92128 4Runner
New member
My 94 T4R is once again due for it's biennial smog raping. Actually it was due back in December but it failed and I've been putting off taking it back in. I took it back in today and it failed again. Back in 2009 it failed 4 times before passing. And the "pass" was most likely not an honest test. It has a two yr old catalytic converter, a two yr old O2 sensor, and it still keeps failing. Before I took it in today, I drove it for about an hour to get it hot. It did do better than in December, but it still didn't pass. The HCs are high, and the NOx is high. I've been told by those with a good ear that the timing sounds like it's off. But I've also been told that the timing being off wouldn't cause it to fail. I'm sick of messing with this. I hate the smog check racket! The whole thing is a scam. I'm afraid to do anymore repairs because it likely still won't pass. To me, it seems as though every mechanic I talk to really doesn't know EXACTLY what they ar doing when it comes to emissions repair. To me it seems like they're all just guessing at what the problem is. Their first diagnosis is usually the cat converter. Well that's a no-brained right? Why wouldn't they start with that? It's the most expensive repair!! And then they test it again and if it fails again they just move down to the 2nd most expensive repair. It is OBVIOUS to me when a mechanic just doesn't know. They don't hide their blank stares well at all. This is BS. The state needs to hire it's own mechanics, train them properly, and put them to work smog testing and repairing emissions. Take the morons out of it.
