#4 go early
#5 bring coffee

Bob

----- Original Message -----
From: "gary hradek" <hradek@YAHOO.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, February 18, 2006 3:56 PM
Subject: [Norton AntiSpam] common sense items for passing smog

>I am in california and my vanagon pops the "test only"
> station meter for smog inspections.   The exact class
> is the "high emitter profile".   Since they are not
> talking about radio waves it is doubtful that aluminum
> foil will be of any benifit.
>   Two years ago I just barely passed (high nox)and
> this was after changing the oil, air filter,
> sparkplugs cap and rotor.  There is one major
> advantage to being sent to a "test only" station early
> in the year.   "high emitter profile" vehicle owners
> may apply for assistance for smog related repairs.
> There is a 500 dollar limit and a 100 dollar or 20
> dollar deductable depending on your income level.
> The repairs must be made at a gold shield shop after
> approval by the state of california and funds must be
> available.
>   Today was an unusually cold day in the bay area of
> SF.  There is snow on the mountains and talk of flakes
> in the city.   By flakes I mean the white kind that
> fall from the sky.  A perfect day for smoggin the
> vanagon.   I had done all the usual work.   The old
> copper bosch plugs from BD were replaced with new ones
> and did show wear(increased gap) from 2 years of use.
> The 2 year old rotor was just as hard to get off as
> the previous one so this time I added bulb grease so
> that perhaps in two years I will not have to chip this
> one off.
>  I picked a "test only" station next to a "gold seal"
> station.  There were many vehicles at the gold seal
> station but no vanagons.   I imagined my vanagon
> sitting in the row of cars behind the gold seal
> station, perhaps getting a new o2 sensor or cat.
> Maybe even getting some money back from the state?
> The test only station had three bays and was open on
> two sides with two huge doors.   The smog station I
> used two years ago was much more enclosed.
>   I passed with much better numbers.
> Three items I would add to help pass smog.
> 1)Pick a cold day to do the smog test.
> 2)Pick a shop that is well open and ventilated.
> 3)Pick a shop where the owner is the one doing the
> testing.
>                   good to go for another two years,
>                         gary
>
>
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