Brickers:

I bought this 89 240 wagon in amazing shape and have it as a second car for when I am in Boston MA for school. I changed the alternator and belts and drove it 1300 miles from GA to MA, no problems. It is required to pass MA smog test for out of area waiver so I can keep the plates current for GA, where it is much cheaper to insure, and my permanent residence. I am needing to get the smog test this week, and was wondering if anyone had some advice for insurance that it will pass. BTW, id did pass the GA smog test 4 months ago, but barely; however the engine was kinda cold and on regular gas. Should I top it off with premium and run the car for 30-45 minutes b4 the test? Any advice will help. I'm not gravely worried, but would rather pass the first time. One thing also, that warm air return hose to the airbox is kinda tattered and not connected flush. The test is the tailpipe test. Thanx.

~Dan
89 240 DL
03 A4 1.8t

Hi, Dan.
Sorry to hear about your problems? But I'm curious, how did you end up having to have your car tested, being that it is registered in GA?
My daughter has been attending college and grad school in Cambridge for (now) six years, and her car has NJ plates (but she maintains her NJ residency). No one has told her about this requirement? What happened to you?
Just curious about how this happened. Thanks.

I live permanently in GA, and work mostly in GA, therefore the car is insured and tagged as a GA auto, and registered with the commonwealth of Mass. as a non-resident student vehicle. My insurance agent does not know that the volvo lives in MA, as I commute to MA on a plane from Atlanta when I go up there. I do get the multicar discount having both policies w/same State Farm guy. GA requires annual emissions test on all vehicles older than the 3 latest model years (OBD on 1996 and newer), and the volvo stays on campus as my college car, so at this point I can apply for out-of-area emissions waiver to maintain GA registration (out-of-state students/military) rather than drive it back to GA for an emissions test. I'll only be in Grad school one more year, so if it passes MA, then GA DMV will waive the GA certified smog test with MA pass documentation. I also have to show them proof of student status like an ID and tuition or grades. It only costs me $10/month to insure it as a GA car with minimum liability required by both GA and MA, so it has been safe, cheap reliable basic transportation.

re: "...the volvo stays on campus ... apply for out-of-area emissions waiver to maintain GA registration (out-of-state students/military) rather than drive it back to GA for an emissions test...."

Oh, so in effect, you're testing your car using MA facilities as a convenience (to avoid having to bring the car to GA) in order to comply with GA's emission testing requirements. So MA isn't forcing you to take the test -- but rather, you're doing this to keep your GA registration up-to-date.

That explains this. Thanks.
And best of luck on the testing.
Happy New Year.

But NJ has smog testing already, while GA might not. Maybe cops
check for a smog sticker on the windshield and ticket you if you
don't have one?

PS- I was in Bahsten this weekend, and the potholes on some of the
roads there made me feel like my car would fall apart :(

-b.

Interesting indeed! Yes our roads here are down right horrific...I live in the North End and with all the "Big Dig" mess, at times I regret having Bilsteins and all the bracing...afraid my whole exhaust is going to snap off the brick!!
--
'92 244GL silver-metallic, 152k, Enem V15 cam, Bilstein HDs, IPD sways, upper+lower and Cherry-Turbo strut braces, 240 OEM rear wing, 15' Dracos, SS lines, E-codes w/side repeaters, Euro cowl covers paint-matched, Magnaflow 2.5' SS exhaust, Unitek header

Never heard of a "smog" sticker -- sounds like a California creation :-).
We do have just a simple state inspection sticker (signifying safety -- e.g., brakes, tires, windshield wipers, etc. -- as well as emissions testing), though.

But it seems to me that states can't force out-of-state registered vehicles to comply with their different standards -- "reciprocity" and all that! They could force him to register his vehicle if they can prove that the car spends the majority of the year in MA, but that's another matter that doesn't seem to be the case here.

Never heard of a "smog" sticker -- sounds like a California creation
:-).

PA has separate stickers for safety and emissions inspections because
the whole state required safety inspections, but only certain towns
and counties require emissions testing.

-b.

Dan:
One trick to make the preheat hose look a little better: if it is torn in places you can patch it by using the little tomato paste cans (you know the kind that you can get for 2 or 3 for a dollar). Cut the tops and bottoms off the cans and they shove right in the ends of the pipe. So you can join the pipes up, at least for the inspection! I have used radiator clamps to hold the ends together.

Hope this helps!

Mike

--
Mike Brown Greenville, NC 1996 965 113K 1994 940 135K 1986 244 137K

If it is a no-load idle and fast idle test, I'd suggest:
Car good and warm.
No vacuum leaks (hoses, intake manifold, or injector 0-rings)
Fairly fresh, good quality spark plugs (Denso, Bosch)
Some will strongly advise fresh oil change, I'm skeptical of that one.

If they will be looking under the hood, do what you can to make that hot air tube look as good as possible.

If they have a road-test simulator to test under load, then premium fuel will be worth the extra two bucks for that fillup.

Also, a bottle of fuel injector cleaner can't do any harm and might help a little. I prefer Techron.

My 84 would pass the no load test with no problem, year after year. Failed the first NJ load test for high NOx. All my vacuum hoses were fine as I had a failed AMM a year prior. Anyhow, I opted to change the cat as it was original. What was amazing was there was no catalyst left inside! I installed a cheap aftermarket cat & the car just barely passed by 2 point of the max limit. But a pass is a pass which is good for two years. I took it through early this year & it passed with several hundred points below the max. I did two things. I had been using premium fuel for the last year after reading about it in Popular Mechanics for lowering NOx. I also took it in on a rainy day.

Good luck.