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| Geo wont pass CA Smog check; failed | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Dec 9 2011, 01:30 PM (3,109 Views) | |
| justinkrahn | Dec 9 2011, 01:30 PM Post #1 |
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New Member
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Hello everybody! This is only my second post here. So yesterday I took my car in to get smog checked and failed miserably. Here is what I have: 1993 Geo Metro 1.0L timing set @ 7 BTDC I passed on the 25mph test but failed the evap and the 15mph tests. Here are the results from yesterdays test: 15mph: HC (ppm) - MAX 104, MEAS 233 CO (%) - MAX 0.45, MEAS 0.65 NO (ppm) - MAX 527, MEAS 1463 I am not sure what to do. The guy testing me handed me a form to retire my car and I was quite offended. He goes on to tell me that I most likely have a blown gasket and my car wasn't worth the fix. There is a gaping hole in the exhaust system just before the muffler, could this have anything to do with it? Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!!!!! |
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| Bad Bent | Dec 9 2011, 02:44 PM Post #2 |
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Facetious Educated Donkey
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That guy is a jerk. You were right to be offended. What, toss a car for a $1 gasket? Stupid.Your ignition timing should be 5 deg. BTDC. Yes, get your exhaust leak fixed. IF you haven't done it recently... my first thought would be a tune-up (plugs, wires, dist. cap/rotor) and new Catalytic converter. I know the converter is probably 1/2 the price of the car but it's California and the planet's environment. At www.autopartswarehouse.com/search/ I see a Magnaflow CA Cat. for $207 shipped. You will want it welded in at a muffler shop where they can fix the leak also. They may be able to beat that price - call to find out. EVAP I'm not sure of except maybe a bad gas cap? |
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| Horn | Dec 9 2011, 03:17 PM Post #3 |
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You've gotta be kidding me.....I'm sure right after you had your car in there, a lifted chevy truck pulled in and passed even though it only gets 8mpg. Yea i can't help you out though. I've never dealt with that crap. If I understand it correct doesn't everything (running,exhaust wise) have to be in top notch condition. Sounds like a joke to me. Maybe another Cali member can help you. |
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| crankcase | Dec 9 2011, 03:35 PM Post #4 |
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Do the tune up and exhaust. Check the EGR system and be sure to have the car hot when you go in so the cat can do its job. I've heard mention of running the gas down and putting everclear in, but no personal experience. Edited by crankcase, Dec 9 2011, 03:36 PM.
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| hanksgeo | Dec 10 2011, 05:20 PM Post #5 |
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A&P Mechanic
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Man that sucks, I had to rebuild my motor before I could get it to pass. Dont think you will have to do that though. I live in Fresno btw. Good luck with getting your car back on the road. |
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| Alpine | Dec 10 2011, 05:23 PM Post #6 |
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1020cc G10 GOML
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i remember reading somewhere that non CA cars will work in ca. fuck 207 for a cat.... |
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| Memphis metro | Dec 10 2011, 05:48 PM Post #7 |
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Perform a compression test. If not up to par, have engine rebuilt and it will sail thru. But before you do, find where that guy lives and back your geo up to his house and crack open one of his windows and run some flexpipe from the exhaust pipe from the car up into the house and let it run awhile. Make sure he is home and asleep first. That will teach him to tell metro owners to retire their cars! J/k |
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| clarkdw | Dec 11 2011, 12:33 AM Post #8 |
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Note to self: Do not ever piss off EDG.
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| JoeBob | Dec 11 2011, 03:25 AM Post #9 |
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Why you Mutt!
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That's why I like my smog guy and always go back to him. Little one man shop, old Middle Eastern guy. If the car doesn't pass, he tells me what'll fix it, and he's always been spot on. One time one of my former cars didn't pass, it was just barely over the limit on HC. He just told me to get on the freeway and run at about 70 for about half an hour. Apparently the cat just hadn't warmed up. I don't know if he is supposed to be doing this, but it is good business in my book. That's why I always go back to him. As for the cat...call around for quotes. Had mine replaced this last February for about $190 out the door, parts and labor, including replacing an exhaust hanger. This was at a small muffler shop in town. Took my car from being high in every reading to almost zero emissions! |
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| Bad Bent | Dec 11 2011, 10:24 AM Post #10 |
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Facetious Educated Donkey
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IIRC, We have another Calif. member who ordered his Cat. off eBay and had it welded up by a neighbor.
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| bbowens | Dec 13 2011, 09:58 PM Post #11 |
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that was me; just got mine smogged by Pleasanton Smog. Erman really knows his stuff. He's "Test Only" now, but in the next few days he will be merged with the next door repair shop. Between the two, they really did me right. The hole before the muffler is no problem; I had the same. Mine was an out of state car without Cali smog gear, but it still passed once I changed the Catalytic Converter on their recommendation (Magnaflow 91004; $52 offer accepted), and the O2 sensor. Found a welder on craigslist, $35. Brought it back to the shop and it passed. I'm not trying to drive a polluter, but once I found that the cat's are all the same, CA approved or not, then I proceeded to install gear that got the job done. As best I can gather, the CA-approved Cat's used to be different, but now the mfg's make them all the same, so this regulation has become superfluous. ps--my compression is 155-155-160
Edited by bbowens, Dec 13 2011, 10:09 PM.
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| Bad Bent | Dec 13 2011, 10:52 PM Post #12 |
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Facetious Educated Donkey
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I hope that means they are all CA quality now. Thanks for chiming in bbowens
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| Ephemeral Glade | Dec 14 2011, 01:08 AM Post #13 |
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Hey, Justin! About 25 years ago I took a class on emissions, and what I remember about it is... HC is unburnt fuel( hydrocarbons). This is frequently attributed to a bad catalyst, or low compression. NO, I believe is oxides of nitrogen, which is created under conditions of high heat. Exhaust Gas Recirculation( or EGR) was designed to combat this by introducing already burned gas into the combustion chamber. Because these gases cannot combust, there presence in the combustion chamber lowers the temperature in there thus reducing oxides of nitrogen. I live in Pasadena, if you are nearby, we can do a compression test, as well as check you egr system for function- let me know. |
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You were right to be offended. What, toss a car for a $1 gasket? Stupid.

That will teach him to tell metro owners to retire their cars! J/k
Note to self: Do not ever piss off EDG.

1:57 PM Jul 11