Emissions Tuning Fundamentals: Vehicle Age & Condition

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Vehicle Age & Condition

11.20

00:00	Optimising vehicle emissions is an interesting challenge.
00:03	While the focus is often on calibration or design or fitment of aftermarket parts and packages, it's critical that you don't overlook the condition of the vehicle's stock components.
00:12	A typical pre tuning checklist should catch most issues but making an engine run cleanly sometimes requires maintaining the vehicle to a higher standard than the average daily driver.
00:23	The main goal of this module is to highlight the importance of vehicle preparation.
00:27	Including some factors that may be less obvious.
00:31	First, engines can experience a build up of carbon and combustion byproducts as well as physical wear of components.
00:38	As this happens, the engine may not operate as efficiently but there generally isn't a significant increase in tailpipe emissions unless the engine is worn to the point that I'd consider it damaged rather than just aged.
00:51	What we find can happen much sooner in an engine's lifecycle is degradation in the performance and accuracy of engine sensors.
00:59	Inaccurate sensor readings can make any engine run poorly, causing increased emissions.
01:04	While mass airflow and oxygen sensors may not have a recommended interval for replacement, they are absolutely critical to engine operation and they don't work like new forever.
01:15	Replacing them before they age to the point of reading inaccurately avoids poor emissions performance, fuel economy and engine reliability.
01:23	We recommend replacement every 60, 000 miles or 100, 000 km on oxygen sensors or any time there's an engine or turbo failure.
01:32	MAF sensors should be replaced every 80, 000 miles or 130, 000 km.
01:38	You should also avoid using over oiled air filters which throw oil onto the MAF sensor and this can skew results.
01:45	Whether using an oiled or dry filter, keep the MAF clean by regularly using specific MAF cleaner spray products.
01:53	If you drive on dirt roads, chances are that your MAF will require more frequent cleaning and won't remain accurate as long due to the effects of dust and debris even with a quality air filter fitted.
02:04	If all of your driving is short trip driving, keep in mind your O2 sensor heater is working a lot harder than average for the mileage shown.
02:12	The sensor may also become partially fouled due to the high percentage of total operating hours occurring during warm up enrichment.
02:19	While these guidelines are sufficient for many situations, if you're preparing a vehicle for emissions lab testing to certify a calibration, component or package, preparation to even higher standards can make sense.
02:33	To put things in perspective, installing new O2 and MAF sensors often costs one quarter or less than a single failed lab test.
02:41	In addition, if you fail a certification test, the process starts over and may incur a significant delay before you can get back in the lab or put your application and product under greater scrutiny.
02:51	There are only so many emissions labs so they often are booked weeks if not months in advance.
02:58	If your goal is to bring a new product to market quickly, think of the time cost as well.
03:03	With all that in mind, you may want to replace key sensors before lab testing even if they only have perhaps 20, 000 miles on them just to be sure that they're in top form.
03:13	Some other common causes of poor emissions are intake and exhaust leaks.
03:18	This may seem like common sense before tuning any car but it's overlooked often enough that it is worth mentioning.
03:24	Intake leaks can cause evaporative emissions test failures and negatively impact engine operation, performance and tailpipe emissions.
03:32	Exhaust leaks can skew oxygen sensor readings which can cause overfueling, degrade CAD operation and cause other issues.
03:39	Pressurised smoke testing for leaks is always a good idea and if any connections look suspect, swapping them out for fresh ones just makes sense.
03:48	It's a good idea to replace any rubber hoses that are hard or dry rotted even if they don't seem to be leaking right now.
03:55	Just like you don't wait for things to fail on track in a racecar, preemptive service is key to emissions lab success or keeping an on road vehicle in top form.
04:05	Unless you're testing an aftermarket air filter, running a fresh or low mile OEM unit is another simple but often overlooked item.
04:13	Aftermarket or dirty filters can skew engine operation, especially on vehicles utilising mass airflow sensors.
04:21	PCV or positive crankcase ventilation valves on older vehicles are usually cheap and easy to replace so if that's the case on your vehicle, it's best to replace it at least as often as the OE suggests and before any lab testing.
04:35	If you have a newer vehicle with a lifetime PCV valve, the OE may have made it difficult or costly to replace so hopefully you're working with a relatively low mileage vehicle.
04:46	EGR or exhaust gas recirculation systems must also be working well and especially when it comes to diesels, are often considered a maintenance item.
04:55	Once you're sure you have no leaks and sensors aren't faulty, make sure that fuel trims are acceptably close to zero.
05:01	These will vary from car to car and can be influenced by many factors however we'd expect to see these in the range of plus or minus 5% if everything is functioning as expected.
05:11	If fuel trims are far from zero during steady state operation, the ECU has a code, or it isn't setting readiness for an applicable monitor, more maintenance will likely be required.
05:22	While it's a given that oil changes should be performed on time, oil selection is also worth mentioning as this can impact emissions and reliability beyond normal wear and tear.
05:33	Oils with low SAPS, which is short for sulfated ash, phosphorus and sulfur, will typically have lower emissions than higher SAPS oils which are more racing oriented and some oil additives can be harmful to oxygen sensors.
