I>> Took my van for its Ohio e-Check yesterday. The engine has 20,000 on a
>> rebuilt Boston Bob. It passed with flying colors 2 years ago. This time
>> it failed on Nitrous Oxide emissions, they are supposed to be around
>> 900, mine were 1,900.
>>
>> I called my regular mechanic (VW specialist) and he said there was
>> nothing he could do, when van's start failing their emissions test
>> that's usually the end for them. This sounds like total bs to me and I
>> don't know why he doesn't seem to want to even look at the van.

Wow, he really doesn't want to work on the van, does he? What a loser.....

I will throw my inexperience with waterboxers into the ring here. I never
owned one, so I have little to offer beyond what to do with other cars
that fail NOX, especially fail so badly as yours. Almost always, that is
the EGR valve. I failed not long ago for NOx being way out like your is,
and it turned out the vacuum line was split so the valve didn't open.
Fixed the line, and the NOx went through the floor.

I am not a VW expert, but NOx that high is not a tuneup or a mixture
issue. Something is not functioning in the emissions control system. I
don't think even a new Catalytic would get those numbers down.

So folks, do Waterboxers have EGR valves? I hope so, as that should be a
pretty easy fix. I proceed under the assumption that they do, but so far,
I haven't been right on much else today, so YMMV <g>

HTH,

Mark