BlackRocket

Considering buying this bone stock 1991 Z. What do you ZR1 experts think of the following...Owner says it was due to a bad cam timing sensor?? (The fails only occurred after car migrated from Mid-West to West. I believe CA requires a state designated inspection facility following 1 fail?).

05/27/2011 AZ
19,000
Independent Emission Source FAILED EMISSION INSPECTION
06/16/2011 AZ
20,000
Independent Emission Source PASSED EMISSION INSPECTION
07/21/2011 SCOTTSDALE, AZ
20,000
Motor Vehicle Dept. TITLE (Title #:368M011201014) (Lien Reported)
REGISTRATION EVENT/RENEWAL
08/17/2011 SCOTTSDALE, AZ
Motor Vehicle Dept. REGISTRATION EVENT/RENEWAL
07/19/2013 AZ
21,000
Independent Emission Source FAILED EMISSION INSPECTION
09/27/2013 AZ
Independent Emission Source FAILED EMISSION INSPECTION
10/12/2013 AZ
Independent Emission Source FAILED EMISSION INSPECTION
10/14/2013 AZ
Independent Emission Source FAILED EMISSION INSPECTION
10/18/2013 AZ
Independent Emission Source FAILED EMISSION INSPECTION
10/23/2013 AZ
Independent Emission Source FAILED EMISSION INSPECTION
10/25/2013 DESERT SOUTHWEST REGION
21,299
Auto Auction REPORTED AT AUTO AUCTION
11/08/2013 SCOTTSDALE, AZ
21,150
Motor Vehicle Dept. TITLE (Title #:129E013312141)
12/02/2013 DESERT SOUTHWEST REGION
21,506
Auto Auction REPORTED AT AUTO AUCTION
12/02/2013 DESERT SOUTHWEST REGION
21,506
Auto Auction REPORTED AT AUTO AUCTION AS DEALER VEHICLE
12/12/2013 TUCSON, AZ
21,506
Motor Vehicle Dept. TITLE (Title #:AZ23013346043)
01/24/2014 CA
22,063
State Agency FAILED EMISSION INSPECTION
01/28/2014 CA
22,089
State Agency PASSED EMISSION INSPECTION
02/13/2014 TEMECULA, CA
Motor Vehicle Dept. REGISTRATION EVENT/RENEWAL
02/23/2014 TEMECULA, CA
Motor Vehicle Dept. TITLE
12/02/2014 TEMECULA, CA
23,355
Paradise Chevrolet Cadillac
951.699.2699 TIRES OR WHEELS SERVICE PERFORMED
VEHICLE SERVICED
01/21/2015 HEMET, CA
24,003
State Agency FAILED EMISSION INSPECTION
01/23/2015 HEMET, CA
24,041
State Agency FAILED EMISSION INSPECTION
02/02/2015 SAN JACINTO, CA
24,133
24,178
State Agency FAILED EMISSION INSPECTION
FAILED EMISSION INSPECTION
EMISSION INSPECTION
EMISSION INSPECTION
02/18/2015 PERRIS, CA
24,404
State Agency FAILED EMISSION INSPECTION
EMISSION INSPECTION
02/20/2015 HEMET, CA
24,444
State Agency FAILED EMISSION INSPECTION
02/21/2015 HEMET, CA
24,446
State Agency PASSED EMISSION INSPECTION
02/23/2015 HEMET, CA
Motor Vehicle Dept. TITLE
REGISTRATION EVENT/RENEWAL
03/21/2016 HEMET, CA
Motor Vehicle Dept. REGISTRATION EVENT/RENEWAL
11/15/2016 HEMET, CA
Motor Vehicle Dept. REGISTRATION EVENT/RENEWAL
01/25/2017 HEMET, CA
25,553
State Agency FAILED EMISSION INSPECTION
01/27/2017 HEMET, CA
25,573
State Agency FAILED EMISSION INSPECTION
01/31/2017 HEMET, CA
25,608
25,612
State Agency FAILED EMISSION INSPECTION
FAILED EMISSION INSPECTION
02/01/2017 HEMET, CA
25,613
State Agency FAILED EMISSION INSPECTION
02/06/2017 SAN JACINTO, CA
25,631
State Agency FAILED EMISSION INSPECTION
11/29/2017 HEMET, CA
Motor Vehicle Dept. TITLE
DUPLICATE TITLE
REGISTRATION EVENT/RENEWAL
11/30/2017 SAN JACINTO, CA
25,840
State Agency PASSED EMISSION INSPECTION

