuel has been jerked with. I have lived in California and other area’s. The paranoia referred to with alcohol based fuels is some what real certainly. In extreme doses etc. Flex fuel some times known as E85 is a recent fuel and is formulated in such a manner that it will cause damage to seals and gaskets if used in a car that was not built with the correct gaskets etc for use, other wise, the car will run just fine with that fuel.
I deal with smog regularly, did so when I lived in California and do so now as the state I live in requires smog inspections and some time ago made them quite rigid. Every thing I own passes smog and the fuel is not a factor.
Unless it is abused, and throwing additives in indiscriminately while having no clue what they do and why is abuse.
If a car does not pass smog their generally is a reason for it. It could be as simple as the gas cap is bad.
Or
it fails a visual inspection.
Operationally generally depends on something working wrong or it is just plain tired.
There are some questionable devious methods to get a car to pass smog when it is not capable of it and some of them I have used successfully.
I would not suggest them here on an open forum because the success is based on knowing how and why and Mores Law is not one of the.
Mores Law = if a little is good, more is better.
What you do in Michigan, may not work in California, state rules prevail.
I have had, in my time, a car fail smog because the fuel pump was in a failure mode and the engine leaned out.
Another story.
A 1994 Saturn is designed to run successfully on any gasoline motor fuel available with out a problem with the exception of E85 and it’s derivatives.

 

==============================
From IM240 handbook
High HC only
Hydrocarbn emissions are aresult of incomplete combustion.
Problem area's
Ignition Timing
Vacuum leaks
Ignition failure (miss-fire)

There has been some vacuum leak problems reported due to intake manifold damage and/or vacuum line breakage. Assuming that is not a problem and all parts are good
and my not being in California for a while so some nuance or another may exist.
If
your car is burning oil
and
the reason it is not passing smog is due to that,
it has been known that changing to a synthetic will allow you to sneak by.
A lot of street racers used that at one time or another so it is told.

 

dude never did tell us if he's burning oil