Just became a member of the infamous CA. "gross polluter" club myself which means I now get to be smogged Every year - not just every other. My 85' has a very low mileage 22r and something wasn't right. I normally do a major tune up before the test but given the low miles just did the basics.

Somehow I missed the very minor leak in the Vac advance. It was the housing leaking not a blown diphragm.

Then I noticed that the exhaust temp was low. Felt low , didn't measure it. Cat wasn't catalysing which lowers temps. Big difference after installing the new one. That will lean out the HC-CO reading.

Do the EGR stall test- That'll increase your NO if not working .


I would say a stock Cat might last 20 years . About what I got out of mine. 23 years is pushing it . Expect 1/3 that with an aftermarket Cat

Figured it might be time for a new O2 Sensor so that gets changed too.

So , not passing is costing some extra dough, plus the inconvenience of smog every year.



$155 -Vac advance-Toy

$47- Denso O2 Sensor-

$169- Magnaflow CAT # 39886

+ Cap , rotor, plugs , wires , $ 59 for the test and don't forget our 10% sales Tax . Gotta love California. Got the cleanest air standards in the nation, but some of the dirtiest air. I wonder where it comes from? I figure as clean as our cars run, we have to be sucking air from all the other states and Mexico and cleaning their air too.