Introducing "Peachy" My 1991 190E 2.6! - Page 3 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Merkey · #31 02-10-2011, 06:58 PM

Peachy has been neglected a little due to pressing issues on other cars and family stuff...
I had to replace the Engine on one teenagers 2003 Honda Accord who thought it would be fun to drive it offroad, at speed...
Until....
Opps, who put that rock there, oh and to add insult to injury... lets keep driving it and ignore the warning lamps and smoke until the motor is toast...

Next it was that dang Civic boy again... swapping his transmission...

Anyway, I am almost back on track again..
Here is the update...

I did a transmission service on Peachy.

Everything was super clean in there... original fluid looked and smelled perfect, but I wanted to be sure.

Here is the pan... no junk, not even a speck of dirt!

New filter in, and ready to button up!

While I was under there, I did the transmission Flex disc...
The original one had about 1/4" of play in it and was as hard as concrete... looked like the original!
Video here:

Merkey · #32 02-24-2011, 12:50 AM

Spent a couple of hoours underneath today, and cleaned the grime off the oil pan and Crossmember.
Didn't even know that the crossmember was body color!

Looks better, but more to do...

Colorado220 · #33 02-24-2011, 03:49 AM

That is a great looking car, looks like it has been cared for mostly. Glad to see you fixing "Peachy" up!

Merkey · #34 02-24-2011, 03:09 PM

Its coming along, but we have had a glut of stuff that is ahead on the priority list. My Daughter will not be getting the car before this summer, so no rush really. Just working thru my list of stuff.
Next pressing issue is my GF's sons Subaru Outback... popped a HG, so the engine has gotta come out to do that properly..

I did the transmission service because I wanted to refresh the whole fluid gamut, but also I had noticed a slight flair and noise on the 2/3 shift.
The fluid change did not cure it, so today I am draining the fluid again and putting the K1 shift piston in.

I gotta own up to a mistake too..
In an impulsive moment I stopped by my local Smog station over Christmas, as the car was running faultlessly and warm, I told them to "Pre-test it"..
I had just done a run up to LA, in the traffic with the A/C on and the car did 25mpg... I thought it would sail thru!
What they didn't tell me was that the CA Smog test has changed and everything is now done "Online"... There is no "Pre-test" now... They test it and wait for the numbers back... Pass or fail is sent to them!
Anyway, it failed... and got a GP mark. I was pissed, because they didn't tell me.
Stupidly, I had not put in the new plugs yet, and I had not checked the Duty Cycle...
Here are the numbers:
Pass Limit is bracket number.

@15mph:
Co2 =14.2%
O2 =0.7%
HC =244 PPM (114)
CO =0.49% (0.73)
NO =1519 PPM (549)

@25mph:
Co2 =14.2%
O2 =0.7%
HC =248 PPM (88)
CO =0.45% (0.61)
NO =1350 PPM (507)

So my HC and NO is way out of wack.
The tester told me that he "thought" it might be the EGR valve.

I have checked that the valve opens by applying vacuum, and it opens fine.
I read that the tube between the EGR Valve and intake can get blocked..
With the car running at idle I applied vacuum to the EGR valve and watched it open, and the idle became unstable, so I think its working, but the valve is switched electonically, so maybe something is up there.

I checked the Duty Cycle after, and it was about 30% but because I have a Sears MM, I am not sure if that reads inverted, but I did pull it back to about 50%.

Thoughts/ideas?

Merkey · #35 02-28-2011, 11:32 PM

Bump, hoping someone will chime in...

JohnM. · #36 03-01-2011, 12:55 AM

High NOx really makes me suspect the CAT. But it can also be caused in part by extremely high combustion temperatures indicating a very LEAN mixture. But since your HC is high but CO is really low (they are inversely related to an extent), I want to say the CAT is looking suspect again, along with your fuel system being a little out of tune.

Check the O2 FIRST, probe it with a VOM, connections are under the passenger floor mats. There are instructions around here for the proper readings. If the O2 checks out then, check duty cycle. Note duty cycle with ignition "on", then with engine idling (warm), and then engine revved above 2500rpms (warm). This will tell us pretty much everything we need to know about how your car is running. If the O2 and duty cycle are within spec, CAT time.

Merkey · #37 03-01-2011, 01:09 AM

The cat looks recent, tho they removed the precats....

JohnM. · #38 03-01-2011, 01:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Merkey

The cat looks recent, tho they removed the precats....

The lifespan of a replacement aftermarket "Magnaflow" style cat is around 2 years for the purposes of passing emissions, usually. They have probably 1/15th the amount of catalyst and precious metals that the stock cat has. My car has nearly 200K on the original cat and passed last year with .024 with a limit of 3.5 for NOx for comparison. I'm not sure 1991 MY had precats, my 300E doesn't.

Merkey · #39 03-01-2011, 02:00 AM

Ok, thanks.
As I said, I adjusted the Duty Cycle from 30% to 50%, but not sure if it was lean or rich... if it was lean, it would maybe explain the readings.
I am midway thru a Subaru Motor build, so whan I have a moment I will check the O2 sensor readings and post them.

JohnM. · #40 03-01-2011, 02:39 AM

I dug up my old emissions thread from last year to provide some numbers for reference. After the test I failed in the middle, I replaced the EHA, ECU, and O2 and adjusted Duty Cycle. I just saw your in CA, so your car might have had pre-cats originally.

Hopefully its your O2 and not the cat

First E-Test after Purchasing Car (2/23/2008)
HC - 1.6 (Limit 2.5)
CO - 15.6 (Limit 20)
Nox - .017 (Limit 3.5)

Second E-Test Failure (2/26/2010)
HC - 3.2(Limit 1.5)
CO - 120(Limit 20)
Nox - .024 (Limit 3.5)

Third E-Test (3/26/2010)
HC - 1.3 (Limit 1.5)
CO - 5.6 (Limit 20)
Nox - .094 (Limit 3.5)

Merkey · #41 06-02-2011, 01:41 AM

Again, life has been so busy that Peachy has just been sitting under her dust cover...
So, today, I did some stuff.
I had not started her for a month I bet, but she fired first time!
Gave her a good warm up and pulled the plugs as I have a fresh set of non Resisters to go in.

Old plugs after a few hundred miles..

As the plugs were out and she was warm I decided to do a Compression test to be sure things were good..

#1 = 173psi

#2= 177psi

#3= 178psi

#4= 172psi

#5= 172psi

#6=175psi

So that is 6psi variance between all six.
Are the numbers good?