It's SMOG time - Questions about Gas Caps & C/O Mixture & Timing Advance

[Rich]

I tried contacting DMC CA about getting a copy of this waiver letter, but haven't heard back from them yet. Has anybody seen this letter, or have a copy that they can share?

You're referring to a 10 year old post (from Sept. 12, 2012) in this thread:

"By the way the DeLorean has a CA waiver for the fuel system check, DMC CA can fax it to whatever smog place you are at"

A. The old post says there's a waiver for the "fuel system check", which sounds like just part of the full smog test, not a waiver of the entire test. Is a "fuel system check" waiver what you're trying to chase down?

B. To answer the question in your post I've never heard of such a waiver. We've been smogging our D here in the Bay Area for decades. No need for a waiver so far but you never know...

Let us know if DMC CA replies about having any useful backup docs for you to solve whatever your problem might be.

[David T]

You're referring to a 10 year old post (from Sept. 12, 2012) in this thread:

"By the way the DeLorean has a CA waiver for the fuel system check, DMC CA can fax it to whatever smog place you are at"

A. The old post says there's a waiver for the "fuel system check", which sounds like just part of the full smog test, not a waiver of the entire test. Is a "fuel system check" waiver what you're trying to chase down?

B. To answer the question in your post I've never heard of such a waiver. We've been smogging our D here in the Bay Area for decades. No need for a waiver so far but you never know...

Let us know if DMC CA replies about having any useful backup docs for you to solve whatever your problem might be.

I don't know of any waiver or paper than DMC CA could produce that would have any standing in CA unless it is a reprint of something CA granted already. The general rule is that a car MUST pass all of the standards that were in place when the car was manufactured. What CA is doing is making older cars pass newer standards, standards that the cars were never designed to pass. For instance, in 1981-82 nobody was testing the fuel systems for leakage. Lucky for us the Delorean IS equipped with a system to capture emissions from the gas tank so it *could* pass maybe. Depends on the test. It also depends on if your system is still working, for instance the seal on the gas cap is not old, tired and hard allowing some vapors to leak. Or maybe it isn't even hooked up! Here in New Jersey when they were testing the fuel system, they tried to test the gas cap on my car. They could not find an adapter to fit it to the test equipment so they just passed me. Finally they actually exempted me from the test. Now, because I have Historic plates they don't inspect me anymore except to read the speedometer. You need to do some research to see exactly what they are supposed to inspect and what levels you are expected to meet. Or see if you can get Collector or Historic status unless you want to use the car as a daily driver.

[Quinn]

You're referring to a 10 year old post (from Sept. 12, 2012) in this thread:

"By the way the DeLorean has a CA waiver for the fuel system check, DMC CA can fax it to whatever smog place you are at"

A. The old post says there's a waiver for the "fuel system check", which sounds like just part of the full smog test, not a waiver of the entire test. Is a "fuel system check" waiver what you're trying to chase down?

B. To answer the question in your post I've never heard of such a waiver. We've been smogging our D here in the Bay Area for decades. No need for a waiver so far but you never know...

Let us know if DMC CA replies about having any useful backup docs for you to solve whatever your problem might be.

Hi Rich,

I'm not looking for a waiver of the entire test. I'm assuming the "fuel system check" that the original poster is referring to, is the low pressure EVAP test. This is a separate portion of the overall smog test, where they check to see if you have any leaks between your fuel tank and charcoal canister. My car ultimately failed this part of the smog test, after much deliberation by the smog technician whether it had to be done at all, on a Delorean. He checked with 6 other of his associates at other smog stations and half of them said it had to be done, and the other half of them said it didn't. So, he couldn't complete my smog test that Saturday. During the following week, my smog tech contacted BAR for the final verdict. Whoever answered the phone that day, said to do the EVAP test. So, I took my car in the following Saturday and it passed all the tests, except for the EVAP portion.....of course. To make it even more frustrating, the tech looked up the smog history on my individual car, and noted that the EVAP test had only been performed about half of the times. In passing, I mentioned that I had seen a comment posted about possibly waiving the EVAP portion of the test. If I can get him a copy, he said he might be able use it to pass the test on my car.

