Date: Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:47:31 -0700
Reply-To: B <oddstray@ODDSTRAY.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: B <oddstray@ODDSTRAY.COM>
Subject: Re: Smog test failed - here is my plan
In-Reply-To: <38e334640907221551o1ba13947xf48f9a28eeb25fea@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed; delsp=yes
Hi, all,
Just for clarification, here's why Hugo's isn't taking any new Vanagon
customers. (Rick at Hugo's takes care of our Westy.) Rick said there
are two reasons. First, the vehicles are getting old and it's getting
hard to get parts. Second, most people seem to have learned
everything they know from the Internet. Then they bring in their own
parts and try to tell Rick how to fix their vehicles. He added that
he really couldn't work like that.
In our experience, Hugo's prices are very realistic, and it's a very
easy place to work with.
B&S
'87 Westy 'Esmerelda Blanc'
SoCal
On Jul 22, 2009, at 3:51 PM, Roland wrote:
> Just called Hugo's, they are not taking on any new customers with
> Vanagons.
>
> Roland
>
> On Wed, Jul 22, 2009 at 1:52 PM, Rocket J Squirrel <
> camping.elliott@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I had a pretty bad experience with VW Paradise's work several years
>> ago
>> when a 71 baywindow that I bought from a third party suffered from an
>> overheated and locked engine. The engine had been rebuilt by VW
>> Paradise
>> (had their stamp on the top) and as I dug into it I found that it
>> was very
>> poorly put together - I found a bolt rolling around in the bottom
>> of the
>> case, several stripped studs, and a small host of other problems
>> all of
>> which pointed to lack of attention by whoever built up the engine.
>> The
>> details are hazy, sorry, in the old memory, but my frustrated rants
>> exist
>> forever in the archives of the Usenet: rec.autos.makers.vw.aircooled
>>
>> Long story short, I was sufficiently put off by their lack of QC
>> and the
>> loud music and grab-assing I saw back in the mechanic's bays that I
>> didn't
>> let them near my bus. That was around 2003 or so and maybe things
>> have
>> changed.
>>
>> I always had good work on Mellow Yellow at Hugos Foreign Car in
>> Encinitas,
>> on coast highway. Plenty of Vanagon experience.
>>
>> --
>> Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
>> 84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
>> 74 Utility Trailer. Ladybug Trailer, Inc., San Juan Capistrano
>> Bend, OR
>> KG6RCR
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 7/22/2009 12:02 PM Roland wrote:
>>
>> Yes, one of our favorite subjects: good old CA smog test, '89
>> 2.1. It
>>> has
>>> passed twice before without needing help, but not this time.
>>>
>>> It has high hydrocarbons at idle, which means it is running rich.
>>>
>>> So, I plan to change cap, rotor, plugs which is the advice I
>>> gathered from
>>> the archives. Also will use a bottle of injector cleaner for the
>>> next few
>>> days.
>>>
>>> Actually, I am going to let the shop do it, since they have a pre-
>>> test
>>> capability and work with the local official smog check station to
>>> get it
>>> passed. VW Paradise (http://www.vwparadise.com), north San Diego
>>> County,
>>> have had some work done there before, seem like pretty good guys.
>>> Seems
>>> there are always 4- 6 vanagons there in various state of repairs.
>>>
>>> I would do those "tune-up" items myself, but by the time I get it
>>> done,
>>> and
>>> maybe adjust the AFM (which I've never done), I'd be guessing, and
>>> then go
>>> back to get it checked again, and if it fails, then guess again,
>>> and go
>>> back. The process stinks, given all the governmental stuff in CA,
>>> I am
>>> getting sick of this state anyway (sorry for the editorial). Recent
>>> reports
>>> show the smog test system as useless: now there are so many newer
>>> cars on
>>> the road which don't go bad, that this whole smog test junk is
>>> just a tax
>>> on
>>> older car owners.
>>>
>>> Things I learned from the Smog Test station (who is a really good
>>> guy):
>>> - don't use premium fuel - it will increases the probability of
>>> failure.
>>> - don't ever buy ARCO gas, he was adamant about this!
>>> - California has a CAP program which my Van qualfies. I have to
>>> mail in
>>> an
>>> application, then if approved I go to a CAP qualified repair
>>> facility, and
>>> I
>>> pay the first $100.00 of smog repairs, then the state pays the next
>>> $500.00. But many of these "certified" CAP stations refuse to touch
>>> vanagons. Takes about 2 weeks to hear back from the state after
>>> you send
>>> the application.
>>>
>>> Any comments appreciated.
>>>
>>> Roland
>>>
>>>
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