California Smog Blues

Well it is that time of every two years and I have to get my damn car smogged. Last time it took a new catalyst and a bunch of fiddling for the mechanic to get the car to pass. I haven't even attempted it but am already dreading the prospect of a 3-400$ smog. Here in california my car has to pass an idle/visual/dyno test before I get the golden sticker. Every time I get the car smogged I have to have it retuned as the car can either smog or it car run/drive good but not both.

Anyone have any tips or suggestions on how to give the benz a fighting chance? I'm thinking about adding some ethanol to the tank for cleaner burning but wanted to know if anyone has any tips or tricks? It is stupid that the smog exemption ends at pre-75 but california has some of the worst air in the country.

Thanks folks and wish me luck! My car was nice enough to develop a healthy miss after sitting for a week so I'll have to address that before even attempting to get the damned thing smogged.

What is it?

My cars always run better after a few strong doses of Sta-Bil. I always keep a bit of it in their fuel systems. Dunno, worth a shot.

The car in question is a 1978 280slc which has been federalized. The fuel injection is bosch k-jetronic basic so the car has no O2 sensor, no computer, no EGR, no brains.

In reply to alfadriver:

Two Euros sez it's his Grey Market W107 Benz. I think it has the 2.8ltr. in it. I was lucky when I had my g/m E21 BMW (323i). There was no visual/idle/dyno inspection in Atlanta then, and we'd just lean it out until it passed. Had to push it into the shop, it ran so badly. Couldn't do that today..and I'll bet even Atlanta allows higher particulate rates than Cali. He's got a tough row to hoe.

This kind of hoe, you stinking perverts!

You can get a "practice" test first. It costs the same but at least you'll know ahead of time before you facepalm at the inspection.

The shop that I always take my car to for its smog check used to do a free "pre-test" before the actual smog check. The shop owner had to knock that off when an official from the BAR showed up and asked him why he has never failed anyone.

He will still do a pre-test but he has to report the results of the pre test to the state, and its no longer free.

I had to smog my '68 Cortina in Anchorage after I removed the air pump and installed dual side drafts. setting the idle to the max allowed helped something like 1100 rpm. Leaning it out did not help. It was only an idle test but the adjustments made to the carbs were extremely minute. I found a shop that adjusted it while it was on the machine, but only had to pass at idle. I would change the oil, put in new plugs, and filter, make sure there are no leaks, and hope for the best.

move to a better state that doesn't have the silly emissions testing.. here in MN, you could get collector plates for about $40 and never, ever have to register it again.. and if you decided to keep regular plates on it for whatever reason, you just pay that same amount every year.

novaderrik wrote: move to a better state that doesn't have the silly emissions testing..

I wish I had a nickel for everytime I heard that when I lived in CA. Its not that bad as long as you use common sense and know the laws/loopholes.

I moved to TX where they do the same basic smog test, but they do it every year along with a complete safety inspection. In CA you could drive a pile of E36 M3 with no brakes or lights... as long as it didn't pollute. Here in TX you have to submit every year, and they do a pretty thorough inspection.

Now I'm moving back to PA.... where they not only do yearly smog, but their inspection includes pulling wheels to check brakes and you can't have a rust hole larger than the size of a quarter.

Everyone villainizes CA for their terrible smog tests. After 4 years in TX and 25 years in PA, I'd take CA any day of the week and twice on Sunday. There is a reason CA is a hot-rodding mecca. I drove a 95 S10 with an LS1 and never failed a test. I helped a few guys tune their 96 OBD2 LT1s to pass emissions legally at 425+ hp. There is nothing like the satisfaction of pulling in with a lumpy-idled V8 OBD2 car and watching it pass the sniffer with flying colors.

friedgreencorrado wrote: *This* kind of hoe, you stinking perverts!

"Me love you long time."

I need to find out how my Mustang was passed. We had a similar problem.

Now they just do a safety and plug her in every two years.

I'm so glad my state doesn't have such a test.

Cats? Smog tests? Yearly inspections?

What are these things you guys speak of?

curtis73 wrote: Everyone villainizes CA for their terrible smog tests. After 4 years in TX and 25 years in PA, I'd take CA any day of the week and twice on Sunday. There is a reason CA is a hot-rodding mecca. I drove a 95 S10 with an LS1 and never failed a test. I helped a few guys tune their 96 OBD2 LT1s to pass emissions legally at 425+ hp. There is nothing like the satisfaction of pulling in with a lumpy-idled V8 OBD2 car and watching it pass the sniffer with flying colors.

So, since you've done it - how do you get a 1995 with an LS1 legal in CA? Did you have to retain the stock headers and cat? I haven't been able to figure out how to build a legal LS-powered Miata for California. Doesn't matter what the sniffer says, it's the paperwork jungle that stops play.

Keith wrote:

curtis73 wrote: Everyone villainizes CA for their terrible smog tests. After 4 years in TX and 25 years in PA, I'd take CA any day of the week and twice on Sunday. There is a reason CA is a hot-rodding mecca. I drove a 95 S10 with an LS1 and never failed a test. I helped a few guys tune their 96 OBD2 LT1s to pass emissions legally at 425+ hp. There is nothing like the satisfaction of pulling in with a lumpy-idled V8 OBD2 car and watching it pass the sniffer with flying colors.

So, since you've done it - how do you get a 1995 with an LS1 legal in CA? Did you have to retain the stock headers and cat? I haven't been able to figure out how to build a legal LS-powered Miata for California. Doesn't matter what the sniffer says, it's the paperwork jungle that stops play.

