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Date:         Tue, 15 Apr 2003 22:53:11 -0700
Reply-To:     zampano <matthias.k@ATTBI.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         zampano <matthias.k@ATTBI.COM>
Subject:      Re: 82 Failed CA Smog Test- help!
Comments: To: Aristotle Sagan <killer_jupiter@HOTMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <Law14-F353OhV84dqBH00000d4e@hotmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed

Guys,

It actually does not matter whether or not you do a test only or a real smog test in CA. No matter what you gonna do at a smog station, the state is always watching. Even for test only they will register you as a "tester only", well, they probably have a better name for it, like "scuz". Trust me I know. The biggest misunderstanding is that "gross polluter automatically tags you and curses you with certain doom. Once you spend $450 minimum on smog related repairs (which might exclude transmission work), Bob's yer uncle. You just have to fuss with the state a bit. The state keeps a log on test onlyers. Now, as for trying to cheat the system, good luck. Not that it would be difficult to do, but the drakonian punishment would certainly put anyone out of commission.

If you were in L.A. I would be able to help you out.

Cheers

m On Tuesday, April 15, 2003, at 09:48 PM, Aristotle Sagan wrote:

> You guys don't understand. > > We ain't messing with Joe Yokel down at the local service center, > catching a > few bucks doing inspections on the side. > > We are talking about California Smog Inspection Stations. BIG > business, BIG > money. If they get caught messing with the results, they lose their > license, they lose thier jobs. The best you can do is have them do the > test > 'offline', where it doesn't report the results back to Sacrotomato. > You get > the results, you fix what you can, and you take it back, spending > another 27 > bucks or whatever to have it tested again. When you get it right, they > hook > the test machine up to the phonelines and redo the test with the State > watching. > > No octane enhancers, no slipping the guy 50 bucks to pass, no nothing > gets > your car through unless it's going to pass smog. > > Take the vehicle down to the local VW guy with access to a smog > machine and > let him fix it. This person's results were not so far off that an > adjustment > or two won't fix the problem. It's just knowing what adjustment that > makes > the mechanic the bucks. It certainly isn't worth getting your van > labled a > 'gross polluter to save a couple of bucks. > > tim in san jose > > > > > > >> From: Michael Brenner <brenner9@YOSEMITE.NET> >> Reply-To: Michael Brenner <brenner9@YOSEMITE.NET> >> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM >> Subject: Re: 82 Failed CA Smog Test- help! >> Date: Tue, 15 Apr 2003 20:00:32 -0700 >> >> 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 ... >> > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > Protect your PC - get McAfee.com VirusScan Online > http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963 >


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