So Virginia has an emissions testing program.

Originally, I thought it was going to be a simple OBD2 read. Great, because the Excursion has no stored or pending codes and the Service Engine Soon light is not on.

Turns out that anything gasoline powered, 8500lbs GVWR or greater also gets a tailpipe sniffer, Two Speed/Idle test.

I failed due to hydrocarbons (HC) being slightly above the limit of 125ppm. I think idle was 140 something and 2500 RPM was in the 170-180 range... Carbon Monoxide was slightly high at 0.71 PPM, but under the limit of 0.75. Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) was not checked.

Emissions tech suggested a new set of plugs and an oil change, possibly also running 93 Octane for the retest. (I doubt the 93 octane will change it that drastically. This makes all of the tech's suggestions suspect.)

Oil doesn't look too terrible, but that's cheap. Spark plug change also is cheap... But wouldn't bad plugs show up as a P03XX Misfire code?


I also noticed that the previous owner did a few things to the truck. There's an AFE Magnum intake under the hood. There's also an aftermarket Catalytic converter. It appears to be a Magnaflow 99400 Universal. The air injection pipe is capped off, as there is no smog pump on the 6.8 According to Magnaflow's website, that cat is specced for a 7.8 Liter engine maximum in a 7000 lb GVRW vehicle. Could it be too small for the Excursion, which has an 8900 lb GVWR?

I'd just like to rule out everything before I start needlessly throwing parts at this truck.

 

Oil and plugs are NEVER a bad idea. Have you looked at the plugs? people tend to ignore them until they have an issue. What is the cost of retests? If it's low or free I'd change the oil and plugs get the engine good and hot and retest.

 

Yeah, people tend to shy away from doing the plugs on the V10 because the passenger side bank can be kind of a pain in the butt. Once you get going though, it isn't bad. Don't forget new COP boots if you do the plugs...

 

That or they replace the plugs that they can easily get to and leave the others. I discovered that when pulling plugs once.

 

Pele,

I had EXACTLY the same issues with my EX with 420000+ KM. (Damn weight rating)

First time I failed by just a hair, same issue with the HC.

Second time around was with a fresh oil change, new air filter, 94 octane, new PCV and some magic potion in the gas tank (CRC Guaranteed pass...which it did not, and the way the money back guarantee is phrased you'll never get cash from them)

Third time around the mechanic said "Leave it with me for a few days I'll get her to pass" which he did. I asked him what he did and all I got was this sly "I just banged your sister" grin and he told me to take my truck and get out of here....

Honestly I wish I knew what he did because from what I saw it doesn't look like you can trick that machine very easily.

As a side note, the first e-test I was running a K&N Filter. The second test I had a new stock ford air cleaner and the HC count was MUCH higher. Go figure

 

I was told by the previous owner that plugs and some of the coils were done. Though I haven't looked at them. Some coils have been replaced.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ion-coils.html

I figured that bad plugs would also show up as a lack in power. This engine ranks up with other ford V10s that I've driven. (A 2007 F450 utility body and a 2010 Four-Winds 31 ft RV on an E450 chassis.)

I get one free retest. Problem is that the tests are logged by the DMV and DEQ. If fail a couple times in a row, then I'm going to need work done by a "Certified Emissions Repair Facility" before I can register the truck.

Firstly, they're going to charge labor and are probably going to start redoing the work that I put in. That means they'll pull my new plugs and put OE plugs in.

Secondly, they're going to want to restore the exhaust and intake OE. A dealership catalytic will probably be a couple thousand bucks.

 

All he did was smog a different vehicle he knew would pass, but inputted your VIN into the computer VIN. Either that or he left the sniffer probe out of the tailpipe.

Stewart

 

Maybe a couple of years ago that would have worked but not anymore.

Currently you have to take pictures of the VIN and the vehicle WHILE it's being tested.

Leaving the sniffer out of the tail pipe is a possibility but he's a square and tested it 3 times without doing so. Seems strange that he would compromise his morals for lil' ol' me. The emissions tests aren't expensive and most of that money goes back to the government so it's not like he's stuffing his pocket with me.

I have another emissions test coming up in March, so we'll see what happens then.

 

I'm here in VA too and didn't have to do an emissions test... yet. When the **** did this start?!?

 

Oh wow, California has the rep for being the toughest when it comes to emissions testing, but they don't take pictures.

Man I hope they don't start doing that here!

Huh, I was basing my response on him telling you to leave it with him, not telling you how he got it to pass, and giving you the ship eating grin.

Stewart

 

The three major northern counties have to do emissions due to population density. More reason to stay out of NoVA.

 

Another reason to get a diesel.

 

So I hooked the live data scanner up and took it on a drive. Even under hard accel up a hill, I couldn't get fuel trim to 20%. Under idle and cruise, it was in the single digits or less.

One quick question: RockAuto lists a downstream (After the Catalytic Converter) O2 sensor. There are only two O2 sensors that I can find on my truck and they're up by the engine.

Did someone remove my downstream O2 sensor?


I should have registered this as a Diesel.

Currently only 1997 and later vehicles with a GVWR of 8500 lbs PR less are emissions inspected.

Oh well, it'll get swapped over when I complete the drive train swap.

 

Damn, I'm staying here until they start that crap!

 

My Ex failed the last test on due to Hydrocarbons. NJ is pretty stringent about the emissions test. California level. The ONLY thing they check anymore in NJ is emissions. They have to show they are CARB compliant in order to keep getting a bunch of Federal money. If it was not for the Federal money, Govorner Cristy would have shut down inspections altogether.

Pulled a couple of plugs, and stuck an electronic inspection camera in the cylinders. I saw a bunch of crud on the injectors, cylinder heads, chambers and valves that were reducing burn efficiency of the fuel.


I took my OTC7448 fuel injection cleaner to the engine and put two bottles of OTC7000a cleaner through it. The cleaner did it job and It passed the next week.

However, I don't know if it will pass again since I found my Catalytic converter is shot. No rotten eggs, just dead.The temperature on the outlet side of the Cat is lower than the input after driving 20 to 30 miles to get it warmed up.

Now I have to find out that book: "'101 Uses For A Dead Cat".