[Rich]

Hi Rich,

I'm not looking for a waiver of the entire test. I'm assuming the "fuel system check" that the original poster is referring to, is the low pressure EVAP test. .... To make it even more frustrating, the tech looked up the smog history on my individual car, and noted that the EVAP test had only been performed about half of the times. In passing, I mentioned that I had seen a comment posted about possibly waiving the EVAP portion of the test. If I can get him a copy, he said he might be able use it to pass the test on my car.

Hi Quinn,
Sorry to see you're finding tests not being done consistently and, worse, that the techs don't all agree on what tests need to be done.

The EVAP waiver, if you can find it and if it works, is an easy solution.

Another easy solution may be diagnosing and repairing the Evap system, which is very simple and has good parts availability. The repairs you could probably do yourself - not sure what the diagnostics will consist of besides maybe a smoke test to find anything disconnected or missing.

Another option is to take it to a CARB referee. "The mission of the Smog Check Referee Program is to assist qualified California motorists through the smog check process"

It's conceivable the DMC CA waiver, if it exists, came from a CARB referee decision somewhere.

I'm sure you'll find a way.

[Chris 16409]

I?ve never had the EVAP test done in all my years of ownership. I have attached screenshots of the SMOG manual. It says if part of the car has to be disassembled to access the charcoal canister then the test is not applicable. Our canisters are behind the access panel.

B28C3F64-ADBB-41B8-B7FB-FD26B775892D.jpg

066791F3-BC98-4904-A024-1FC3CD8EA725.jpg

The smog techs are not supposed to disassemble any part of the car. Show them the manual.

[Rich]

Nice catch there, Chris. This answer looks equivalent to a "waiver".
You may be qualified to be a CARB referee. At least you know how to find and read the CARB rulebook, something a few of Quinn's knucklehead smog technicians couldn't manage.

The rules explain something I began wondering about:
My last two CA smog test reports both noted the "Fuel Evaporative Controls Functional" test was Not Applicable on our car. Now I see why.

And CA owners now have a reason to be happy the D's charcoal canister is strapped away inside the left pontoon, unseen and untested.

I've filed the two photos you posted in case I ever need to smog our D at a station with a confused technician.
Recommending other CA owners whose Ds are registered in CARB smog-regulated counties do the same.

Please let us know how well this works for you, Quinn.

[Quinn]

Nice catch there, Chris. This answer looks equivalent to a "waiver".
You may be qualified to be a CARB referee. At least you know how to find and read the CARB rulebook, something a few of Quinn's knucklehead smog technicians couldn't manage.

The rules explain something I began wondering about:
My last two CA smog test reports both noted the "Fuel Evaporative Controls Functional" test was Not Applicable on our car. Now I see why.

And CA owners now have a reason to be happy the D's charcoal canister is strapped away inside the left pontoon, unseen and untested.

I've filed the two photos you posted in case I ever need to smog our D at a station with a confused technician.
Recommending other CA owners whose Ds are registered in CARB smog-regulated counties do the same.

Please let us know how well this works for you, Quinn.

My tech already has these very same documents. He called BAR because the document is ambiguous. It's poorly written. If you read it closely, it says that the charcoal canister and the lines must not be accessible. Both conditions must be met, in order to be exempt. The BAR representative told him that the test has to be performed, since vent lines are accessible and can be pinched off, even if the canister can't be accessed.

I'm kind of over it now. I'd rather just get the lines fixed, if I do indeed have a leak somewhere. It's just frustrating that we are being governed by a document that is open to interpretation. If I had taken my car to the other smog shop a couple blocks down the street, we may not even be having this conversation. It's just my luck that I would randomly take it to Dudley Do-right.