Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
RV Trip Planning Discussions

Go Back   iRV2 Forums > MOTORHOME FORUMS > Class A Motorhome Discussions
Click Here to Login
Join iRV2 Today

Mission Statement: Supporting thoughtful exchange of knowledge, values and experience among RV enthusiasts.
Reply
  This discussion is proudly sponsored by:
Please support our sponsors and let them know you heard about their products on iRV2
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 07-27-2021, 01:15 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
RVforTwo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 101
Smog Checks in California.

I'm getting ready to have my 1990 MH with a carbed 454 Chevy run through a CA smog check. The engine has 26,000 mi on it and runs really sweet. How often do the plugs, wires, cap, and rotor need to be replaced when doing a tune-up? Any other ideas that'll help me pass the emmisions checking?
RVforTwo is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Old 07-27-2021, 01:58 PM   #2
"Formerly Diplomat Don"
 
Dutch Star Don's Avatar
 
Newmar Owners Club
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Moorpark, Ca.
Posts: 23,922
Get it HOT with some freeway driving. They do better with a well warmed up engine.
__________________
Don & Mary
2019 Newmar Dutch Star 4018 (Freightliner)
2019 Ford Raptor
Dutch Star Don is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-27-2021, 02:02 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
Ljwt330's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: Capistrano Beach, California
Posts: 4,465
Quote:
Originally Posted by RVforTwo View Post
I'm getting ready to have my 1990 MH with a carbed 454 Chevy run through a CA smog check. The engine has 26,000 mi on it and runs really sweet. How often do the plugs, wires, cap, and rotor need to be replaced when doing a tune-up? Any other ideas that'll help me pass the emmisions checking?
When in doubt, change it out. Cost of new plugs, wires, cap and rotor is minimal.


x2 on heating it up with freeway driving. However, be sure the testing station will check your vehicle within a reasonable time when you arrive. Leaving it at a station/dealer usually means it will sit, maybe of hours, until they test, wasting the heat up procedure.
__________________
Larry, Eileen, and Finley
2004 Alpine 36FDDS
Third motor home, first Alpine, no need for another.
Ljwt330 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-27-2021, 02:22 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Arizona
Posts: 1,134
Make sure it is good and warmed up. The only issue we ever had was with the Gas Cap Seal being warn out.
__________________
2016 Fleetwood Bounder 33C. Towing 2017 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited.
Elwood58 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-27-2021, 02:42 PM   #5
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Los Angeles area
Posts: 1,408
Quote:
Originally Posted by RVforTwo View Post
I'm getting ready to have my 1990 MH with a carbed 454 Chevy run through a CA smog check. The engine has 26,000 mi on it and runs really sweet. How often do the plugs, wires, cap, and rotor need to be replaced when doing a tune-up? Any other ideas that'll help me pass the emmisions checking?
Get it good and middle-of-the-temp-gauge hot. I have an oversize radiator and had to block off part of the radiator with a piece of corrugated cardboard to force it to get into the center of the temp gauge. Make an appointment with the smog station and don't let it be shut off... I had my wife go in and check in, and stayed with the beast until I pulled it into the actual testing stall. I then pulled the cardboard off.

I failed by small percentage the first time. The tech told me to go over to the auto parts store (O'Reillys or Autozone) and buy a jug of a product called "Guaranteed To Pass" made by CRC corporation. You add it based on how much gas is in the tank... fortunately I only had a partial tank and dumping the entire jug in was just right. Over the next week I ran it down to almost empty and the following saturday I passed by a similar small percentage.

