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Had an interesting experience getting my 1995 9000 CSE smogged this week. Took it in on last Tuesday 8/16 (Test Only smog check site) and it passed everything but the NO at 25 mph. They sent me to someone else they work with to determine the reason. This guy checked it initially with what he said was the same equipment the first one used. It passed! I went back to the Test Only site, and it failed a second time. The Test Only guy said the other guy had not checked the 25 mph test at the proper rpm, and was in 3rd gear, when he should have been in 2nd (they conversed by phone to determine this). I was in a state of shock, with from what they said, the possibility of a cat converter replacement, or at least an O2 sensor, on a car that looks like new that I have cared for since buying it new from Burlingame Saab, who have serviced it. And it has always passed the smog check.
My wife downloaded some info from the California BAR people, and it mentioned possible causes of NO failure, including combustion chamber fouling, and low coolant level. I decided to give a try to a gut feeling we both started having. I have been using Premium Union 76 for some time, as I use it on my Norton and Kawasaki bikes. When I got the Saab originally I used Chevron, and usually the mid grade Regular plus, and guess I changed because of getting 76 more often for the bikes, and after moving to San Mateo, we are only a couple of blocks from a Union station, so started filling with Premium 76. Anyway, today I added just a bit of water to bring up the coolant level to mid point when cold, nearly emptied the tank of the Premium 76, and refilled with Chevron Regular plus.
Another thing I started thinking about, is that I work at Sears San Mateo 3 days a week, only 1.5 miles from home. The car quite often sits for most of the other 4 days, except for an occasional local errand, maybe sometimes a bit further, but no trips of note for some time. So after filling up with the Chevron, having a great lunch at Barbara’s Fish Trap in Princeton, my wife and I took a drive up Hwy 1 to 280, down 280 to Page Mill in Palo Alto, and back to the Test Only site.
The car passed easily, and as the Test Only guy said (this is the one we went to originally), it was “incredible”. He said I should always bring my wife along for the test, and I agree! The difference between the NO test at 25 mph was astounding. The first time it was tested, it was above 900, the 2nd time above 800, and today it was below 100. The other tests varied slightly from the earlier ones, but were all well within the limits.
I was dreading the possibility of having a “state approved” service place working on my car to repair or replace equipment I felt they might not be fully versed in (i.e. Saab specific items), and am glad I obeyed my instinct (and my wife’s) to try something on our own to avoid this. All’s well that ends well!
posted by 69.110.6...
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