smog check

[Pandor]

I have recently bought a 1990 Pontiac Grand Prix Turbo. The car failed at the smog check. There has been a new test added in California in October and the car failed on that part. Otherwise it has been passing the smog check in the past. Apart from dealing with the sellers I want to know what to expect when I bring it for repairs. Has anyone experienced a similar problem with their Pontiac? What are the remedies?
I'm in the Bay Area.

[Ripn12s]

Why did it fail??

[kilroypr]

I do not know were your test failed but when I go to smog check I take off the airfilter, add a can of Bardhal's Smog Check pass to a full gas tank and burn half of it, replace the Oxygen sensor. Clean the air throtle black dust sticking to the walls, the dust will affect the combustion mixture since less air than expected will be flowing thru the throtle body when to much dust on the throtle intake assembly.
Also check that there are no vacum leaks since GM uses vacum lines to control MAP and similar intake relatd sensors and any of these failing could result on a smog check test failure.
This are really easy to check and will cost you nothing. If this fails then take your car to the shop. They will charge at least $150.00 for the check and the first thing they will do basically is just what I just told you.

[Pandor]

In the ASM Emission Test Results it says:

NO (PPM)

MAX AVERAGE MEAS
856 237 1409

So the 1409 is the problem because it is so much above the average.

What it means exactly, I don't know.

Originally Posted by Ripn12s

Why did it fail??

[Ripn12s]

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/vi/publ...ilure_copy.htm

See if that helps any

[kilroypr]

Originally Posted by Pandor

In the ASM Emission Test Results it says:

NO (PPM)

MAX AVERAGE MEAS
856 237 1409

So the 1409 is the problem because it is so much above the average.

What it means exactly, I don't know.

PPM means CO Particules Per Million Exhaust Gas Particles.

Basically looks like not enough air is reaching the fuel mixture.
As I mentioned before check the air intake and related intake hardware. IS really easy to do, could do the trick and save you a couple bucks. That is basically your problem, looks like in some stage to much gas for air combustion mixture is happenig.
Just make sure that all the intake parts are clean even the air filter(I would take it off just for the test), throtle body intake mouth, that MAP sensor if so equiped has all the vacum hoses in place and none of these are broken or unconnected. If your car is equiped with a Flow meter make sure that nothing is sticking to it, that is clean.
This would do the trick for you.