Retarding the timing for smog

[Some guy]

I am trying to pass Ca smog, and i have the 1st gear test passed, but not the higher speed test. The smog guy said that it was leaning out and that it should pass if i retard the timing. I have done a lot to the car so far, but i need a push in the right direction to get this going. He said that the nox was to high?

So far i have replaced the catalytic converter, plugs and wires, adjust the idle down, ( i still have to clean the idle controller).

I want to take it to a mechanic and have them work it out but i don't know anyone in my local area that is familiar with Deloreans.

Thank you.

[elfking]

I am trying to pass Ca smog, and i have the 1st gear test passed, but not the higher speed test. The smog guy said that it was leaning out and that it should pass if i retard the timing. I have done a lot to the car so far, but i need a push in the right direction to get this going. He said that the nox was to high?

So far i have replaced the catalytic converter, plugs and wires, adjust the idle down, ( i still have to clean the idle controller).

I want to take it to a mechanic and have them work it out but i don't know anyone in my local area that is familiar with Deloreans.

Thank you.

What part of CA are you located in?

What made a world of difference for passing smog for me ( Also in CA) is adjusting the mixture with a Dwell meter:

http://dmctalk.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=1378&d=1308718184

You need a multimeter which is able to take such readings and adjust your CO mixture based on what the cars is handing out on the diagnostic plug...

Also you can see a few details of what I kind of went through for making mine dialed in mostly the info needed on page 3...
http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?481-Won-t-run-without-CPR%28WUR%29-and-CSI-plug-swapped/page3

Best of luck and welcome!

[Nicholas R]

What if you just richen the mixture a little? I've never heard good things about adjusting DeLorean timing. Is your vacuum advance hooked up properly? Heck, just disconnecting that would retard the timing at higher rpm's lol.

[DMCMW Dave]

I want to take it to a mechanic and have them work it out but i don't know anyone in my local area that is familiar with Deloreans.

Thank you.

What is local? DMC Cal in Garden Grove (LA) is very good at getting cars to pass smog.

[Some guy]

I have heard good things about them, i just can't find someone who wants to drive from the valley all the way down there before work. I will have to try them next week.

It just seems so point less to smog a 30 year old car.

[DMC5180]

Well Ya, but think about it. Only in CA do cars seem to last for decades and people still drive them regularly. You don't see to many 80's cars still on the road in the Midwest thanks to Road salt attrition. There are exceptions though. I can't tell you the last time a saw a Dodge Omni on the road here. I'm sure you still see them frequently out there.

[Bitsyncmaster]

If you retard the timing won't that give you an incomplete burn of the fuel?

[jawn101]

Well Ya, but think about it. Only in CA do cars seem to last for decades and people still drive them regularly. You don't see to many 80's cars still on the road in the Midwest thanks to Road salt attrition. There are exceptions though. I can't tell you the last time a saw a Dodge Omni on the road here. I'm sure you still see them frequently out there.

You know what's funny? I thought that would be the case too, until I moved here. But in reality the vast, overwhelming majority of cars in our area are late model. Seems that vanity eventually caught up with/overtook the keep-the-clunker mentality. And I'm sure the cash for clunkers program didn't hurt.

Ultimately what you see are a lot of late-model cars that are in generally very good shape and always quite clean except in high pollen season. The older cars worth preserving are amazingly well preserved. And the utter shit like the Dodge Omni is gone here too, simply because it's utter shit :) Just because it *could have* lasted doesn't mean anyone wanted it to! (my family had one of those when I was very young)

[DMC5180]

You know what's funny? And the utter shit like the Dodge Omni is gone here too, simply because it's utter shit :) Just because it *could have* lasted doesn't mean anyone wanted it to! (my family had one of those when I was very young)

I had one too! I was a great winter driver though. ( narrow tires and front wheel drive) really trudged through the snow drifts.