I'm NOT saying that you should use that product.
I AM suggesting to use a place that does a free retest.

https: // www.amazon.com/CRC-05063-Guaranteed-Emissions-Formula/dp/B000CIPUR8

Mike
__________________
Semi-retired technogeek...electronics / computer / 2-way / ham radio... WA6ILQ (45+years)
1985 Fleetwood 32' Southwind (Chev P30/454/TH400), dubbed "Lazarus" by friends... I resurrected it from the dead...
AnotherMike is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-27-2021, 03:09 PM   #6
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: Ohio
Posts: 2,353
You can run down to any good repair shop.. ask them to put a sniffer in exhaust and check.. then you will know.. but really the only reason we have emmision checks and all that junk on rv is because people just don't take care of vehicles.. it's your duty to keep vehicles in top tune. It will last and pollute less.. my opinion change anything you don't have records for.. plug and wires burn out often.. so something that should be checked yearly.. and make sure you have a clean, new air filter on it.. I like to run some premium gas through to help clean carb and I found premium will help you pass.. good luck and let us know what you did and maybe better members then me.. let us know what all they check.. I would like to know.. do they look under hatch ? How do they look for cats? Mirrors ? Do the techs.. look well paid..? ie.. newer CARS in employees parking area? In ohio they were paid min. Wage.. and they knew very little about vehicles.. they just follow a computer program.. they were not even employees of state.. the state out sourced whole program to other private firm.. that firm out sourced employees again.. so no one really cared..just get people in and out.. Ohio found that 98% of all vehicles tested pass.. if they bring back.. I hope they make test free if you pass.. and only charge if you don't pass.. California voters need to pass a law.. that emission test is free if you pass and only charge those who don't pass.. period.. all my vehicles had cats removed , no egr, and well tuned.. heavy duty cooling.. they all passed.. well with in limits..
__________________
2000 southwind storm, workhorse custom chassis with 7.4l vortec
donr103 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-27-2021, 04:56 PM   #7
Senior Member
 
puttin's Avatar
 
Winnebago Owners Club
Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,529
Quote:
Originally Posted by donr103 View Post
You can run down to any good repair shop.. ask them to put a sniffer in exhaust and check.. then you will know.. but really the only reason we have emmision checks and all that junk on rv is because people just don't take care of vehicles.. it's your duty to keep vehicles in top tune. It will last and pollute less.. my opinion change anything you don't have records for.. plug and wires burn out often.. so something that should be checked yearly.. and make sure you have a clean, new air filter on it.. I like to run some premium gas through to help clean carb and I found premium will help you pass.. good luck and let us know what you did and maybe better members then me.. let us know what all they check.. I would like to know.. do they look under hatch ? How do they look for cats? Mirrors ? Do the techs.. look well paid..? ie.. newer CARS in employees parking area? In ohio they were paid min. Wage.. and they knew very little about vehicles.. they just follow a computer program.. they were not even employees of state.. the state out sourced whole program to other private firm.. that firm out sourced employees again.. so no one really cared..just get people in and out.. Ohio found that 98% of all vehicles tested pass.. if they bring back.. I hope they make test free if you pass.. and only charge if you don't pass.. California voters need to pass a law.. that emission test is free if you pass and only charge those who don't pass.. period.. all my vehicles had cats removed , no egr, and well tuned.. heavy duty cooling.. they all passed.. well with in limits..

Testing prices go up by about 40% every year and Ca. requires testing of rv's every 2 years. Ripoff. In addition, places are are to find. Some do not do rv's of any kind. They're not the same places that do cars. Over the years I've probably spent $900.00 on smog checks...ordinarily if you spend that much you'd like to see something out of it. I don't mind paying for gas...at least it gets me somewhere nice to stay.
__________________
2008 Winnebago Sightseer 35-J
puttin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-27-2021, 05:15 PM   #8
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2020
Location: Ohio
Posts: 2,353
I will be happy to pay... if i fail test.. yes i want my stuff to be running right.. I cannot stand to have an oil burner... if I see smoke coming out exhaust.. I fix.. even if I have to pull eng.. I hate rough running eng... and all oil gets recycled.. so just charge me if it does not pass.. and for retest... ohio .. at first start of testing emission... found out 33% vehicles was less than 1 yrs old and 66% less than 5yrs all still in emission warranty.. Ohio finally wised up and started not testing or every 3yrs testing on new vehicles.. but funny thing is.. I see vehicles smoking so bad.. there was no way it could have past.. I mean you can see it.. gas vehicles not diesel.. gas school busses.. smoking so bad you can see and taste it... they say that 1 bad car can smoke bad enough that the clean air monitor can pick it up... so make them pay.. cars so old and smashed in every where you wonder did they miss hitting every thing.. and blue smoke looks like 2 stroke .. and ohio does not do motorcycle.. i am not for it.. but some smoke so bad.. 4 strokes.. you would think 2 stroke but no..
__________________
2000 southwind storm, workhorse custom chassis with 7.4l vortec
donr103 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-27-2021, 10:51 PM   #9
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 105
Change your MH addess to a random one in a change of ownership county. Then no smog check. Or put it in another state. Or pay $200 for an illegal smog. This is all if it won’t pass..
Ebwhite is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-28-2021, 03:54 AM   #10
Registered User
 
