Are you in California? I can only guess that what you mean is to move the ignition pickup from the wire that goes from the coil to the distributor to one of the ignition wires from the distributor cap to a plug. If the machine that was counting "sparks" thinks it's counting coil/cap flashes but it's really counting cap/plug flashes, then it would think that RPM's were 1/4th of what they actually were. In all the times I've gotten smogged in California the mechanic put the pickup on an ignition wire. --------------------------------------------------------------- Tom Young '81 Vanagon Lafayette, CA 94549 '82 Westfalia --------------------------------------------------------------- ----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Brenner" <brenner9@YOSEMITE.NET> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 2003 8:00 PM Subject: Re: 82 Failed CA Smog Test- help!

> Ok here is a totally illegal way of passing, if you can't get it straitened > out and your mechanic is cool (or not looking)..... > > Leave the vehicle running at high RPM, and move the smog electrode from the > center of the cap to one of the individual cylinders (so it's reading only a > quarter of the high rpm's), the logic being that a vehicle runs real clean > at high rpm's, and the machine thinks it's at idle. Saw a guy pass a bug > that way once. > > You didn't hear this here.... > > MJB > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "S.Harrison" <diverseimaging@EARTHLINK.NET> > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > Sent: Monday, April 14, 2003 9:26 PM > Subject: Re: 82 Failed CA Smog Test- help! > > > > Cat, muffler, tailpipe are all ~1 year old. Thanks for the tip RE the > higher > > octane fuel. > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Richard Brassaw" <sendmeanemail@EARTHLINK.NET> > > To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM> > > Sent: Monday, April 14, 2003 9:14 PM > > Subject: Re: 82 Failed CA Smog Test- help! > > > > > > > I've had several mechanics tell me to run a couple of tanks of High > > > Octane before getting smoged. Also, when was the last time a new Cat > > > was put on--it might be time. > > > > > > Richard > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf > > > Of S.Harrison > > > Sent: Monday, April 14, 2003 9:03 PM > > > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > > > Subject: 82 Failed CA Smog Test- help! > > > > > > 82 Vanagon Westy. 89K on original engine. > > > > > > Took it to a local garage that is certified to smog test vehicles up for > > > the > > > CA biennial inspections. Drove it for a about 2 hours prior so it was > > > good > > > and warmed-up. > > > > > > I passed all aspects of the test but the CO% at idle -- I was at 5.56%, > > > with > > > a maximum allowable of 2.00. The CO% at 2500 RPM measurement was fine, > > > about > > > 0.62%. > > > > > > So what could help? I'll be changing the oil and filter, installing new > > > plugs, cap, rotor, and points before the next check, but any ideas on > > > how I > > > can lower the CO percentage? Could the AFM be at fault? Leaky injector > > > seals? > > > > > > TIA ... > >