SBeckner80

Hey all, I'm pretty bummed. My baby, a 94 4Runner (205k miles), didnt pass smog (California, Sacramento County). My mechanic did all he could to help it sneak by, but to no avail. He says I need a valve job (no compression in one of my cylinders), and while I'm at it I should get a ring job.

I understand that for someone who has only done brake jobs and changing out belts, starters, etc, there is no way I could do this myself. Is that correct?

So what now? What should I do with her? How much do you think I could possibly get for her as-is (assuming she's in good shape, mechanically sound besides the smog issue)? I have a nice stereo in her, rock sliders, aftermarket alloys, BF Goodrich All Terrains (80% tread). Do you think I could get anything for it trade-in? Thanks buds!

Scott

skife

move out of california!

serious, in michigan, my 22re needs rings really bad. it burns about a quart a week in oil. i call her "ole smokey" drive it daily.

SBeckner80

hahaha I can't move out of cali, I love it too much!

Seriously tho, anyone have experience trading in cars that are in this condition? Can I get away with not telling them that it won't pass smog?

stormin94

Was it deemed a Gross Polluter? If it was, then your gonna have some problems. If you can, take it to a smaller town, and slip the guy a $20, and tell him, you REALLY need it to pass smog. Worked for me...

SBeckner80

Yea, I'm pretty screwed I think. My car is a "smog-check only station" car, and I'm pretty sure it's been branded as a gross polluter. *cries*

4banginRunner

wow...i really love PA,
got my 4runner passed with no cat and a muffler with a huge hole in it

and my 79 passed with a header, 18" pipe, and a glasspack

SBeckner80

i hate you.

And I'm incredibally jealous! Wanna buy a 94 4runner?

91muddog

i had a 94 4runner in the same condition, one completely dead cylender and it passed smog like a champ.

i would say time to look into engine swaps :]
or sell it, as is new owner smogs.

stormin94

How much?

the_supernerd

If it will not pass smog because of a major engine problem and it has been designated a gross polluter, you are not going to get a lot for it without fixing the engine. If it has low compression, it is not mechanically sound. I see 4Runners similar to yours on Craigslist that need major engine work going for around $1000-$1500. It is always better to sell it yourself than trade it in. If you sell it, start the price high and lower it if no one offers. You will probably make more money by selling the accessories seperately, or just keep them to put on your next vehicle.

I believe that if you try to trade it in, the dealer is going to inspect it and tell you what they will give you for it. They will most likely look and see that it will not smog. If you hang on to it, do not let the registration expire or the fees will build up and it will be worthless. California is rediculous when it comes to overdue fees and the fees get passed on to the new owner.

Red3.slow

Let it warm up to operating temp then drive it as hard as you can on your way to the inspection (up to red line several time) I've heard of that working

TC4RNR

suggesting something clearly illegal on a public forum is just plain stupid, it's not funny. the law is there for a reason, like it or not. by the way, you are the one who rides on toxic fumes everyday, do yourself and family a favor, do it the right way.

get a good mechanic find out the problem is then you can decide keep it or leave it. it doesn't worth the trouble. t'em lawyers can be expensive. i bought my stock 94 with 128k miles for $3500, yours should be less than that. if you end up ditching it, take out all the upgrades, if there is any, get another one.

paxil4x4

Sometimes it's not an issue with the car being smogged, but the competence of the smog tech doing the work in giving the correct diagnosis. Smog techs in Cali are more fallible than medical doctors.

You don't even want to hear about the I had to go through to get my 1985 to pass. it became a musical parts game drawn out over three days and a couple of hundred dollars. In the end it had a bad cat, soon as I saw how many zit?s the wet behind the ears smog tech had I should have taken my truck to an old gray hair.

SEAIRESCUE

Put 30% E85 in the fuel tank. You may pass on that as a last ditch effort to reduce unburned hydrocarbons. At 40% you will get a check engine light and poor performance. CO will go up some but you are likely failing the HC limit.

My $0.02

elripster

Can you post your smog numbers?

While it is possible you need to adjust valves, that the mechanic magically knows you need rings to leads me to believe he doesn't likely understand or know much about these engines specifically.

The most likely culprit is a burned valve or head gasket leak. Which cylinder is low? I would take the truck to an independent Toyota specialist and have it checked out.

I would fix the engine properly and then it will pass smog. You can enjoy many more years of service from your truck. The air in the central valley sucks bad enough so consider not band aiding it but actually fixing it.

Frank

ozziesironmanoffroad

isnt there something about pressurizing the exhaust system with compressed air to pass smog? i heard that somewhere... smog is so stupid though, they emphasize on car pollution and stuff.. when.. down at the airport, those huge airplanes with 4 engines, just ONE taking off omits more pollution into the air than half the cars in the city, if its a modern city and everyone has newer cars and most everyone smogs.

91muddog

I sold my 4runner with the bad cylender, a blown cv and oil leak for $2300. Not to mention how beat up the interior was.

GVOLCRunner

One note.. on the selling side. If you do decide to sell it, be upfront about the smog issue. Even when selling as is used, if you fail to disclouse known knowledge, you can be held accountable under certian lemon laws and you can be fined or other sanctions.. Be up front, honest.. good car.. wont pass smog. Buy as is.

If you lie to get a little more money and you sell it to someone who gets pissed and finds you had a smog test just before and knew it would fail, your committing a crime.

Georgiadave

The vehicle is not worth much with a bad engine. By fixing the engine, you will increase the value by 100% over the cost of the repair. I think you could replace the engine with the skill level you have. It is not rocket science, it just takes some time and patience. Get a long block from Oregon Engines, borrow, rent or buy a hoist and engine stands, and you can do it. At the end of the job, you have a vehicle you can drive for another 200K. Thats a winner.

ozziesironmanoffroad

hes got a point there, fix the engine. ive been finding a lot of sites that sell remanned engines, thats probably your best bet. just make sure that they come from japan and not from taiwan or USA or something. a lot of places like to leave old parts in 'remanned' engines, but in japan they almost always use NEW everything. ive even found a couple companies that offered free shipping. or you could always just go south of the border and sell it or go to a county that doesnt smog and sell it. good luck!