05:48	Oil technology is highly in depth so I could spend hours getting into details on additives and potential impacts but for the purposes of this course I suggest using oils that are street oriented.
06:00	I don't suggest going thinner than the OE recommends and before going thicker than stock, just consider that it might have an impact that shows up on an emissions test.
06:09	Again this goes back to the theme of reducing variables when possible.
06:13	The vehicle was originally certified on an oil designed to aid in emissions testing so sticking with oils that meet or exceed those emissions specifications is suggested.
06:23	Spark plugs, coil packs and plug wires if present are the heart of modern ignition systems.
06:29	Clean, efficient combustion is the goal so fresh spark plugs are a no brainer for testing and make sure coils and wires are in good working order as well.
06:38	While your results may vary, we've found one step colder than stock spark plug actually didn't negatively impact back to back results.
06:46	Gapping a spark plug a bit tighter than OEM also hasn't negatively impacted our results but plugs that have gaps beyond spec can be a concern.
06:55	Next make sure the battery is in excellent condition and properly sized and specced for your application.
07:01	Cold cranking amps or CCA is a key metric here.
07:05	If the car came with a 650 CCA battery and it now only puts out 500, it's definitely worth replacing.
07:12	If it's a smaller, lighter battery that puts out even less, that's the wrong tool for the job on a street application, that's emissions regulated.
07:20	Startup and the few seconds after start often make or break an emissions test so the last thing you want is low battery voltage during cranking and startup.
07:29	Lower voltage causes slower engine cranking speed which leads to additional fuel enrichment and poor initial combustion.
07:36	Lower voltage can also reduce fuel pump output causing low fuel pressure and poor fuel atomisation.
07:43	Weaker spark is also caused by low voltage and incomplete combustion is a leading cause of emissions.
07:49	In addition to the battery itself, you want the battery terminals to be in great condition, free of corrosion and making good contact.
07:56	It doesn't matter how great the battery is if it's not well connected to the vehicle.
08:01	While checking the battery, you can also check the main ground points and all of the engine and ECU harness grounds to ensure that they're in good condition, clean and clear of corrosion.
08:10	If you find any issues, repair, clean or replace items as needed.
08:15	Simply put, if the goal is matching new vehicle emissions, then the vehicle needs to work like new.
08:21	With that in mind, we could go through every part of the vehicle but in order to respect your time and help focus your efforts, I'll just mention one more maintenance topic.
08:30	If the wheel bearings or brakes are dragging, just remember anything that makes the engine work harder can increase emissions.
08:37	To wrap up parts maintenance, a typical pre tuning checklist is a great start.
08:41	Replace components before they negatively impact emissions to set yourself up for success.
08:48	Don't use heavier than stock weight engine and drivetrain fluids unless absolutely necessary.
08:53	Stick with engine oils that meet or exceed the latest emissions and engine protection standards for your application.
08:59	A strong, healthy battery can avoid excess emissions during cold starts.
09:04	At this point we've covered key OE parts to maintain and now we'll get into some additional maintenance and preparation considerations.
09:12	If you aren't the original owner of the vehicle, give it a really good look over.
09:16	The last thing you want to happen on an emissions test is to fail because someone rigged a roadside repair years ago that wasn't 100%.
09:24	So far I've talked about additional effort and measures but it's also important to avoid overdoing it.
09:30	What I mean by that is that if the purpose of your project is to certify an intercooler and you add lots of zip ties and clamps all over the engine bay that aren't part of your intercooler kit and were not present stock, that may be a red flag.
09:43	If you're just trying to have the best running streetcar you can for personal use and your region allows you to zip tie and clamp away, then go for it but if you want to certify a part or kit, what's on the car should be OEM or included as part of your kit.
09:58	Otherwise regulators tend to say if your car needs these items to work properly, they should be in the kit.
10:04	In addition to making sure hoses and clamps are in good working order, ensuring correct routing can avoid issues not found during leak testing.
10:13	Modern vehicles are a maze of emissions related hoses and these systems only work when everything is in its proper place.
10:20	Again I'm not covering the obvious like fixing fluid leaks so the last service item I'm going to mention here is making sure all components are the correct ones for the vehicle.
10:29	This is more of a concern if you're not the original owner or don't perform all of the servicing work yourself.
10:35	Sometimes mistakes are made and a part from the wrong vehicle gets fitted.
10:39	While the part may connect and seem OK, it may negatively impact engine operation and emissions.
10:46	In a certification setting this also falls under the category of a vehicle alteration that's not part of the product or package you're testing and may disqualify your results.
10:55	To sum up, depending on your goals in emissions improvement, some of these restrictions may or may not apply.
11:01	For emissions certification attempts, you have to adhere to a very strict code.
11:07	Be sure something that may seem irrelevant like a red silicon replacement breather hose doesn't cause you to fail a test because regulators feel it doesn't belong.