Emissions

[mao2192]

I have a 1988 vette with around 100000 miles. I just moved to Virginia and need to get a pesky emissions[:((] test done. I am curious if there is someplace that is "good" that i can be refered to where I can be tested...

thanks

[janderson]

Welcome to the area and welcome to the board!

Number one - find a place with in ground rollers! You want to look around and find one of these places.

Lots of gas stations have the rollers above ground, you want to avoid them. There are a few that have them in the ground so your car is level and not at an angle.

If you tell us where you are located we can probably point you to where we go.

If your 88 is anything like mine make sure it has a recent tune up, make sure the water is up to temp before you let them put it on the rollers. Once its on the rollers sit back and sweat it out. If its running well it will pass just fine. 3 years ago mine barely passed, I gave it a tune up 2 years ago, it had to go through last year and passed by a good margin.

[mao2192]

Thanks for the welcome... I'm in Manassas and work in the Fairfax area.

Thanks for the suggestions about the type of rollers and getting the car hot (i've never had to do this before, I always "knew somebody" who could hook me up).

As for the car... i'd say it runs alright, just did the plugs, wires, cap+rotor, cleaned the air filter and some other stuff to keep her maintained. The problem comes when I start her up. There is a puff of smoke. Sometimes it doesn't want to start on the first shot. Injectors are only about a year and a half old. I havent touched the cold start injector and i dont have a fuel pressure gauge to check the fuel pressure, know where i can get a gauge cheap?. It was acting up like this for a while last summer and into the fall. I did some adjusting of the tps and idle and it (i think cooincidentally) went away. I stored it in Florida at a relative's place and he drove it and it was fine. The main reason i adjusted that stuff was because it felt a little hesitant or jerky at times. I've had it throw the MAF code (22 i believe) and was barely able to get it off the road (limp home mode). It's been about 3 months since i have seen that. So, sometimes she is nice to me, sometimes she is ok to me, and rarely she is mean to me...

(oh, and i dont know how old my cat. is... but if this doesn't go well I'll probably have to replace it)

thanks for the info. I would like to make it run like it did 5 years ago when i first got it. It's a driver, but still my baby.

[janderson]

OK, Your not too far from me. Here is where I take mine, not to sure of the name but you can't miss it.

Take rte 28 north out of manassas to rte 29 east.
After you pass the Pickwick shopping center get in the left lane.
You will see a gas station and the JiffyLube on the left. Turn in there and go between the Jiffy Lube and gas station and you will see the line to get in for inspection. I think its "Lees Automotive", but I'm not sure. The older balding fella is the main inspection mechanic. He's kind of a hard butt, he does know his stuff and knows how to set and release a C4 hand brake (there are not too many non-vette mechanics that know that).

Mine's a driver as well, I had some surging and minor cold start problems before I took my throttle body off and cleaned it. You'd be amazed at how dirty that thing gets.

[LilRedCorvette]

Take rte 28 north out of manassas to rte 29 east.
After you pass the Pickwick shopping center get in the left lane.
You will see a gas station and the JiffyLube on the left. Turn in there and go between the Jiffy Lube and gas station and you will see the line to get in for inspection. I think its "Lees Automotive", but I'm not sure.

This is close to my house! It is on Route 29 North (going toward Fairfax) across from this really dumpy looking antique store. Can't miss it.