Total emissions are never part of smog tests in the US.

Thus a legal big engine can put out more total pollutants than a dirty
small engine, and frequently do if I remember correctly reading that
in I think the technical section of Car and Driver.

Mike

On Jun 11, 2011, at 8:21 AM, Don Hanson wrote:

> On Sat, Jun 11, 2011 at 4:57 AM, Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@hotmail.com
> >wrote:
>
>> While emissions tests suck their main purpose is to identify gross
>> polluters and you are definitely there.
>>
>
>
>  Just for curiosity, and without a need for detailed explanation of
> all the
> various numbers, just a general sense of what is......
>
>  Is the total emissions, overall,  ever considered during smog
> testing or
> do they always test for a %?  Is what actually comes out of the
> vehicle and
> enters the atmosphere, the total amount of 'gunk' ever factored into
> it all?
>
>  Does a Vanagon, even one that is unable to pass emission tests,
> actually
> pollute very much, compared to other vehicles that may be certified
> 'acceptable'?   Is a 'dirty' vanagon putting more crap into the air
> than say
> a 'clean' 6.5 liter Jeep Grand Cherokee or a Dodge Ram pickup or
> something?
> Over all?
>
>  When I drive my vanagon, with it's 2.0liter ABA Jetta motor in my
> locality
> that has no emission testing requirements, am I being irresponsible
> more so
> than some one cruising around in an Excursion that has been smogged
> somewhere?  Do 20 Prius-es equal one Hummer when it comes to crap
> put out
> for us all to breathe?
>
>  When someone mentions Vanagons as being "old tech" and "soon likely
> to be
> prohibited (in places like Cali...maybe) because they are such
> polluters"
> is that really the truth?
>
>  At the end of a year, say...if you collected all the smut that
> spewed out
> of a Vanagon's tail pipe and did the same for a Sprinter or a
> Prevost motor
> coach....a bag or a box for each....which box or bag would be bigger?
>  Don Hanson