The old turbo dog failed smog NO at 15 mph but passed everything else. I've noticed intermittent smoke out of tailpipe at low speeds and smelled it while driving, too. It clears up at higher speeds. This seems consistent with my smog numbers:

(%)Co2 (%)O2 HC(PPM) CO(%) NO(PPM)
Speed RPM MEAS MEAS MAX AVE MEAS MAX AVE MEAS MAX AVE MEAS
15mph 1712 15.2 0.0 52 0.9 14 0.49 0.02 0.06 424 57 551 FAIL!!!
25mph 1702 15.2 0.0 36 7 9 0.46 0.03 0.04 711 50 480 PASS


One mechanic I talked to said it could be spark plugs, my turbo, the PCV valve. Another mechanic said it was probably my turbo starting to leak, and that they could do a "flush" of the converter (if I remember correctly, car speak flies over my head a little bit). But that this "flush" would not fix the problem long-term, but would increase my chances of passing since I was so close.

Does anyone know if this "flush" or detox as I call it actually works to pass smog (it costs $160.00!) so expensive just to pass smog, you know?? Should I put that money into instead fixing my turbo (which seems otherwise responsive and fine)--or does anyone have other ideas of what the problem could be? I am broke after just having dropped $600 on fixing the serpentine belt, axle boot, and oil change. The odometer is broken but it has about 155k miles on it--and last year I spent $2000+ for the 150k mile service, water pump thing, timing belt(s) etc.

Any ideas are welcome! I want my car to be healthy. I notice it's still above average in most levels, which I don't like very much.

If you haven't run a cleaner recently, it might be worth a try. Were it mine, I'd get either a bottle of AMSOIL PI (about $9) or a can of BG-44K (about $25-30) and follow the instructions. Won't hurt anything, and I've know cars to fail, use the PI for a tankful, and pass easily.

If you won't use either of these, try some Techron--think it comes in several strengths and you'll want the strongest.

The catalytic converter cannot be "flushed", nor can the turbo cause this problem.
An air leak in one of your vacuum lines could. You need a better mechanic! If you are close to Fountain, let me know.
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My name is Klaus and I am a V ♂ lv ♂ holic.

Make sure the air filter thermostat is working properly. Clean the MAS sensor wire. Remove and clean the throttle body and drill out the PCV line connector tube on the flame trap. Check the air intake bellows. If the distributor cap or plug wires have never been replaced then they're overdue.

Thanks for the replies. I made a list including your suggestions and took it to a different mechanic. He cleaned out the throttle body and added something to my gas tank and said to drive it for a few hundred miles (I don't drive it often).

But, he and his brother (both worked at the dealership for 30 years, one of the brothers recently started his own indy shop)--both agreed it was my turbo beginning to go that was causing the light smoking at low speeds. Amazing guy so nice did it for free.

So I took it down the way to another highly rated specialized indy place--mechanic was Swedish, and he said it was probably the turbo--but he could spend an hour @$90.00 to go through and figure out if anything else was causing it.

Is it just that they all want to replace my turbo, or that it really might be starting to go? Why do you guys not think it's the turbo causing the smoke and messing up my smog results?

Thanks for any insights and again thanks for the suggestions!

Saskia
Santa Monica, CA

The car passed smog! After the throttle body was cleaned I took the car out for a long drive and as Klaus suggested I did a "ferrari" revving clean out --I was actually a bit nervous as to get it up to 5-3-3 rpm I had to go nearly 70 mph in L (or was it 3?) Anyway...the car is also no longer emitting small puffs of smoke at under 15mph so it must have been really clogged up.

I passed the 15mph right on the nose...max was 424 and I got...wait for it...424. My 25mp section dropped considerably from 580 to 130...max was 730 or so.

Thanks again...I will still try a few other things you guys suggested in order to keep/bring down the 424 as I'd like it lower.

What you did with the high rev tune up:

Removed carbon deposits in the combustion chamber.

Allowed the valvs to "spin" or rotate.

Heated the engine oil to above 212F burning off impurities and worked the oil pump to blow out sludge.

These engine like to run above 2000 rpm, but you will notice that seldom in daily driving will the tach climb up to 2000. They need to be "exercised" once in a while to remain efficient and clean.
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My name is Klaus and I am a V ♂ lv ♂ holic.

The only reason I poopoo the turbo as the problem, is that there is no boost at 15mph. None, zero.
I suggest giving your engine the Ferrari tune up: 2nd gear and as fast as you can legally go. Cleans out the cobwebs and combustion chamber and lets the valves rotate for better seating. Letting it run for 5 minutes at 5,000 rpm will not hurt the engine, but do let it cool down slowly before turning it off. Usually about 2 minutes at 1500 rpm.
Some might even advocate going to 5K rpm, down to 3K rapidly, and back up to 5K, to get some additional carbon blown out. But you live in LA, and you might get rear ended :)

So long as you don't go under 25mph, the auto tranny will stay in 2nd. If you leave it in L and get under 25, the tranny will shift to 1st and stay there. So get up to at least 30 before shifting to L.
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My name is Klaus and I am a V ♂ lv ♂ holic.

Thanks Klaus...I'll be out speed-deamoning with the real Ferraris on the Pacific Coast Hwy on Sunday morning ;-) I've never heard of the Ferrari tune up, but I like it!

Just came to mind:

There is a vacuum hose that goes from the oil separator box under the intake manifold to the air intake at the turbo. Pull the hose off at the turbo and make sure the plastic connector is clean. If it cloggs up, it will cause the crancase pressure to be too high, adding to a lot of problems. The plastic nipple is fragile, so clean it gently.
It is in a hard to reach area, a flashlight is needed to see clearly. Put a towel on the fender so you don't scratch it while leaning into the engine bay.

Watch out for cops in the beautiful highway :)
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My name is Klaus and I am a V ♂ lv ♂ holic.