In theory, can you use a home CO detector to tune your car?

I guess if you can get your car into your living room, stuff a pillow in the fireplace, THEN START THE CAR, it should detect the CO.

;0
EDWARDO

 

It's not such a silly question....

2 potential problems with it in practice.....

1) Check the range of the detector. You'll likely find that is sensitive to, and calibrated for, CO concentrations much lower than the levels coming from any car's tailpipe. So, it won't be able to measure within the required range for checking car emissions.

2) Also, the home detectors use sensors designed to take "mixing cup" (low density, high volume, averaged) samples ---- they will likely not be able to process the "direct saturation" (high density, instantaneous) sampling coming from a tailpipe. Also, the home units are likely not sophisticated enough to function correctly (it may even permanently contaminate the unit) in the presence of all the other gases mixed in with CO from IC emissions ---- none of these other species are present in the home.

So, my guess is that you will probably be able to get a reading, but it will most likely be wildly inaccurate.

Only way to really find out, is to run the experiment. Have the emissions measured with a proper tailpipe tester, so you have the true baseline values. Then measure with your Home Depot unit, and compare the values.

If you do, let us know The results could be intriguing.

 

Those are set to alarm at parts per million.

"The U.S. National Ambient Air Quality Standards for outdoor air are 9 ppm (40,000 micrograms per meter cubed) for 8 hours, and 35 ppm for 1 hour."

I think the levels put out by an automobile far exceed the sensors abilities.

I say no way.

 

Nice out of the box thinking. Gives me an idea for a thread about medical equipment.

 

There's a story about one of the guys at our Institute of Internal Combustion Engines using some ultra-hightech CO measurement device to tune his carbs. Pretty wild!

 

I can attest that IS POSSIBLE to give a car a colonoscopy (of sorts) with a medical endoscope --- you can even take a biopsy "sample"

 

I even used a portable ultrasound to try to detect cavitation (air bubbles) and flow obstruction in some plastic / rubber fuel lines, once.........ahhhh.... that didn't really work too well. But, it was kinda fun to try

 

I like the out of the box thinking, too . . . but before even getting into the technical considerations and ppm and all that, the first thing that comes to my mind is:

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

 

In my very distant past life , I performed thousands of autopies. Perhaps I might open an out-patient brain surgery center? Just joking.

 

I am wondering about the heat range of the indoor meters for CO detection. I wonder if the numbers are only valid in a small temperature range....like what you'd see inside a home.

 

Why not? Go for it!

I would suspect that the morbidity percentages for outpatient neurosurgical procedures, post-mortem, would be extremely low -- LOL