'93 1.9 Escort Emissions

[DR Sparktrician]

I just had an emissions test ran on my Escort and it failed. It was high on hydrocarbons for the high rpm test and it was high on carbonmonoxide for both portions of the test.
I was told that the last time it was subject to emissions testing that the EGR would probably not make it for another year. I have looked all over the exhaust system from the manifold to just past the firewall with out finding anything that even remotely resembles a tap that would supply an EGR valve, assuming that it was even there (I have not managed to find one to this point).
Has Ford come up with a better idea, once again, at some point in their past where they had a different emissions control system.
I did have a bad thermostat, but I would not think that it would give a bad result of over 3 times the limit on hydrocarbons.
Could somebody please help?

[AzTumbleweed]

Look at your air intake manifold. On the top of it you will see a vacuum port with two or three vacuum lines going to it. Directly behind it about three inches is the EGR valve bolted to the manifold.

Another possibility is a bad catalytic converter. I had a Ford truck that wouldn't pass and it turned out the guts of the cat converter had blown out and clogged the muffler.

Is New Mexico doing SMOG checks now? We lived in Socorro a couple years ago and didn't need one.

I'm curious how someone could determine how much longer your EGR valve would last. He must be some mech. I have a '93 1.9L and it has the original. All I've changed is the Oxygen Sensor and PCV valve.

Let us know what you find out. Watch out for the Bosque Fires!

[Arnoldtheskier]

The 93 1.9 is listed as w,w/o egr.There are 2 cat's for 93..w,w/o egr. The (factory)cat w. no egr has NO pipes coming from it.The cat w egr has another small pipe that runs from it.Mine does not have an egr.
The egr SHOULD be indicated on the emmsiions sticker/map of all the stuff in the engine compartment/hood.
When they enter your car s/n in the computer it should spit back the emmissions info.IF your guy read it right (AND was honest)the computer should also list the probable causes for certain failures/types limits.The computer may very well have flagged your car/similar cars for egr failure's.The last guy that saw a barely passable reading might have taken a look into the probable failures/readings..and saw a probably egr failure coming.
There is also the possibility that your engine/egr was removed/changed
THEN there is the issue that has MANY people seriouslly steaming! They are changing the standards in a lot of areas.Some are abandonig emmissions testing..due to out and out right stealing by garages that do it.Others are doing this too BUT SAY that it is not needed any more.Still other areas are changing..raising the bar that a certain car needs to pass.You may have passed last time.THIS time with the same readings..you fail.

[DR Sparktrician]

I had another guy look at it and this vehicle has no emissions systems on the engine outside of a catalytic converter. Yes, this is a '93 Escort and it should have an emissions system, it does have the port on the head for an EGR (it is factory plugged), it does have an O2 sensor, but this is just about it. I am the second owner, the first was my father and he is not the kind to hack out the environmental stuff.
I guess there is really no way of checking the catalytic converter so I will hope that changing the plugs and getting a new T-stat in are enough.
As for NM smog inspections they are not being used at this time, although they are in Sandoval county, which is for the most part Albuquerque and surrounding areas.

[Arnoldtheskier]

Cat's can be checked. "Dump tubes/pipes " have been around for 30 years.(since cat's were popularized)It is simply a matter of comparing readings w.,w/o cat.Where there is no dump tube/pipe handy or one that will fit a good guy can substitute a piece of flex hose in there..perhaps with another or a universal cat.
Cost/time money QUICKLY become a factor as well as the age/condition of the car.Yankin' a cat/tearing into an old exhaust system off a 13 y/o Escort..OR any old car that perhaps has the original cat AND the ex. studs are toast..just to test it.. can pretty quickly find you looking for an exhaust manifold(or re-studding the old one AND a cat.
Pretty good chance the cat is toast anyway..and fairly cheap..grab the ol' torch..heat up the studs..off with the cat on with a new one.Cat's are popular and REAL cheap in the bone.Grab one there and try it.
Your car has emmission systems "built in" to many components.Some non-egr 350 Chev's had BUILT IN egr "type" set-ups.The exhaust ports in the heads and or the exhaust manifolds had HUGE lumps cast into the exhaust port to restrict the exhaust gas flow/retain it there for a type of "upstream" type of heating of the mixture.(cat. effect)

[zx2srdotnet]

escorts w/ the dohc zetec have VCT for emissions. no egr, is that what you mean?

[DR Sparktrician]

Sorry I took so long getting back with the fix.
As I said before the tstat was bad, which certainly did not aid in the cause. I got it replaced and dropped new plugs in and it passed with flying colors.
I spoke with the guy that did the retest for a while and he suggested that with this particular engine if the tstat had not been bad the suspect would be the ignition system, namely the plugs and wires as they are so frequently neglected.