<![CDATA[ABSTRACTThe increasing dependence on fossil fuels in the transportation sector, particularly for motor vehicles, is a major contributor to air pollution. In Indonesia, transportation emissions consist of approximately 70.5% carbon monoxide (CO), 18.34% hydrocarbons (HC), 8.89% nitrogen oxides (NOx), 0.88% sulphur oxides (SOx), and 1.33% particulate matter. Among these pollutants, CO poses a serious health risk because prolonged inhalation can lead to severe or fatal poisoning. Therefore, effective technologies are needed to reduce harmful emissions from motor vehicles. One promising solution is the implementation of catalytic converters. However, catalytic converters utilizing chemically activated fly ash briquettes through a soaking process remain relatively limited in research. This study used an experimental method to investigate the effect of chemical activation duration using H₂SO₄ for 30, 45, and 60 minutes. Exhaust emissions were measured using a gas analyser at engine speeds of 1000 and 2000 rpm, while engine performance was evaluated using a dynamometer over a range of 1000–10,000 rpm. The effect of activation on briquette pore characteristics was also examined using SEM/EDX at 5000× magnification. The results indicated that Model 3, with a 60-minute activation period, achieved the lowest CO emissions compared with the standard exhaust system and other catalyst models. The findings demonstrate the potential of chemically activated fly ash briquettes as an effective and environmentally friendly material for reducing vehicle exhaust emissions.Keywords: chemical activation, CO and HC emissions, gas analyser, fly ash briquettes]]>
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