How to Use an Emission Analyzer

Many states and municipalities now require emission testing each year to license your vehicle. They test for hydrocarbon emission, amount of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide produced by your vehicle and the amount of nitrogen, sulfur and lead released into the atmosphere by your car's engine. These gases contribute to the production of smog in major cities. The principles of the analyzer are fairly simple.

Instructions

1

Turn the analyzer on and make sure that the computer link is established. Check the control and data acquisition program to make sure that the analyzer links in to it.

2

Initiate a zero of the analyzer to make sure that the measurements taken by the analyzer are valid and that the response of the analyzer will record for situations where the analytes of interest are not present. Close a valve on the sample probe so that there is no sample introduced to the analyzer.

3

Open the sample valve on the probe and place the probe up the exhaust pipe of the vehicle to be tested. Let the vehicle run at idle speed and initiate a testing cycle of the analyzer. The data obtained is stored in the memory of the computer attached to the analyzer.

4

Set the engine at the designated RPM value to take a measurement for the normal operating conditions. Remove the sample probe from the exhaust pipe of the vehicle and check the filter of the probe to ensure that no water has built up in the probe. Re-assemble the probe and place back in the exhaust pipe.

5

Start a measurement cycle of the analyzer and record the new values of emission gases. Remove the analyzer probe from the vehicle and replace the filter to prepare for the next vehicle. Print out the results of the test from the computer and compare the results to established values to determine if the vehicle passed or failed the emission test.