CEL on California '93 twin cam twin cam...

[R0mmy]

Apparently I can't pass emissions because my CEL is on, and I don't know what is wrong. I just purchased the vehicle; it passed smog in January, and now I've got a check engine light.

I'm a bit ticked off because the car is running absolutely perfectly, and I changed the O2 sensor. I'm leaving the car with the battery disconnected over night to see if it helps, but I just need to get this damned CEL off so a smog check place will touch it. I'm fairly sure it will pass... I mean, I have an old Toyota Supra that's falling apart and passed smog perfectly, I don't see why my 240SX won't pass. Any ideas on how to get this light off, even if I don't have to fix the problem, per se?

Or, my last resort, know someone who WILL pass it in the Los Angeles area, and won't charge me an arm and a leg? :P

Let me just give a few bits of info about the car that I remember off-hand, just in case it matters (I don't know too much about CEL problems...)

1. has an aftermarket exhaust
2. A bit of water dripping from the exhaust
3. O2 Sensor line (Above where you connect the sensor) has been burned a bit and the wire is showing slightly, but it's not touching anything)

Also, how do you check the codes, and how do I know what code is what? I'm a bit lost on that one too.

Oh, and hello everyone. Glad to be a 240SX owner, awesome car, just can't get the CEL off! :(

Edit: Why the hell did I write "twin cam" twice, lol.

[vspec15]

Take it to your mechanic... My mechanic was able to turn of the CEL

[mrmephistopheles]

pull your gauge cluster and wire the CEL to your battery light.

done deal.

[CaoBoY]

haha...thats a smart way to get rid of it meph!

then go smog the car, then rewire it later to figure out what is wrong. if you just got teh car in jan, and it passed then, what is the reason for smogging it again?

[FaLKoN240]

I would just connect the CEL to the battery light or the oil light.

Water dripping from the exhaust is a bit of H20 from proper combustion in your engine iirc from smog class. ;D

[orion::S14]

To run the codes:

http://www.ka24development.com/ecu_codes.html

- Brian

[R0mmy]

haha...thats a smart way to get rid of it meph!

then go smog the car, then rewire it later to figure out what is wrong. if you just got teh car in jan, and it passed then, what is the reason for smogging it again?

Have to smog it because I just bought it. If it were smogged less than 90 days ago, it would be fine, but it's past the 90 days.

orion::S14: Thanks! Much appreciated!

mrmephistopheles: Very much tempted to do that.

[R0mmy]

Okay! I'm getting code 32 (EGR Malfunction) and code 34, knock (possibly caused by bad EGR?)

Any ideas? Should I replace the EGR?

EDIT!

I found a problem.

Looking from the front of the car, on the upper left side of the engine, there are two little things that look like flying saucers. I have reason to believe the one on the right is the EGR valve. There is a hose from the flying saucer on the right on the bottom, leading to the bottom on the one on the left; there is a hole in the hose, as it is cracked and dried up. I think that may be giving me the code 32.

Does this make sense? I'm going to take it to my mechanic and see how much he wants to rip me off for changing that hose.

[mrmephistopheles]

that will def. make you throw 32.
got to autozone, spend $0.29 on some 1/8 vacuum line, get a lighter to make the bend, and replace it yourself. 2 minutes.

[R0mmy]

that will def. make you throw 32.
got to autozone, spend $0.29 on some 1/8 vacuum line, get a lighter to make the bend, and replace it yourself. 2 minutes.

Sweet! Looks like I'll do that tomorrow then reset the ECU. (I should do that, right?)

[R0mmy]

that will def. make you throw 32.
got to autozone, spend $0.29 on some 1/8 vacuum line, get a lighter to make the bend, and replace it yourself. 2 minutes.

Hey. It didn't work. :( (And it wasn't 1/8th, it was 1/4th, the line under the EGR)

Does it matter that there's a kink in the bend, that might restrict air flow a bit? The hoses are clean, as far as I know. I don't have code 34 any more (I put premium gas and ran it for a bit, that fixed code 34, I believe...)

But I reset the ECU, code goes off. I run the car for a little under a mile and the check engine light goes on, code 32. Only seems to do it if the car gets warmed up. At night, it's okay. In the 90 degree heat, it doesn't seem to like it much.

I pressed up on the diaphragm of the EGR valve and the car stuttered, so the EGR valve must be functioning, I suppose. Any more ideas, guys? I need to get this thing smogged fast. :(

[mrmephistopheles]

Hey. It didn't work. :( (And it wasn't 1/8th, it was 1/4th, the line under the EGR)

Does it matter that there's a kink in the bend, that might restrict air flow a bit? The hoses are clean, as far as I know. I don't have code 34 any more (I put premium gas and ran it for a bit, that fixed code 34, I believe...)

But I reset the ECU, code goes off. I run the car for a little under a mile and the check engine light goes on, code 32. Only seems to do it if the car gets warmed up. At night, it's okay. In the 90 degree heat, it doesn't seem to like it much.

I pressed up on the diaphragm of the EGR valve and the car stuttered, so the EGR valve must be functioning, I suppose. Any more ideas, guys? I need to get this thing smogged fast. :(

check your other vacuum lines, esp those under your throttle body.