Date: Wed, 7 Dec 2005 23:17:40 -0800
Reply-To: Jake de Villiers <crescentbeachguitar@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jake de Villiers <crescentbeachguitar@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Vanagon Zetec Conversion update
In-Reply-To: <4397B2C2.5080104@earthlink.net>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
I'm just conjecturing, but here in BC at the annual emissions test, the guy
at the AirCare testing station has NEVER opened the hood of my car. Not 69
Chevy Pickup, not brand new Honda Civic, not 84 Vanagon. If I was running a
Bostig conversion and it blew clean, that would be that. Do they do a visual
on every car every year in California?
On 12/7/05, mark drillock <drillock@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> One problem for the Bostig Zetec is that an Executive Order would be for
> exactly one version of the Zetec and Bostig wants to offer an assortment
> of power levels from different configurations. Also CARB has tightened
> their interpretation of what qualifies and in addition all 1996+
> vehicles have OBDII which must be implemented in the conversions if one
> of those engines is used. The conversion is supposed to have all the
> sensors and such that the donor vehicle had and this is a practical
> impossibility for Vanagons to comply with in some cases. At the very
> least Bostig would have to settle on a specific version of the
> conversion and then spend the time and money to get it qualified. Not
> easy to do from a distance. Neither the Kennedy or TIICO applications
> were for OBDII engines so they got away with a simpler configuration
> than any Zetec would be subject to. That said I think it would be great
> if Bostig was able to get an EO for their conversion but as a practical
> matter it does not always help very much. Anyone who has followed the
> trials and tribulations of Subaru and TIICO converties would know that
> the Carb Executive Order can be a bigger can of worms than just taking
> your chances with a referee is. The main purpose of the EO is that you
> can supposedly get your required smog checks done at any smog station
> just by driving in for your 2 year smog check and showing them a copy of
> the EO but it often does not actually turn out to work that way.
> California smog stations are mostly hesitant to take on the perceived
> legal liability for testing Vanagons under a conversion EO. They often
> deem it not worth the risk and tend to just refuse to test your vehicle
> unless it has a Sticker issued by a CARB referee. Trying to get a Carb
> referee sticker is harder if you do it under an EO since the discretion
> that a referee otherwise has to approve conversions is restricted by the
> detailed listing in the EO and the conversion must comply with a strict
> application of what the EO says is ok.
>
> Mark
>
> Jon Brown wrote:
>
> >>Zetec in California
> >>
> >>
> >If it's a motor configuration sold in California, which I assume it is,
> then
> >it's legal in California provided you carry over all the emissions
> equipment
> >from the California emissions equipment vehicle it was (or would have
> been)
> >installed in. ie. if the motor could/would have been in a 2005 Ford Focus
> >then all you have to do is make sure you install every bit of emissions
> >equipment in your vanagon that was (would have been) in the 2005 Ford
> Focus.
> >ALL the emissions equipment means you need to use the SAME catalytic
> >converter or two as the case may be... multiple o2 sensors are also now
> >popular... check engine light... charcoal canisters... etc... etc...
> >
> >If you do all that and take it to a California BAR (Bureau of Automotive
> >Repair) referee they can verify everything and issue you a "green
> sticker"
> >and viola your legal in California and for ever one you'll be considered
> a
> >2005 ford focus as far as smog stations are concerned. .............
> >
> >
>
> >What Kennedy did and TiiCo (sort of) did was to get a CARB (California
> Air
> >Resource Board) Executive Order (EO). This requires some extensive and
> >"somewhat" expensive emissions testing of a "prototype". It was probably
> >easier when Kennedy did it than it is now. Regardless, getting the CARB
> EO
> >does two important things. 1) it gives a blanket approval to everyone
> that
> >installs the conversion as it was tested and approved, a major bonus over
> >putting everything in the sometimes subjective hands of a BAR Referee;
> and
> >2) it allows converetees to go directly to a regular SMOG station rather
> >than to the dreaded BAR Referee.
> >
> >I know nothing about the Zetec, but I'm sure the Bostig guys could chime
> in
> >to whether they are carrying over 100% of the California emissions
> equipment
> >on the conversion. Note, 100% of the CALIFORNIA equipment which often is
> >more then the EPA 49 State equipment.
> >
> >
> >
> ......................
>
--
Jake
www.crescentbeachguitar.com
| 
