Failed emissions: no Air Injection Pump?
 

So I just got my car tested for emissions. I passed the emissions very well, but I failed the part where they inspected the equipment.

Apparently, as of 1986, cars are required to have an Air injector pump. My car does not have one. They checked out the vin, it is an 86'. The weird thing is my car was not equipt with an Air injection system, and never was. It is a US model mercedes, not a grey market.

So, what's the deal, is my car frankenstein, with an engine from a pre-85 model 190e? if so, how do I check?

Or, is the injection pump hidden?

Or, is the emission place on crack, and my car was never supposed to be equiped with this air injection pump?

and, What exactly does an Air injection pump do?


Oh yeah,it's a 1986 190e 2.3 8valve, not a 16 valve.

thanks in advance for your help.

Peter v.

I don't think the '86 2.3 has an air pump. If fact, I don't think any of the M102 or M103 engines had air pumps until 1989.

Look at the emission/tuneup decal for the emission equipment abbreviations. One should be "TWC" for three way catalyst. Not sure what the abbreviation for air injection is, but it might be AIR for air injection reactor. The decal should also show the valve clearances and initial spark timing value.

Read the emission equipment codes and post them.

This won't be the first time that an emission tech screwed up because his documentation was in error, or he just screwed up and "thought" something should be there that wasn't, especially on a rare engine configuration. The emission control decal is a better authority than their reference books.



Duke

A dealership parts counter, and/or MB USA, could probably help you too. I thought 103 motors did not get an air pump until 1990. This idea that everything had to have one in 1986 seems suspect.

There isn't an air pump on my 300SE. There is on the 960 though.

The 190E 2.3 NEVER had an air injection pump in the USA! NEVER!

Whoever did the emission test is wrongly informed!

an air injection pump >> injects air into the exhaust >> so as to dilute the emissions...

I have one on my 80 911 SC Euro/grey market... check to see if htere is any plumbing into your clyinders [exhaust side]

[QUOTE=kim Langley]an air injection pump >> injects air into the exhaust >> so as to dilute the emissions...[QUOTE]

>>and/or heat the catalytic converter quickly

To pass emissions
 

I don't know how far off from the standards you were or the history of your car. However, if it is running well, in-tune, and has a history of passing, then I suggest you drive the car until the gas is empty, put in a large bottle of Chevron Techron, and drive the car HARD until you are near empty. With the car hot and warmed-up, go to the emissions station. At the emissions station try to keep the car running on/off while waiting (don't gun it too hard or let it idle for ever, just keep it hot) then get the test done.

The average layperson is always seeking something they can dump in the gas tank, oil, or radiator to make a magical fix. However, in some cases, it really matters in the case of fuel and intake injection cleaning with a product like Techron. You can put thousands of dollars into a car to get it through emissions but in some cases just following the advice above will have it pass. I have seen it and experienced it.

...and by the way only does it's duty for the first few minutes after startup. It's silent after that.

Even WITH an air injection pump, your emissions data wouldn't change a bit. In Europe, the requirement is to start the sniff test no later than 60 seconds after startup...so the pump gets the emissions management booted up quickly in order to pass the test. No such requirement here.

I believe the car passed the sniff test...it's the visual inspection that failed because the inspector wrongly asserted that the car should be equipped with an injection pump.

Now, when I drove my Conquest around Colorado Springs, I had to get that turbo heated up before I drove to the emissions station... ;)

Yes, the car did pass the sniff test.Thanks for your help, I am going to call the emissions place and yell at them!