1997 Chevy Cavalier failed emissions testing
- Thread starter 97prizm
- Start date
Motor oil and washer fluid?
I'm sure they have brake pads and rotors for a Cavi.
That's a better selection then at Burger King.
1976 and newer here
There used to be cheap chinesium sniffers you could attach and drive around with monitoring your emissions.
I would think anyone who lives in one of the Carb federation states would want one.
I would think anyone who lives in one of the Carb federation states would want one.
I bet it's not so much that they're "in bed" but they're suffering under a "consent decree." Back in the 1990s I bet they had a few too many "bad air days" and the EPA came knocking and said, whatcha gonna do? Colorado paid a consultant a million bucks to come up with this plan, and the EPA rubber stamped it. For anyone to back out of this possibly obsolete plan, CO would have to pay another million bucks for a new plan and no one wants to come up with that sort of money.
If your injectors are bad, I'd address that. Maybe get some used ones from ebay, maybe mail them over to Trav. If you're rich and lean at the same time you're going to have mixed problems.
You can stuff rags in the exhaust or something, which will fool a sniffer but not the computer.
As soon as the monitors are ready, the CEL can pop up at ANY time, including while waiting in line for the inspection
That's too bad. I've never lived in an area that did emissions testing.
Had similar problem with my 97 Integra as well. You will likely be able to marginally pass it if you do the whole enchilada of oil change, new plugs, drive it hot before the test, a bottle of techron in the tank prior to the test and long drive, 91 octane (I know it may not make sense but it eliminate possibility of knock related problem), etc.
I got mine from marginally failing to passing with some margin to spare. Yours is not too bad and with those above (mainly the techron and oil change, and a long drive before smog) it should pass.
I got mine from marginally failing to passing with some margin to spare. Yours is not too bad and with those above (mainly the techron and oil change, and a long drive before smog) it should pass.
They send people out with a supposed to fail car and see if the shop cheat. They have to fail that bait car. If they were caught passing it for $ or other favors they can be in trouble.It's easier to cheat a sniffer than the OBD test
Yea, it will fool a sniffer because the engine wont run. But pretty sure the engine has to be running to pass the test.
The idea is that you can see when they become ready and then head over to the inspection BEFORE the CEL pops. If you do it correctly, it won't pop while waiting in line.As soon as the monitors are ready, the CEL can pop up at ANY time, including while waiting in line for the inspection
I would have thought that a limit of 25 years and the emission test should not be a requirement. Why?
Firstly many of the proper emission parts are usually no longer available. Two there are so few of those vehicles left it should not be a concern. They for sure can not emission check a 1962 anything, since it has no emissions parts. Sound like a state of crooks.
Firstly many of the proper emission parts are usually no longer available. Two there are so few of those vehicles left it should not be a concern. They for sure can not emission check a 1962 anything, since it has no emissions parts. Sound like a state of crooks.
Wasn't that long ago in CA that we had to smog back to 1955 year model on change of ownership. Cars needed a pcv retrofit and/or a vacuum advance delete depending on the year. 1966 year model and up got it biannual. Now it is 1976 and up year model biannual. Diesel passenger car and light trucks also. Heavy trucks get a smoke opacity test yearly.
What? we have had testing as long as I can remember..early 80's Im thinking
MrQuackers
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County I grew up in (Cheatham, which touches Davidson County, TN aka Nashville) never had emissions testing, ever. None of the counties touching Davidson did, except for 1 which I currently live in (Wilson). Wilson Co dropped ours in 21 or 22, and Davidson dropped theirs in 23, iirc.
When I moved out here to Wilson Co in 2012, it was an adjustment. Lol.
It was common for friends and family from Nashville to register cars out of county to avoid emissions testing. Not legal, but common.
The standard MY cutoff was 1976. I had my 72 Pinto wagon (2.0, auto) tested for fun (for free, emissions guy wanted to know how bad it was) just to see if I still had 'it' for keeping a carbed car on point (and to see how well my new Weber was setup). Passed with flying colors. No cat, no air pump, just a PCV valve. Still got 'it', but sold the car (big regrets).
This isn't going to help you pass, but I'm curious to know if the state of CO changed the passing limits sometime up stream. The '92 Lumina was able to pass until CA arbitrarily lowered the passing limits. I was able to get it to pass going forward, though it was a minor inconvenience.
FWIW, CA still sniffs everything in my signature except for Highlander and the motorcycles.
FWIW, CA still sniffs everything in my signature except for Highlander and the motorcycles.
My gripe is that Chevy didn't go cheap on the Cavalier they Penny pinched to the extreme. Apparently the fuel rail is built into the the head! What dufus thought that was a good idea? The plastics are beyond cheap, and If I get t-boned by anything bigger than a bicycle I'm hosed as the side impact safety is almost zero. Mine only has 152,000 miles on it.
Colorado cracked way down on that. Several surrounding counties didn't have emissions testing so people registered PO Boxes as their primary address which worked for a while till the state caught on. The next county over didn't have emissions until ten years ago or so when everyone started moving there.
