So I went for my e-test today and failed lol
Here are the results:
HC ppm - Reading: 175 Limit: 64 = FAIL
CO% - Reading: 0.35 Limit: 0.53 = FAIL
NO ppm - Reading: 3871 Limit: 485 = FAIL (badly)
Curb Test results passed, but barely passed.
The mechanic said I have to get a new catylitic convertor or something, and would run me about $280 including labour.
Anyone know any “alternatives”? :\
Do it yourself and not pay for labour.
Run some combustion chamber cleaner through it - $7 max
Change the o2 sensor if you already havnt - $15 max?
Run a high octane gas, or even better, dump in a few bottles of
gas line anti-freeze - 10 bucks.
That worked for me, i bombed on my first attemp too. The combustion chamber
cleaner is what really worked, Take off your intake tube and spray it into
the throttle body till the car stalls out, let it sit, repeat if necessary.
s14 o2 sesnsor for the top one is 400 and lower one is 200
just go buy ur test
That’s ideally what I want to do…
but where/who?
I can do it for $20
^^^
serious? hook me up…
when i get a car
Since all the readings are high, sounds like the cat is boinked. If the O2 sensor is screwed, that coulda messed up the cat by running the car rich.
true say silvia drift… its always one thing that screws the another… and the cat is probably cloged up with unburnt gas now.
Your mechanic is right, you need a new cat. Might as well change your 02 sensors also.
I believe spd-dmn just did this stuff on his own car recently he is likely willing to help you out.
do you have an aftermarket or stock exhaust on the car? I get a discount at the local NAPA I should be able to get you a decent price on it and we’ll get that thing to pass the legal way for a lot cheaper than you were quoted.
//edit// looks like I can get a cat for stock size exhaust on S13 (SE) for $130+14% tax.
The list price on that cat is $205 so it would probably more likely be around $180+tax if you walked in there and bought one.
I’m in Oakville though, not too close to you.
It doesn’t need a cat. EGR BPT is not working by the NOx reading. The vac line gets hard and cracks causing the EGR not to work. With the weather change pre test warm up changed to 30sec not enough for and older cat to warm up. Shops/techs know this but they they tend to make more money when they fail.
Thanks for all the helpful replies and advice, but I just have a quick question: Is it bad for the car mechanically if I don’t get the problem fixed, or is it just more of an evironmental issue? If it actually decreases the performance of my car, I should probably just get it done right and do a re-test. Any opinions??
get a new motor 
and buy ur emissions ask to test ur car as a hot rod if u do go for a re test wiht ur ka jsut ask the mech to do it
I agree your timing might be off causing excessive hc and nox but that would be in the low hundreds not thousands… your egr is likely malfunctioning, which can lead to mild pre-ignition at light throttle or at the least retarded timing… which makes even more nox and makes your cruising fuel economy garbage
O_O!!! E-test shit on an s13/driftcars pointless Im pretty sure 90% of the members on the board have no cat and 3 - 4 inch piping along with fake Etests.
I dont know about that. They are forced to charge 35 dollars by the government so after 20-30 min on the sniffer I doubt they are making anything that is worthwhile to them. They’d rather do an 800 dollar brake job in that time to really rape your wallet.
it’s obviously more than egr since it failed all three pollutants.
Funny thing is I buy a sports car pay the extra insurance and buy the 94 oct gas and the goverment says run a cat. I say fuck that just pay 200 for a fake e-test;)