[MODERATOR NOTE: The tricks suggested here will not actually repair the damage to your car, and might make it worse. Obviously you'd be better off inthe long run if you actually got the car to run right. - Mike Substelny, DML moderating team.] A couple of old tricks you can try. 1-While engine is running, use a spray bottle and mist water into the intake. You will have to rev the engine to keep it running. The urban legend is that you are steam cleaning the combustion chambers. 2-With only a few gallons of gas in the tank, preferably gas from a high volume station, add a good amount of gasoline drying product, alcohol based. Alcohol will "absorb" any water in the tank. The extra alcohol will alter the tail pipe emissions. I had an old V6 Capri that burned about a quart of oil every 100 miles. This car was ready to die. By juicing the gas tank with lots of Alcohol drying agents the car passed California emission testing with flying colors. Good luck. Try at your own risk. Your exhaust will bring tears to your eyes with all of that alcohol. Also, a bottle of Chevron Techron will do wonders. After you pass the test, run lots of fresh gasoline through the car so that you do not destroy the rubber parts in your gas tank. Your mileage will vary. Scott Mueller 002981 RNDOLA -----Original Message----- From: therealdmcvegas [mailto:DMCVegas@xxxx] Sent: Friday, April 11, 2003 6:31 PM To: dmcnews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [DML] Failed Emissions Inspection. AGAIN!!!!! Once again, I have failed my annual smog test! 935 HCppm @ idle, and 1135 @ 2500 RPMs. Last year, I had to go thru this same fiasco, and performed yet ANOTHER 30K mile servicing. Plugs, wires, cap, rotor, ignition coil, balast resistor, and CO adjustment (plus a new Control Pressure Regulator from DMCH 2 months before). After that, the output was 11 ppm on the hydrocarbons. Now, a year later, I'm right back where I started!!!!! Other than regular oil changes & about 12K more miles on the clock, nothing, I repeat nothing has been done to the engine. So what gives. Yes, I know I need to pull a spark plug to check for fowling, but I am really sick and tired of having to tune the motor annually just to get it to pass. That an a line of incompetent mechanics before me scrwed up, and inserted 3 of the plugs in crooked! This I discovered the first time I did the servicing myself. So the question is what can I do to get my car to pass emissions, and quick? Will a small CO adjustment take care of things?, and what about those gasoline additives that guarantee you to pass emissions testing? I know that there is no such thing as a mechanic in a bottle, but I am indeed curious as to just what in the hell do these chemicals do? I'm not trying to take the cheap way out of things here. It's just that I am exhausted on having to keep shelling out so much money every year. Any help, or at least ideas would be greatly appriciated! -Robert vin 6585 "X"