Date:         Wed, 16 Apr 2003 11:45:21 -0700
Reply-To:     Jeffrey Schwaia <jeff@TSSGI.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jeffrey Schwaia <jeff@TSSGI.COM>
Subject:      Re: 82 Failed CA Smog Test- help!
In-Reply-To:  <Law14-F353OhV84dqBH00000d4e@hotmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

Getting the "Gross Polluter" tag is not a big deal anymore.  A few years
back, all gross polluters had to go to a referee station to get smogged,
this is no longer the case.  Now, I believe gross polluters are required to
go to test only stations.

BTW: My '88 was labeled a gross polluter the first time I tried to pass
smog, after a few new parts, it passed fine.  The last smog was performed by
a test only station.

Still, it behooves you to get a pre-test if you think there's a decent
chance your vehicle will fail, since you never know what Uncle Sam or Cousin
Gray Davis will implement next.  A pre-test will give you the same
information as a full smog but none of the info goes to the state.

Cheers,

Jeff


-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM]On Behalf
Of Aristotle Sagan
Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 2003 9:49 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: 82 Failed CA Smog Test- help!


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 ...
> >


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