Close to smogging. BLM's bottoming out

V

VadersV6

Active Member
Joined
Sep 9, 2004
So far Ive put the whole stock air tract back on, up-pipe, wastegate solenoid hooked back up, TB coolant lines hooked up, EGR hooked up, etc. I burned a chip with the turbotweak emissions program. Seems to be ok. Check engine light blinked once then shut off. No codes. I just drove around for 20 minutes or so, and I noticed the blm's were getting lower and lower as I was going. At a stoplight, they're now bottomed at 90. No way I can pass emissions like that. Fuel pressure is at 34 static. While Im cruising, they're a bit low, but they wander ALOT. Like mid 90's to 130's and they jump fast. I turned the motor off about 5 times and restarted. One time the engine almost died cause the idle was hunting like crazy, but eventually reached a steady idle. TPS, CC's O2's, IAC...they all look good so I dont know WTF is going on. Everything is hooked up right. I have MSD 50's and this is supposedly the emissions program for 50's.
Any ideas here? Ive really got to get this thing smogged within the next decade.
 
Make sure the Translator is set up right for your MAF. Also try the leaner base setting and the BLM's should come up. Contrary to popular belief, the BLM's are not that critical to emissions testing, since the A/F ratio is the same whether the BLM is 95 or 145. The integrator (INT) is doing most of the work during the test since its much faster. I would try to at least get the BLM off its bottom limit (90 in that chip). There is something wrong somewhere for it to be that low. What is your MAF reading at idle?

Regards,
Eric
 
I dont have a translator or LS1 MAF on it. Everything has been returned to stock so I can pass smog. The idle BLM is 90. Totally maxed out at the bottom...until I give it gas and then they jump up to a normal range. But they jump around ALOT while cruising around. The only other thing I could do is lower the fuel pressure further, but the site says to run about 38psi static, and Im at 34. The rpm's seem really jumpy when I give it a little gas off idle, while in park. I give a little gas and they jump up alot, then let off and the rpms drop like a rock...like almost immediately. Im wondering if this is just how the EGR affects things. Havent had a functional EGR since I first got the car. Like it pops open and causes the lower rpm's to behave weird. One thing I can say, is that the fumes are greatly reduced. Normally my car stinks like crazy but seems to burn alot cleaner with this chip. The BLM's were spot on at first, but gradually dropped lower and lower at idle while I was cruising around. I still have a breather on the passenger side valve cover, and a line coming off the drivers side valve cover that runs to my catch can. Ill be returning that to stock next...somehow. I have no hookup for the line that comes off the passenger side breather grommet. Im wondering if the way that is, is affecting BLM's somehow.
Also, someone was kind enough to send me a stock airbox for free, but Im not sure how this assembles and mounts. Anyone have any pics of the stock air cleaner setup?
 
Thats weird cause the checksum added up, the check engine light flashed once and then stayed off. No codes, drove fine. Its just the dropping BLM issue. Seems strange that the chip could be bad even though the checksum on the chip after burning, was equal to the buffer checksum. Seems there isnt any room for error if the checksums add up.
I'll try out that other chip when it arrives. Thanks again Dave!
 
VadersV6 said:
Thats weird cause the checksum added up, the check engine light flashed once and then stayed off. No codes, drove fine. Its just the dropping BLM issue. Seems strange that the chip could be bad even though the checksum on the chip after burning, was equal to the buffer checksum. Seems there isnt any room for error if the checksums add up.
I'll try out that other chip when it arrives. Thanks again Dave!
Click to expand...

I don't think he meant the chip was "bad" in that respect. Just needs some massaging in the fuel delivery, injector constant, maf tables possibly. Just guessing.
 
If you're sure you're using the 50lb bin, and it hasn't been altered, then most likely the stock MAF is out of calibration for the BLM's to be that low.

Regards,
Eric
 
If your stock MAF is bad I have a spare single screen you can borrow. TT uses single screen as I remember. Send me a PM if you need a good one for testing and smog testing. I got lucky as Ilinois exempted all 1994 and earlier from any future emissions testing as long as the car has a passed certificate as of 12/31/06. Brad
 
Is that chip really expecting the fuel pressure to be 34 psi static? Turn it up to 40 or 43 and the blms should come up. How are you observing the blm's, with direct scan that shows the whole table or scanmaster or other aldl tool that only shows the current one? If the latter, jumps are normal as different blm cells are selected.
 
ijames said:
Is that chip really expecting the fuel pressure to be 34 psi static? Turn it up to 40 or 43 and the blms should come up. How are you observing the blm's, with direct scan that shows the whole table or scanmaster or other aldl tool that only shows the current one? If the latter, jumps are normal as different blm cells are selected.
Click to expand...


Carl, unless something in the chip is whacked out, raising fuel pressure usually causes BLM to drop, and conversely, lowering fuel pressure will cause BLM's to increase.
I do agree however that something isn't right. Having to run fuel pressure that low is NOT good (unless he's reading that with the vacuum hose hooked up, in which case he's probably got something like about 40# static).
 
