1st Gen Gross Polluters?

[L.A.X]

Ive talk to many people out here in California and it seems owners of 1st gen Explorers need to go above and beyond in order to pass a smog test in California. Ive smogged many cars in my lifetime and it seems that every time my ex has to get smogged, I have to do a complete tune-up and hop on one leg just to get it to pass. But neighbors, friends and family take their old toyotas, nissans, hondas etc without tuning up and their cars pass with flying colors. So my question is.....are the 1st gen gross polluters? It seems like California wants all 1st gens crushed or is it just me. Ive heard that there is a list of cars that get "special attention" when it comes to smog. Wonder if our beloved Ex is on that list

 

[FR-425]

Arizona is just as strict as California currently.

I have had no issues passing.

The most common fails are the simple stuff,... bad gas cap, missing or altered vacuum lines, and Vapor recovery system leaks, etc.

Best way to save some headaches is to "borrow" a fuel cap/fuel system pressure tester from your auto parts store (some will rent it to you) and do the test yourself.

If the truck runs well and you have no Check engine light It should pass.

If your CEL is on you will need to address those issues.

The test is only $20 in AZ so it's a pretty cheap diagnostic.

The results can be useful for sorting out the problem.

For example.. if it fails because the oxides of nitrogen are high and you have no CEL this means the catalytic converters are shot.

 

[FR-425]

I believe any car over 15 years old is on the "special attention" list.

 

[colintrax]

The 4.0 ohv is a pretty antiquated engine. It's not exactly efficient so I'm sure it pollutes a little more than most

 

[L.A.X]

Just received notice that I need to go to a Star station. BS

 

[Jason94sport]

Move..... Or buy a newer vehicle......
I know many in NYC that have no issues.

 

[L.A.X]

I'm just gonna replace everything and hope for the best.

 

[Jason94sport]

Try to find a 94. Emissions are much better on that.

 

[4x4junkie]

I dunno... my '94 Ranger 4.0L was for a long time right at the very edge of passing for HC. It never has failed, though the last time I went in I ran a bottle of Techron fuel injector cleaner through it and this time it passed maybe 20% under the limit (hopefully not just a coincidence and the guy's machine was out of calibration).

I would say at minimum run a bottle or two of injector cleaner through a full tank of gas and then do a couple fillups with fresh gas before you go in.
Clean engine oil would probably help too.

Something of interest I discovered is them also effing around with the numbers in the system. They did this to my BII 3 years ago but last year they put the numbers back to what they were except for CO (seems they can just change them at will whenever they want ). Naturally it failed NOX and I had to screw around with it that time to get it to pass when it would've passed normally had they not effed around with the numbers.

 

[zukman]

I have 2 91's and both pass with almost 0 emissions! So much for gross polluters.

 

[RangerX]

Like 4x4junkie, my 93 Ranger with 4.0 was always in the upper range of HCs from year to year. (I kept my paperwork to keep track). I moved out of CA in 2011, but had to smog and register it a month before I left due to timing of the expiring reg.
On that test, I failed for HC, not because my level went up, but because the state lowered the allowable limit!

 

[cgbier]

From my talks with some Ford guys in Germany I learned that the Cologne motors were discontinued in Europe in the early nineties due to issues with smog laws getting stricter by the year. It'd have been to big of an investment to get those engines up to date. L-Jetronic didn't do much there anymore.

The 4 liter was the last survivor in a long range of engines dating back to 1965. the Colognes have long been, besides Peugeot/Citroën Diesel, my favorite engine series. Nearly indestructible.

However, the old 2 liter Taunus and Capri (and all the other non-Ford jalopies) I was driving were grandfathered. As long as the engine tuning (carburetor, ignition timing) was to spec, you didn't have too many issues.

OTOH, the production of a car uses up roughly ⅔ of all resources and pollution that a car produces during an average lifetime of twelve years. That means that driving a 20 year old Explorer is actually active environmental protection. It is environmentally friendlier than buying a new car every couple of years, because the new generation uses 2% less gas - or getting a Prius.

 

[Jason94sport]

but because the state lowered the allowable limit!

That's just wrong....

 

[FR-425]

Did you already fail?

What where the results?

 

[pkn]

OTOH, the production of a car uses up roughly ⅔ of all resources and pollution that a car produces during an average lifetime of twelve years. That means that driving a 20 year old Explorer is actually active environmental protection. It is environmentally friendlier than buying a new car every couple of years, because the new generation uses 2% less gas - or getting a Prius.

 

[L.A.X]

I failed