My 1986 Volvo 240 is due for a smog check in California, and I'm wondering if an intermittent fuel-delivery problem (at least that's what I think it is) I've been experiencing will adversely affect the car's performance on the smog test.


Symptoms: the car will hesitate or surge momentarily, usually after getting on the freeway. This happens usually two or three times during an average errand run of 20 miles or so. It's been going on for almost a year and is not getting any worse. My guess is that there's a small leak in the hose coming out of the in-tank fuel pump. But I've not done a thorough diagnosis. My guess is based on what someone else with the same problem determined by inspecting the pump assembly, which was then replaced with an entire new kit.


I'm wondering whether this problem might cause smog-test failure? I really have no idea.

 

It shouldn't... But you never know with these things.

That "diagnosis" you talk about, easy to confirm: If it happens with a half or less full tank, it may have some basis, is not, no! (Probably not...)