We would not have recommended running carburetor cleaner or Lucas through
your Chevy Cavalier's intake manifold. Chances are you contaminated the
oxygen sensors. The oxygen sensor triggering a lean or rich fuel system
trouble code indicates high or low CO. HC is a result of the high or low CO.
When a vehicle has high CO, HC is increased due to a rich misfire. When CO
is low, HC may also be increased due to a lean misfire. Whether your Chevy's
oxygen sensors were defective before or not, chances are they are defective
now, however the test we describe below will verify their condition.
The best way to get to the bottom of this is to conduct a "fuel feedback
test". Have an expert smog check repair station (hopefully not one which
will be running any hard solvent such as carburetor cleaner through your
car's intake system) find out why your vehicle is producing high CO. The
smog technician will ensure the oxygen sensors are working properly, your
Chevy Cavalier's ECU is receiving signals from the oxygen sensors, the
computer is computing the data properly and sending the correct signals to
the fuel injectors to either increase or decrease fuel delivery to the
intake manifold.
At the end of the feedback test it will be know whether the high CO and HC
fault is electronic or mechanical, and the technician can further diagnose
the fault.