Yes, it is 34psi static (line off), and I am running a single screen before the MAF. There has been some weird behavior going on with this car for the past few months...like the extender's valet mode kicking in, even though it supposedly doesnt have valet. Ive had the O2's completely stop working, which would cause the BLM's to max out. I would change the O2 and the same thing would happen. Id go and wiggle some wires around between the O2 wires, the connector under the ignition module,etc...and then my crosscounts would show back up and BLM's would be fine. Cant figure it out. But nothing like that has happened since I pulled the computer out and cleaned all the connector pins and sockets and chip pins and sockets. If you have the chip window on the computer facing the bottom, is the cal pack chip supposed to have the writing on the chip, upside down? Cause the locating clip on the chip is oriented right, but I thought it was weird that the writing would be upside down. I was thinking that if the MAF were bad, then why would it work fine with the extender chip in there?
 
TurboDave said:
Carl, unless something in the chip is whacked out, raising fuel pressure usually causes BLM to drop, and conversely, lowering fuel pressure will cause BLM's to increase.
I do agree however that something isn't right. Having to run fuel pressure that low is NOT good (unless he's reading that with the vacuum hose hooked up, in which case he's probably got something like about 40# static).
Click to expand...

Boy am I embarassed! I'm definitely going to wake up before posting again :).
 
I passed smog Ca. today and my BL's were way down in the toilet, like cruise at 90, if I gave it some gas, the BL's would pick up to as much as maybe 110 or so, but find their way back down to 90. I don't remember what idle was. I think that my fuel pressure was about 46 or so. Passed smog in flying colors. 15 MPH, 1295 RPM, C02 was 14.56%, 02 was 0.81%, HC (PPM) was 47 against an average of 31 and a max allowance of 110, CO(%) was 0.02 against an average of 0.10 and an max allowance of 0.71, NO(PPM) was 1.07 against an average of 237 & a max allowance of 772, and for the 25 MPH results were 1133 RPM, CO2 was 14.80, 02 was 0.59, HC (PPM) was 27 against an average of 20 and a max allowance of 85, CO(%) was 0.02 against an average of 0.09 and a max allownace of 0.59, & NO (PPM) was 78 against an average of 199 and a max allowance of 771. I was thrilled to pass to say the least. 20K original mile turbo brick, 160° stat, 60 lb. injectors, 60 lb. X 100 octane chip, Fresh oil & filter change, brand new shorty Red Armstrong cat, 91 octane in tank. Tomorrow morning, back to 100 octane in the tank & some 21 lb. boost runs. Damn, safe for 2 more years.
 
VadersV6 said:
Yes, it is 34psi static (line off), and I am running a single screen before the MAF. There has been some weird behavior going on with this car for the past few months...like the extender's valet mode kicking in, even though it supposedly doesnt have valet. Ive had the O2's completely stop working, which would cause the BLM's to max out. I would change the O2 and the same thing would happen. Id go and wiggle some wires around between the O2 wires, the connector under the ignition module,etc...and then my crosscounts would show back up and BLM's would be fine. Cant figure it out. But nothing like that has happened since I pulled the computer out and cleaned all the connector pins and sockets and chip pins and sockets. If you have the chip window on the computer facing the bottom, is the cal pack chip supposed to have the writing on the chip, upside down? Cause the locating clip on the chip is oriented right, but I thought it was weird that the writing would be upside down. I was thinking that if the MAF were bad, then why would it work fine with the extender chip in there?
Click to expand...

Any new news??
 
Still working on it. My wife doesnt "allow" me to work on my car on the weekends cause we need to finish up with the remodeling of our bathroom. She gets all whiney if I work on the car at night cause it takes away from our time staring at the TV together. At work, I have people staring me down all day. Its kinda hard to squeeze in time to make things happen. Im hoping to smog tomorrow or friday. Someone mentioned the engine restorer stuff, which is tempting. I know why it would reduce emissions, but getting that stuff out of my engine wouldnt be easy. Its liek pouring epoxy in your engine.
 
VadersV6 said:
Still working on it. My wife doesnt "allow" me to work on my car on the weekends cause we need to finish up with the remodeling of our bathroom. She gets all whiney if I work on the car at night cause it takes away from our time staring at the TV together. At work, I have people staring me down all day. Its kinda hard to squeeze in time to make things happen. Im hoping to smog tomorrow or friday. Someone mentioned the engine restorer stuff, which is tempting. I know why it would reduce emissions, but getting that stuff out of my engine wouldnt be easy. Its liek pouring epoxy in your engine.
Click to expand...


When I was out in CA, I used to get a product called G2P (guaranteed to pass). It's a gasoline additive.
 
Here is a simple check to rule out an often overlooked problem: See how low you can dial your static fuel pressure. Just turn it down as low as you can as a test... I'm not recommending you to set it this low, only to check how low you can go. I believe at idle with the vacuum line on should be around 15-20 PSI... If you cannot manually lower it to this range, than the low BLM numbers at idle and part throttle may be due to a faulty regulator or a clogged/restricted fuel return line.

In my case, when I would set FP at 43 PSI static and reconnect the vacuum line, the pressure only dropped 2-3 PSI. That was too much pressure at idle, resulting in high HC levels during smog testing (and very low BLM #'s). When I attempted to lower the pressure, I hit a wall and could not dial it down.

HTH
 
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