Cal smog adds new evap test
 

Smogged my Mustang this morning, and Calif has added a new test to the smog check, evaporative system which bumped the price up $10.

Applies to 1995 and older cars.

Special adapter goes on instead of gas cap and system is pressurized with nitrogen, and at some stage the tech has to find the hose to your evaporative canister and pinch the hose closed with a set of pliers.

My hose wasn't attached, but the tech stuck it back on and reran the test, and I passed. He said failure rate is running about 5%.

In Austin, my buddie's 86 928 failed this test, so they're already doing this in Austin as of about 7 months ago.

Mark

Anybody with that broken Y fitting is sure to fail, same for all of us with bad vent hoses at the top of the tank, or even leaky sender seals.

Considerably more flashlight time by the tech under the hood. Maybe it was all the evaporative test, but I suspect with that much time down in the innards previously unnoticed things are going to get noticed. They didn't say anything about my Y pipe and 2 cats vs factory 4, so thats a good sign.

CA Smog Nazis have a 928 fuel filler adapter?

Yes, it screws on in place of the factory gas cap and has a typical air tool fitting, pressurized with nitrogen from a tank.

I wonder how many 928 tanks will develop cracks after being subject to the overpressure.

The test is called the LPFET, Low Pressure Fuel Evaporative Test. I found this document, and snooped a bit, and the pressure sounds fairly safe. Some vehicles appear to be exempted.

28" of water is 1 psi.

My concern is that looking around for the hose to pinch other things may get noticed.

Here are links and an excerpt.

http://smogcheck.ca.gov/stdPage.asp?Body=/consumer/lpfet.htm

http://smogcheck.ca.gov/ftp/pdfdocs/LPFETSpecification2007-08-13.pdf

If at anytime the tester is connected to the vehicle’s tank and the fuel tank pressure
exceeds 28” H2O gauge, as measured by the tester, the tester shall immediately
disable the air or nitrogen inlet valve and vent to prevent exceeding 28” H2O gauge.
The software shall prevent the tester from performing either a Fuel Evaporative
Test or Manual Mode pressurization of the fuel tank until the problem has been
corrected. During certification testing, BAR shall confirm the tester has a functional
overpressure mechanism capable of repeatedly relieving tank pressures exceeding
28” H2O.
3.1.3.3. The tester shall have a mechanical “fail safe” vent valve that vents the fuel tank
when the pressure is greater than 83” H2O gauge. This valve shall reset
automatically.

They made a cap JUST for the 928? It doesnt fit any other car ever made.

LOL...

I wasn't in for smog on a 928, just the old Mustang. The 928 wasn't on the list of known cars the test has problems with., but I didn't know the cap was special on the 928, maybe it will be exempt?

Somebody will know soon enough.