What about the GM E-Rod package? I thought that was a 50 state legal package as long as you used the full package GM certified.

Keith wrote: So, since you've done it - how do you get a 1995 with an LS1 legal in CA? Did you have to retain the stock headers and cat? I haven't been able to figure out how to build a legal LS-powered Miata for California. Doesn't matter what the sniffer says, it's the paperwork jungle that stops play.

You would need to keep the engine stock (or only use CA emissions legal aftermarket parts) and retain everything from where the air first enters the intake on its way to the filter through where it exits the cat, the stock computer with no codes stored (or disabled) and the stock evaporative emissions system. I believe you have to keep the stock gauge cluster as well, but im not sure about that.

The reason the california emissions is so stupid is say you have a 1978 camaro, which came stock with a 2bbl carbed 305, and is fairly dirty compared to a new car. If you swap in a new 6.0 lsx out of a truck, keeping the cats and tuning it to run far cleaner than the stock engine would have, and far exceeding the requirements for the car, it is illegal. The only way to legally register it would be to put the stock engine back in and increase the emissions back to where they were originally. IMO CA emissions testing will always be stupid until they first check for codes and test the emissions, then only do a visual inspection if the car doesnt pass.

My Mini was run out of Ontario because it was dirty. Too many parts per million. Very few millions of parts, but still. On a little sunny day car that gets 40 mpg. Sigh.

The E-Rod package isn't actually approved yet by CARB. And there are no off-the-shelf headers that will fit into a Miata. There's also no room for a stock intake system. We can make it clean, but we can't do it with factory bits. Our car is smaller than an S10.

The visual process does take into account the fact that cold start emissions are a big contributor, as well as operating ranges outside those of the usual quicky sniffer test. It even takes the permeability of the gas lines into account.

Cali emissions won't even allow the use of aftermarket catalytic converters except in very limited circumstances, the car MUST have ONLY the OE catalyst. That's why you see all the aftermarket cats which are '49 state' legal (although Bosal just announced a line of CARB approved aftermarket units). It's also why otherwise good useable cars which could pass emissions sit in limbo because ythey have a bad catalyst which is no longer produced by the OE manufacturer. You can have an aftermarket cat that sucks in smog and farts out pine trees, nope it won't pass.

There are legal replacement cats listed now for most cars. Its mostly an issue for the OBD2 cars because you are looking at a minimum of $600 for a cat replacement, and it goes up from there. Older cars its not as big a deal, and quite a bit cheaper.

My car barely passes.... Normally.

Last time I went to a place off a little back road from the freeway. 4K rpm freeway driving + spirited off ramp + backroad = passed by a lot. Better then avg is many cases. Also helped that the car was never even parked, basically drove into the parking lot and the guy was standing out side and just waved me right onto the rollers.

So if you can set up with a small shop to go in at a time where you will not have to wait in line, and drive the piss out of it on the way there

curtis73 wrote:

novaderrik wrote: move to a better state that doesn't have the silly emissions testing..

I wish I had a nickel for everytime I heard that when *I* lived in CA. Its not that bad as long as you use common sense and know the laws/loopholes. I moved to TX where they do the same basic smog test, but they do it *every* year along with a complete safety inspection. In CA you could drive a pile of E36 M3 with no brakes or lights... as long as it didn't pollute. Here in TX you have to submit every year, and they do a pretty thorough inspection. Now I'm moving back to PA.... where they not only do yearly smog, but their inspection includes pulling wheels to check brakes and you can't have a rust hole larger than the size of a quarter. Everyone villainizes CA for their terrible smog tests. After 4 years in TX and 25 years in PA, I'd take CA any day of the week and twice on Sunday. There is a reason CA is a hot-rodding mecca. I drove a 95 S10 with an LS1 and never failed a test. I helped a few guys tune their 96 OBD2 LT1s to pass emissions legally at 425+ hp. There is nothing like the satisfaction of pulling in with a lumpy-idled V8 OBD2 car and watching it pass the sniffer with flying colors.

try moving to a state with none of that silliness and you, too, will understand where i'm coming from.. a new car costs a lot to register every year- but there is no testing or anything. you give the lady at the DMV your money and you leave with good tabs.. then after the cars are 10 years old, they are all $42 or so a year- and once they hit 20 years old and as long as you have another car registered normally, you can get collector plates with no real restrictions on usage for a one time fee of $42 or so.. at that point, that car is registered for life- even if you sell it to someone else..

To the OP, since it looks like are in the vicinity of San Francisco, I highly recommend you take your benz to Acutech in south city. I have found them to be honest and reasonable. R.J. the smog guru, and Nicki, the owner, are both autocrossers and road racers. They have doing my smog checks for years.

Keith wrote: My Mini was run out of Ontario because it was dirty. Too many parts per million. Very few millions of parts, but still. On a little sunny day car that gets 40 mpg. Sigh.

Wait, really? What year is the Mini? We don't E-test '87 and older car cars in Ontario.... While it's a pain, I appreciate the compromise of the Ontario system: all that matters is the sniffer (I've passed with OBDII removed to fit Megasquirt). Pre-88 ("classic") cars are exempt due to presumed low usage and the low proportion of road worthy cars that old in the rust belt.

I grew up in Iowa and now live in Alabama, no stupid tests in either state. Iowa used to have a safety type inspections up intil the mid 80's but they dropped it because it cost the state more than it brought in.