Cant pass emissions in Texas, Bad A.M. catalytic converter?

B16, B18, B20
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Cant pass emissions in Texas, Bad A.M. catalytic converter?

By xhardlinerx
- Mon Apr 29, 2013 9:19 pm #331154 92 civic SI with JDM b16 from HMOmotors ( I think its the 170hp version SiR II)
It has a chrome tune with launch control

Do I have a bad Catalytic converter? I just bought a aftermarket one 1 month ago.

High Speed Emissions (25mph)

HC (ppm): 136 My Car: 329 FAIL
CO (%): 0.76 My Car: 3.48 FAIL
CO2 (%): My Car: 12.2
O2(%): My Car: 0.6
Nox (ppm):984 My Car: 1172 FAIL
DILUTION >6.0 My Car: 15.68 PASS

Low Speed Emissions (15mph)

HC (ppm): 141 My Car: 335 FAIL
CO (%): 0.79 My Car: 4.26 FAIL
CO2 (%): My Car: 11.6
O2(%): My Car: 0.8
Nox (ppm):1088 My Car: 742 PASS
DILUTION>6.0 My Car: 15.86 PASS

-installed a new aftermarket catalytic converter 1 month ago
-installed a new stock OEM Bosal muffler 3 weeks ago (has a small exahust leak due to a gasket that doesnt fit)
- Has ebay headers and a ebay resonator

I went back to the muffler shop from where I purchased the Catalytic converter from and told him I needed a to get a new one because this one is bad.
He said it was my EGR valve and that needs to be cleaned.
I went home and my friend told me my car doesnt even have a EGR valve

I called the muffler shop up and told them my car doesnt have a EGR valve and they said it could be something with the fuel system.
He said if the fuel system doesnt fix it then he will replace my catalytic converter because it has like a 6 month warranty.

Is the muffler shop lieing to me so they dont have a to give out a another catalytic converter?
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By teal_dx
- Tue Apr 30, 2013 2:09 am #331171 Did you drive the car hard before testing? If the cat isn't hot enough, it won't do its job. But as you mentioned, it's an aftermarket cat which usually don't do as good of a job as an OEM cat would. What brand is your cat?

By xhardlinerx
- Tue Apr 30, 2013 2:46 am #331173 Eastern

If its not the cat then I think it may be the chrome tune because the guy said he tuned it to be extra lean (or extra rich) I forgot what he said.
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By suspendedHatch
- Wed May 01, 2013 6:06 pm #331226 There's no way to diagnose it due to the chrome tune. It could be a completely shit tune. Unfortunately a lot of Hondas are tuned very poorly.

Is it close enough to stock that you can use a stock ECU?

By xhardlinerx
- Sat May 04, 2013 6:47 am #331325 yes its pretty much a stock b16.


the engine runs perfect.
i dont think the tune is bad, but could the tune have something to do with my emissions if it was running to rich or lean?
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By TrailerTrash
- Sat May 04, 2013 1:03 pm #331327 yes it could. if its pretty much stock, swap in a stock ecu and take it out and beat on it
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By suspendedHatch
- Sun May 05, 2013 5:15 pm #331351 Yes, the tune has everything in the world to do with whether the car runs rich or lean. It is the determining factor.

The part of the fuel map that is in play during an emissions test is very different than the part of the fuel map in play on a dyno. When I was a smog tech, I had unlimited access to the smog dyno to tune an AEM EMS to near perfect emissions numbers. This was after I had the EMS professionally tuned on a dyno. I changed the fuel and ignition maps quite a bit (in the low load/RPM cells) and the car drove noticeably better on the street. I picked up some MPG - but the big gains in fuel economy came from tuning it on several 10 hour road trips.

The tune is everything.
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