CA SMOG failed Again -rant - considering salvage
Hello Jeepers, long story here….
My Jeep has failed the SMOG for the 3rd straight year; it has failed smog since 2008. 2008 failed(174K miles), spent $1265, don’t ask me what happned there, the smog repair center kept replacing one component after the other (O2, EGR, CAT) and test(and charge me)….I took them to BBB and “nothing happed”( no, quilt literally nothing happened). Well, 2010 failed again (186K miles), a little tinkering with the idle screws and it passed.
Fast forward to 2012, it failed again:facepalm:, this time HC and CO was high. The shop that told me that was going to adjust carb ended up “tuning” and changing O2 sensor. Retest, HC and CO passed, but the NOx failed this time around which was fine before ( measured 12xx when max allowed is 600 something, I can give the exact number as soon as I get home)….there goes another $200 some odd again. Unlike last few years, this time, I have a wife and a new born, so fixing this is no longer a priority at home, especially since this Jeep keeps needing repairs all the time( seriously, there is always something that it needs every month) . My wife has asked to just get rid of it (plain and simple- we cannot sell it in CA as it is NOT SMOG legal anymore).
For the first time I have to agree with her. I cannot spend any more money on this Jeep. It just does not cut it.
I agree that it has 195K miles but here is a brief history. Bought is 2007 with rebuilt engine at 167K miles(engine still runs and sounds fantastic), over last few years, I have changed, starter, alternator, carb, water pump, belts, cat( twice), entire brakes system, radiator, clutch, interior including carpets, seats, I painted the entire Jeep, got hardtop, full doors, off road tires, u-joints etc. The list is endless.
I also agree this Jeep is in its twilight but what bothers me the most is that the engine sounds and run great (no kidding). I have always taken care of it properly and never abused it.
In a nut shell, the issue lies within the carb, it is and has always been the carb. I just know that…It runs fine is SFO bay area(almost sea level) and when I haul it to Tahoe( 6K feet and up), it totally acts up. Again, take a screw driver and tinker with the two screws on the carb and all is well for some time. Come home, it runs rich…back to screwdriver again.
There is one mechanic that I trust (and don’t at the same time) but usually take his advice. I have asked him if there is any way to tell when the carb is set correctly (atleast to pass the smog). He says, bring to the shop and he will “try to fix” the carb and tell what needs to be done. A total of 2 hours at $120 something an hour! Well, that is the whole point; I cannot spend another 200 something just to listen to the same old story that I need to take it to the smog repair center to “legally” replace this and that.
When the Jeep came back from the SMOG repair center in 2008 the idle was pretty high, I say about 850-900 something( normal should be 730 max). I have a feeling that all the things they replaced were just a scam (atleast half of it)…all it needed was a good card adjustment and a quick tune up.
Now, I’m done with all the whining and rant. Sorry to put you guys to through this but I cannot count on any local mechanic that I can trust or pay extended services. I cannot even pay up the Non OP and keep the Jeep as I live in an apartment complex (no unregistered or expired sticker on the lot).
The only question I have now is: how to adjust the carb and know that is upto factory spec? Why my carb does have two adjustments that seem to do the same thing? (Note: Ignoring the one that is towards the passenger side, it is the cold start idle). Of the left most two screws that seems to control the running idle and traffic stop idle (or whatever they call it), both seems to push the same unit on the carb, well, at different points. If it is Air versus Gas, can someone tell me which of these two screws controls the Gas, (high NOx means low Gas- running lean, right?)
One other option that I got was to replace the carb with EFI but that’s $1800 for just the part....
Let me know guys...opcorn:opcorn:opcorn:
I find it unholy to salvage a Jeep- period, but with the blessing of YJ owners…
Some pictures of my Jeep to keep you guys entertained:
Hello Jeepers, long story here….
My Jeep has failed the SMOG for the 3rd straight year; it has failed smog since 2008. 2008 failed(174K miles), spent $1265, don’t ask me what happned there, the smog repair center kept replacing one component after the other (O2, EGR, CAT) and test(and charge me)….I took them to BBB and “nothing happed”( no, quilt literally nothing happened). Well, 2010 failed again (186K miles), a little tinkering with the idle screws and it passed.
Fast forward to 2012, it failed again:facepalm:, this time HC and CO was high. The shop that told me that was going to adjust carb ended up “tuning” and changing O2 sensor. Retest, HC and CO passed, but the NOx failed this time around which was fine before ( measured 12xx when max allowed is 600 something, I can give the exact number as soon as I get home)….there goes another $200 some odd again. Unlike last few years, this time, I have a wife and a new born, so fixing this is no longer a priority at home, especially since this Jeep keeps needing repairs all the time( seriously, there is always something that it needs every month) . My wife has asked to just get rid of it (plain and simple- we cannot sell it in CA as it is NOT SMOG legal anymore).
For the first time I have to agree with her. I cannot spend any more money on this Jeep. It just does not cut it.
I agree that it has 195K miles but here is a brief history. Bought is 2007 with rebuilt engine at 167K miles(engine still runs and sounds fantastic), over last few years, I have changed, starter, alternator, carb, water pump, belts, cat( twice), entire brakes system, radiator, clutch, interior including carpets, seats, I painted the entire Jeep, got hardtop, full doors, off road tires, u-joints etc. The list is endless.
I also agree this Jeep is in its twilight but what bothers me the most is that the engine sounds and run great (no kidding). I have always taken care of it properly and never abused it.
In a nut shell, the issue lies within the carb, it is and has always been the carb. I just know that…It runs fine is SFO bay area(almost sea level) and when I haul it to Tahoe( 6K feet and up), it totally acts up. Again, take a screw driver and tinker with the two screws on the carb and all is well for some time. Come home, it runs rich…back to screwdriver again.
There is one mechanic that I trust (and don’t at the same time) but usually take his advice. I have asked him if there is any way to tell when the carb is set correctly (atleast to pass the smog). He says, bring to the shop and he will “try to fix” the carb and tell what needs to be done. A total of 2 hours at $120 something an hour! Well, that is the whole point; I cannot spend another 200 something just to listen to the same old story that I need to take it to the smog repair center to “legally” replace this and that.
When the Jeep came back from the SMOG repair center in 2008 the idle was pretty high, I say about 850-900 something( normal should be 730 max). I have a feeling that all the things they replaced were just a scam (atleast half of it)…all it needed was a good card adjustment and a quick tune up.
Now, I’m done with all the whining and rant. Sorry to put you guys to through this but I cannot count on any local mechanic that I can trust or pay extended services. I cannot even pay up the Non OP and keep the Jeep as I live in an apartment complex (no unregistered or expired sticker on the lot).
The only question I have now is: how to adjust the carb and know that is upto factory spec? Why my carb does have two adjustments that seem to do the same thing? (Note: Ignoring the one that is towards the passenger side, it is the cold start idle). Of the left most two screws that seems to control the running idle and traffic stop idle (or whatever they call it), both seems to push the same unit on the carb, well, at different points. If it is Air versus Gas, can someone tell me which of these two screws controls the Gas, (high NOx means low Gas- running lean, right?)
One other option that I got was to replace the carb with EFI but that’s $1800 for just the part....
Let me know guys...opcorn:opcorn:opcorn:
I find it unholy to salvage a Jeep- period, but with the blessing of YJ owners…
Some pictures of my Jeep to keep you guys entertained: