My 1992 VX passed smog easily in CA on the tired engine and I didn't do any maintenance to it (preparing to swap it anyway).
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Originally Posted by cems70
All that extra fuel burned over the life of a CA Honda VX non-lean burn versus the 49 state VX lean w/ lean burn....and the 49 state still passes CA smog. So much for the stringent CA emissions!
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The periodic smog check you have to do every other year in CA is very different from the smog test that the manufacturer has to put the car through to allow it to be sold new in CA. The CA smog check (in most counties) for a VX is a two speed loaded dyno test. First at 15mph, and then 25mph. A sensor is inserted into the exhaust stream to draw in a small sample and measure 5 gases, 3 of which are regulated. Any car that meets the federal standards and is in good working order can pass this test and become CA legal.
The CA manufacturers test (for new cars sold for use primarily in CA) by comparison actually collects the ENTIRE exhaust output during the test. A hose is connected to the exhaust pipe and all the exhaust is trapped in a big bag in a storage room. The test consists of a simulated drive through downtown Los Angeles including a cold start, several long idle periods, acceleration, deceleration, cruising at various speeds, and then they actually lock the entire car into a room and measure the amount of emissions that the car itself bleeds off. Yes, even a car that is sitting unused emits pollution! Their main concern here is the fuel cap, the evap, PCV, and the rest of the fuel system.
The federal VX could not pass the CA manufacturer's test. Making the VX CA compliant required significant changes (both in FE and in cost to the manufacturer) warranting a separate version of the car! This is actually quite common even among domestic cars. AFAIK, only the Germans make one version of their cars that meet CA standards for sale in the entire country.
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