Thread: SMOG SUCKS.

MAIN QUESTION: Ok, so I spent the whole day getting the car ready for smog check...and it fails after hours of working on it. NOOOO!!! The numbers are WAY high. I figure it's the cat. Where's the best place to get a new one guys?

Here's the story, if you feel like wasting some time reading...

Hahaha...I took it in at 11 this morning, and the timing belt tensioner was shot, so it's tapping like a mofo and the belt's flappin like crazy, so they say they won't smog it. I say OK, I go get a new tensioner and timing belt, throw them on and head back about 3. I didn't have a timing belt cover on, so they couldn't check the timing. Said they still couldn't test it without checking timing. I say OK and they're surprised when I tell them I'll be right back after I put one on. I pick up one from M&S, head over to Pick n Pull while I'm down there and snag a handful of bolts for the cover, go to my shop and cut the cover down to 3 bolt holes and the timing marks since there's no WAY I'm tearing the front of the engine apart twice in one day, and I put the piece of cover on and set the timing 5 btdc. I take it back for the third time, and by now we're starting to get to know each other. It's 6 o'clock. We chat it up for a while, they test it for 30 minutes, get the print out and start walking back to me with this smirk and shaking their head. I knew that look and just looked at the ground and started laughing. A day's worth of work to have it fail. Good news...I get 1 free retest!!

Oh...and the CEL bulb's out. I get to replace that, too. It just gets better and better.

Funny thing, though, it runs better now than ANY vehicle I've ever owned or driven...that's a lot of vehicles. But it won't pass smog. Ain't that about a biotch.

Check for CEL's. Then hook up a logger and check your fuel trims. No cels, fuel trims at 100 (or 0 if your 2g), and a hot cat & o2 sensor should = pass. Any of those not in spec will = fail.