Join Date: Apr 2020
Posts: 1,603
Register the vehicle in Florida. There are no inspections there. Also there is no smog.
move on is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-28-2021, 10:28 AM   #11
Senior Member
 
RVforTwo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 101
Someone on another page mentioned adding alcohol to the gas as a means to help lower emissions like they do at the pump. Will adding alcohol by 10% of my gas screw up my carb/fuel pump/fuel lines in a 1989 engine?
RVforTwo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-28-2021, 10:37 AM   #12
Senior Member
 
hattitude's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2019
Posts: 570
Do you have a specific problem/issue you are trying to overcome...??

FWIW... it's not usually the fastest, cheapest, or most convenient solution... but most vehicles, if the engine and its systems are in good repair and have had proper maintenance, will pass a smog test..

If you plan to keep the RV, it is usually cheaper in the long run to have it brought up to spec if it's lacking. Then you will pass future smog tests as long as you keep up on maintenance.
__________________
2014 Newmar Canyon Star 3920
hattitude is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-28-2021, 11:12 AM   #13
Senior Member
 
puttin's Avatar
 
Winnebago Owners Club
Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,529
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ebwhite View Post
Change your MH addess to a random one in a change of ownership county. Then no smog check. Or put it in another state. Or pay $200 for an illegal smog. This is all if it won’t pass..



I hesitate to do the change of address- I think it might have other consequences. Cheating smog in the old days was common but you can't now. The smog check reports back to Sacramento instantly and the testing parameters can't be changed. Thanks for the thoughts though...and ours always passes- in fact well inside the limits.
__________________
2008 Winnebago Sightseer 35-J
puttin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-28-2021, 12:50 PM   #14
Senior Member
 
F4Gary's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Grapevine, Tx
Posts: 5,625
Quote:
Originally Posted by RVforTwo View Post
Someone on another page mentioned adding alcohol to the gas as a means to help lower emissions like they do at the pump. Will adding alcohol by 10% of my gas screw up my carb/fuel pump/fuel lines in a 1989 engine?
You are already running 10% ethanol (E10). I wouldn't add anymore.
Maybe buy a new gas cap at Autozone but don't put it on. If your old one passes, you can return the new one.
That CRC stuff can help.
Getting it hot is a good idea. New air filter, etc.
__________________
2004 Fleetwood Southwind 32VS W20 - SOLD!
ReadyBrute Elite towing a 2017 Ford Edge Sport
F4Gary is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
california



Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
California Owners, Smog issue 747Driver Winnebago Industries Owner's Forum 10 10-22-2016 06:26 AM
Is this MH California smog compliant? Kenneth Neal MH-General Discussions & Problems 7 04-01-2014 06:27 PM
Smog Check Southern California Jeff H National RV Owner's Forum 2 08-18-2012 02:39 PM
California smog check banks power system? sCarycary Class A Motorhome Discussions 16 11-15-2010 08:52 PM
California Smog Testing ADSNOVA MH-General Discussions & Problems 2 08-25-2010 10:31 PM

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:15 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.