Hey guys, New to this site so here is the low down on what I have: 1994 22re 5speed yota, has 210K on it, k&n filter charger and flow master exhaust. Do any of you do anything special prior to smog checks? Fuel injector cleaners, spark plug and wire changes prior? I have not changed my wires in about 3 years but changed my plugs 2 years ago, I have to do a oil change and was thinking of changing the plugs and wires and was thinking of running some seafoam prior to the smog test. What do you guys think? I’ve never had issues with smog checks in the past. Just wondering 1)what you guys do and 2) what’s your input with what I want to do prior: oil change, plug and wire change, sea foam? Just curious. Thanks
well you should be changing those things with regularity anyways EASY ONES- least expensive: 1. change your oil 2. change your oil fileter 3. change your air filter 4. change your fuel filter, if you havent changed it for more than 5 years 5. Change PCV (positive crankcase valve), these have a little valve that you can test, if you shake the valve and you hear "clicks" then you know its good, but these little suckers are know to get stuck, so if you shake it and you don't hear any clicks, they you defenetly need to change it, but i recommend anyway to replace before you go to the testing station MODERATE - More expensive 6. Check/Change spark plugs. I usually just change them. 7. Check/Replace spark plug wires 8. Replace distributor rotor, if you have distributerless car, then you don't have to worry about this step. 9. Visually Check for worn or torn vacuum lines DIFFICULT - more expensive: 10. Oil leaks around the engine, an oil leak means that you are losing oil pressure. The PVC valve is also responsible to recycling these fumes, and if you have a leak, then your emssions system may not be working right. This can be simple or a difficult thing to do depending on you make and model car, but generally, engines leak around the valve covers, and all you need to do is replace the broken gaskets with a new gasket. These gasket are usually made of rubber, and when rubber mixes with heat, the more time rubber is exposed to heat, the rubber gets brittle and it breaks. the gaskets would cost you around $10 dollars each. 11. Check for Exhaust leaks, How do you know when you have an exhaust leak. Well, you will know by the sound, since there is a leak, the exahaust is not being muffled (silenced) by your muffler and your car will come noisy as you exelerate the engine. 12. Check Engine Light (Lamp) is On - if you have the check engine light on and you have an emissions related code, your chances of passing the test are very, very low, if not impossible. so you defenetly need to check as to why you have. You can take it to a shop to tell you what's wrong with it. or you can take it to your local auto parts store, they usually provide this service for free. or you can buy a code scanner and connect it to your car's computer. There are alot of sensor in you car's engine that make your engine run effiently and cleaner, but if one of these sensor malfunction, then the computer is not getting accurate reading and it will make your car not run very well as it should. 13. check vacuum leaks 14. throttle body cleaning 15. Fuel injection cleaning 16. Check for EGR valve is working correctly 17. Check the exhaust, if your tail pipes are dispersing white smoke, you may have a water coolant leak, this will be very expensive to fix. If the smoke is black, you may have in oil leak inside the engine due to a bad head gasket, this will also be expensive to fix, starting at around $300 dollard and up. If the exhaust smell like gasoline after the engine has reached normal temperature (its normal if it smells like gasonline when its cold because the catalytic coverter is not hot enought to burn the exhaust fumes) but if your car has reach its normal operating temparture and it still smells like gas, they you have have a problem with your emissions or even your catality converter, but usually catalitic converters do go bad, they last pretty long, like ten years i would say, or it could also mean that your car is running too lean (more gas, less oxigen), then you will need a tuneup to fix this, which brings me to the next check; 18. Tune-Up, when a mechanic does a tuneup, he/she should check all the things i've have listed here. they have special equipment to heck all these things, so remember, they've invested money on tools to check for symtoms in your car, so i guess that's why its costs alot. for an average 4 cylinder car, it would cost like $150, the bigger your engine gets, the more expensive it gets, like v6 or v8s. 19. The last you can do to make you chances better, is to drive your car for atleast 30 minutes before taking it to the station, this is what i do: go 15 minutes on the freeway/highway, then 15 minutes on the street, then go to the station, and while i am waiting at the station, let the car idle until its time for the station do the test, buy this time you car's engine and catalytic converter should be running at optimal for burning harmful gass to the environment. 20. if you don't pass, the tech might suggest to check your engine. on some states its illegal for them to tell you what's wrong, they'll just tell you whether you pass or not, and you have to take it to special shops for repairs. but some might suggest what could possibly has gotten wrong on you car, things like your egr valve, catalitic converter, etc.. Good luck the colors are cause I'm stupid bored
Me to^^..................... Welcome to TM. why dont you post up some pics and tell us what your plans are for it?
Hmmmm seafoam is the shizz but your trucks gonna smoke like a mofo for 2 days I'd get a motor vac and do the norm plugs wires and if no motor vac then yah seafoam and injector cleaner you'll be legit
Garagedoorman, eurofreak2000, cinamon thanks guys for your input. Garage I'll do that PVC change eurofreak2000-I bought some seafoam just not sure if I should put some in the vaccum line by brake booster, some in oil and some in gas tank. If in oil how long can it keep before changing oil cinamon-ngk for me. No denso thanks guys
Run the tank to 1/4 tank put about 3-4 cups of acetone or denatured alcohol in the tank run the engine HOT to get the cat firing at efficient range should pass as long as u don't get any cel's also clean the engine bay - mechanics prefer this
Hey guys how does the pcv come out? I tried to pull it out and all i got out was the hose with the clip still attached to the hose. the valve moves a bit but will not come out. I can twist it but i dont think it is twisted on. Do i have use pliers and wont that damage the valve, or should I just try to pry it out with a flat screw driver. Thanks
I used some channel locks to get pcv out, it was in there pretty good. Also get a new pcv grommet too.
+1 on the denatured. When I had my Vette I had to run 2xliter bottles per tank of premium to keep it running worth a crap.
Mine passed with old oil dragged up muffler probably close to 200,000 and less than half a tank an there was some kind of plug on my intake manifold for some reason passed with flying colors. But do as some others have done
or find a mechanic shop that has the machine to do the smog test. im guna go take mine to my mechanic a lil later today n have him run it for me. it failed yesterday
So did this kid bounce? member for 3 months with only 3 posts? Sad, get us all riled up trying to help a brotha and he bounces when he gets his info.
