California: My 1988 240 DL failed smog check and has been with my long-time Volvo mechanic since last March. I've had the car since 1998 and he has been my mechanic the whole time. He has had a hard time finding and then receiving shipped parts, but finally has everything he needs. He says he is very close to having it pass California's strict smog requirements and is just 50 ppm's away, which he says could probably be remedied with some additional small adjustments. I have been staying in due to COVID precautions, but it has been very inconvenient not having my car. I'm about ready to quit. Any words of advice or consolation? Is my beloved car just done?

 

you didn't mention which tests are failing. Car emissions are a balancing act between high HCs (unburnt fuel suggest the mixture is too rich) or high NOs (nitrous oxides are caused by too much heat during combustion - suggesting a too lean mixture). Not sure what he means by small adjustments. Usually there's some component at fault - ie an an intake air leak rotted vacuum line or cracked intake air boot, an exhaust leak, weak spark due to plugs/wires/coils, incorrect fuel pressure (worn pump, fuel filter), issues with various sensors (ie MAF, MAP, ECT etc) that feed the ECU. Maybe he can tell you what parts he feels he needs to replace?

 

Thanks - he didn't say which test is still failing - he only said it is 50 ppm's away, which he said is "almost nothing." Does that suggest the NO emission? I asked him if he thought it needed more parts and he said no.
I think he has replaced a lot of parts. Since I bought the car in 1998, he has gradually pretty much rebuilt it over the years. This is the first time it has been so very difficult to receive parts, which I understand due to the pandemic. Also, California has become much more strict in emissions standards.
In the beginning of this process,I had asked him if it would be better to replace the whole motor, since I want to keep my car, but he said that would be much more expensive.
He said he has a lot of cars that are also waiting for parts, and I have heard this also from people I know. Not a good time to need parts.

 

Has he replaced the catalytic convertor? If it's the original or an older aftermarket one it could be tired, dirty (lessens it's effectiveness) or burned out. Yes, that's a good chunk of change; but a fresh one should be able to easily take care of that 50 PPM that is still needed.. And by the way, the smog requirements for California have not changed; they are still based on that model year with that equipment, etc. What has changed is the ability to cheat the system to get a favorable smog report .