My car is a gross polluter. Does anyone know the possible causes and what the repairs might cost?

David S: My car is a gross polluter. Does anyone know the possible causes and what the repairs might cost?
I just bought the car recently from a friend and it won’t pass the smog check. I know in CA, you can’t legally sell a car that won’t pass, but since I bought it from a friend I was planning on just getting it fixed. I just don’t know what I’m looking at costwise or what the probable causes are. Anyone?

Answers and Views:

Answer by Bunjer25
You need a new muffler…that could cost anywhere from $ 5.00 (from a junk yard) to $ 1900.00 (from me). Just let me know if you would like to do business.

Answer by Tom-SJ
Lots of possible causes:
– missing or damaged catalytic converter
– defective oxygen sensor
– ignition is not properly timed
– one or more spark plugs is not firing
– one or more fuel injectors is defective
– fuel mixture is too rich
– excessive oil leaks in cylinder head or piston rings
– coolant & engine block not reaching proper temperature

If your car is mid-1990’s or newer, there should be an OBD-I or -II (On Board Diagnostics) connector that a techician can read the scan codes for further diagnosis.

Also, check with the Calif DMV – for a gross polluter vehicle, you can apply for a one-time financial assistance if repairs to fix the problem exceed a certain amount of money (I don’t know the exact figures, but it may be a $ 250 or $ 500 limit.)

Someone else below suggested getting a repair shop’s diagnosis (or even a dealer, for $ 75-$ 100) – that’s a great suggestion. Then take their estimate & diagnosis and shop around. Some of the repairs (replace spark plugs or oxygen sensor) you can do yourself using a repair book and affordable tools.

Good luck.

Answer by Answers1
You may be burning oil and probably needs major work. You may need new cylinders, or a new head gasket, or new piston rings. All these will cost over $ 1,000. You might try a gasoline additive that helps line piston walls and could reduce the oil burning, which is cheap, but from your description I doubt this will help much. A new exhaust system will not reduce burning oil smoke much, and will also cost a lot.

Answer by Nick F
first thing you should do is take it to a mechanic, tell them you want them to look at the car and that you just want an estimate ONLY (ask them how much it will cost for the estimate) they will tell you what needs to be repaired.

Answer by Tay From Da Bay
Definitely don’t pay $ 1900 for a muffler/exhaust system. You can get them WAY cheaper from a muffler/performance shop. You could buy a HIGH performance exhaust system with catalytic converter for around $ 500 ballpark. The other dudes above had great advice. It is most likely because you need a new catalytic converter and muffler. It could also be becuase of the spark plugs, or it could be due to the air/fuel being too rich. Go to pepboys or some simple shop and find a manual for your car. You’ll learn a lot from it even if you aren’t into fixing up cars. You could pick one up for around $ 17.00.