CA BAR Test for Smog

[JoeMadoo]

To be honest I've never heard of that haha, sounds pretty intense...

[george graves]

The propane trick is easy.

Get your propane torch, a length of tubing and some electrical tape. Attach the tube to the torch to send the gas down the line(don't light it - DUH). Then start your motor and start probing the motor with the long tube. You'll hear the motor change it's idle when you find the leak.

[Farbin Kaiber]

The propane trick is easy.

Get your propane torch, a length of tubing and some electrical tape. Attach the tube to the torch to send the gas down the line(don't light it - DUH). Then start your motor and start probing the motor with the long tube. You'll hear the motor change it's idle when you find the leak.

I like that. I just blast with carb cleaner, but this sounds like a little less fumes involved. Do you run the torch at full open, or just part way?

[der affe]

you can also do this non-flammable style with window glass cleaner. spray the stream at suspected source and listen for the idle to rise. the window cleaner temporary seals the leak and the idle will rise. similar effect with out the fire hazard....and i should know about fire!!!!!!

[JoeMadoo]

Nice! those are good idea's.

[george graves]

I like that. I just blast with carb cleaner, but this sounds like a little less fumes involved. Do you run the torch at full open, or just part way?

Partial - but it depends on if how much breeze there is. If you do it in a garage, you just need a whiff. You can test it out before hand my loosening a intake bellow clamp so you know what to look for and how much gas to flow.

I won't let anyone near my motor with carb cleaner. Not with all the paint on the motor. It would "melt" it right off.

I think the propane trick is safer then carb cleaner. If propane should ignight - it will be a flash of fire that will rise up out of the engine bay. If you have "stick" carb cleaner "soaking" into stuff, the flames will stay put longer - no good.

[Jean]

You are almost there :) My co-worker went through this same deal too, got a nice white sticker now on his door jam.

[Brinkley]

blowing a ton of black fumes in cali - in order to make your car "eco friendly" - priceless.

[andyman2487]

Since the M30 has the same emission control system as the M20, i've heard of people just grinding the "3.5" off the intake manifold and taking it right to the smog station. I think Jared Squires did this. No smog ref required.

[JoeMadoo]

Ya but they look at the vacuum diagrams, which are different. I already got past that part though anyway, just gotta get the emissions down. I take it in tomorrow to get it retested, only gonna cost $8. I'm going to throw in the original ECU chip and some octane booster.

[george graves]

Since the M30 has the same emission control system as the M20, i've heard of people just grinding the "3.5" off the intake manifold and taking it right to the smog station.

The rumors you hear are true. (whink whink)

Honestly, the sticker that the smog ref looks at is so poorly drawn on most cars. It's not like they look at the sticker and then look at the motor for a 100% "match" - they look to save time - to see where the canister is, see where the o2 is, see if you need a exhaust gas heater/thing, ect...

I got a smog Nazi last time I smogged - he checked everything - even my fuel cap. The only thing I wish I has done differently was to have my electric fan automatically turn on. I had it running the whole time, and he kinda looked at that weird.

Smog guys are not there to ruin your day.

Most smog guys either own the shop, or fell into that line of work, or learned it in prison.

Trust me, they could care less about the (what they assume) is a front wheel drive, run down, 1990's, German, old status symbol that you just pulled into their bay - they assume its daddy's old car, and the entire time they are smogging you car - they are day dreaming about how sweat they Nova will be with 4 on the floor. Once the primer is done...

Either way, they could do with out your 15 min story on how you need to pass or you "are screwed."...

HTH andyman...

[JoeMadoo]

Haha I see...

Well, i'd would had to pay at least $1000 for someone to pass my car this time.

I threw in another ECU with a stock chip, cleaned the ICV, vacuum hoses, intake boot, and threw in some premium gas with a little bit of octane booster.
Long story short, My car went from barely failing to exceding the gross poluter limit by 4x.

CO went from passing with flying colors to 10x the limit, almost pegging the machine.
HC hit the gross poluter limit also.
NOx however was pretty much non-existent, and I failed that last time.

So I dunno if it was the little bit of octane booster or my other ECU is shit.

[jdub.]

You pass???


Old Mercedes are notorious for not passing CA SMOG.



My solution. Run it till there is almost empty.


Put a gallon of denatured alcohol for every 1.5 gallons of gas in the tank...


Your car will burn super clean... I have to do this every time.

[MoparJ]

If you fail once, the best thing to do is to get pre-smogs until you get it right. It will give you an idea of what direction to go without the test actually counting against you. Once you are considered a gross polluter, it makes everything 10 times harder.

[JoeMadoo]

Here I am at the BAR again... patiently waiting with my fingers crossed...