William Elliott wrote:
> My suggestion for achieving the same goal without the pain:
> Tell me I have to pass the standards for the year
> the car was built. Then test me however you want:
> stationary or on a treadmill. But don't tell me
> I'm illegal due to equipment!
This is logical for a lot of the emissions equipment,
agreed.
However, generally only tailpipe emissions are
measurable. If you are missing your catalytic convertor
and can still pass smog, then fine, I agree, let the
car pass.
The problem is that a lot of the emissions control
stuff are actually evaporative emissions control. On
the oldest cars, gas vapour is free to escape from
the fuel tank vent, the carb vents, blowby containing
unburnt fuel and oil comes freely out of the crankcase
breather, and so on.
Testing for these is not possible, but I don't think
it's unreasonable to expect this gear to be still
in place. Especially because this gear is generally
very cheap, just hoses and charcoal canisters and
other things that can be scavenged just about anywhere.
--
Trevor Boicey, Ottawa, Canada.
tboicey@brit.ca, http://www.brit.ca/~tboicey/
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