Z51JEFF

What work was being done to fix the failed tests,damn that’s a lot of failed tests. Did anybody even bother to attempt to repair what was done,a cam sensor isn’t hard to find and very easy to replace. I think after 2 fails the cars needs to go a referee station. There’s a whole lot of questions in regards to this car. Every smog test at a State Agency is at a smog referee station. How can the car pass on month then a few month later fail and why was it tested so many times once it passes then it’s tested a few months later and it fails? Too many issues with this one but would love to know the story. I’m in Fremont if you find anything close to me,I’d be glad to give you a hand and take a look. You might want to consider posting this on the ZR-1 site to see if anybody over there might have some info on the car.

ccmano

Interesting, is this the White one for sale on eBay and located in Hemet?
Things like this and the inability to find competent repair facilities is why our cars have such depressed values.
H

blackbelt

I texted you Bruce.

Dominic Sorresso

What? No codes??? Cam sensor should be easy enough to fix.

ccmano

I’d love to see the failure reports. It looks like it fails almost every year and then passes for some reason. Generally a failed cam sensor would simply cause a no start condition. I can’t imagine it causing an emissions issue. I suspect it’s more likely failing based on high NOX readings as the State of Kalifornia quietly cranks down the NOX requirement to get old cars off the road.
H

cruban

I was looking at this one as well and something is just not right. I got the feeling the owner wants to dump it cheap. To register it you will gave to pass smog so it chould be a headache in tbe making. Maybe im wrong but i passed on it.

Z51JEFF

Not necessarily,the car will run but it will stumble and it will store a code. I just smogged my 91 @ 24,000 miles,stock and it barely squeaked by the Nox at 502,max is 545.

BlackRocket

Maybe too much E85 when the car sat in Kansas as he calls it a "Garage Queen"?? Keep adding Fresh Gas, Sta-Bil and Chevron Total Fuel Systems Cleaner guys!

Great Popular Mechanics article;

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars...damage-engine/

ccmano

Any any case I don’t see a major issue here. It’s fixable even if you have to get an emissions chip from Mark Haibeck. I’m willing to take a run to Vacaville to help if need be.
H

phrogs

If someone put E85 in the car its not ment to run on it.

Our gass has ethanol in the mid.west its not all E85.

At best that would jack up the injectors, filter and pump.

My ZR-1 needs the fuel drained as its been sitting for about four years even with stabil its garbage now.
Paint job took longer than I had planned.

phrogs

Oh yeah most fly over states dont do emission testing so its not like there was something that just happened. Its been running like that back east for a long time.


but you need to look at the data, California has changed the pass fail threshold.

A ZR-1 in perfect condition that passed in cali in 1990 wouldnt pass today in Cali.

BlackRocket

Good input Phrogs...but what do you mean by most flyover states?
I know most West Coast states require it including AZ and NV.


Also, I meant to put E15 like the article refers to. Not E85.

Thanks!

Z51JEFF

It’s the max Nox level that’s causing the problems. It’s dropped from 702 down to 545.

mike100

a car with such low mileage should have aced the testing. Without seeing the test results it is just a guess, but a bad 02 sensor will do it...driving for prolonged periods on bad injectors would smoke a catalyst...a big vacuum leak, etc. Sourcing a good used manifold would have been my preference to repairing that cat. Blackbelt told me the car ran pretty well...it is just one of those things were the owner had enough headaches and wanted out of it.

They were throwing cash at that car with no real diagnostic...just kept retesting. They just needed an LT5 mechanic. The trick to these cars is to not warm up the engine...just smog it straight away and the NOx tests much lower.