Thank you @cdaquila ! You know, I was all over the Bureau of Auto Repair and DMV websites and I couldn’t find anything at all related to my circumstance. You probably noted, those web sites are not very customer friendly. I appreciate you taking time to sus out the existence of a temporary operating permit for emissions test failure. Isn’t it weird they didn’t include this info w/ the letter they wrote me? After all, they knew I had paid all the fees and had failed the test at the time they wrote the letter. Who else would need that info besides me?
I continue to think the state’s objective should be to assist the owner to get the vehicle emissions ready. Not to hinder the owner doing so. Provided the fees are paid and the initial emissions test is taken before the registration deadline, simply grant a one or two months extension so the owner can drive the car to get parts, to the library to look up needed tune-up info, to the tool store to buy required tools, to the repair place to get it fixed, and to the emissions testing station for a second test. Why waste both the owner’s and the DMV’s time dealing with a temp operating permit for such an easily resolved matter?
@GeorgeSanJose - glad to be of help. The sites aren’t very user-friendly at all. I bounced around a few times between the BAR and the DMV. Did you see the Referee program? It’s apparently for people who dispute the findings of their smog checks (and some other special circumstances), and it’s run through the community college system. It doesn’t seem like you disagree, per se, but it might be another resource to check out as you navigate the system.
Yes, I did see the Referee program @cdaquila . I also noted there’s a program I might qualify for where the state of Calif picks up most of the bill for the repairs, and even the $50 for the temporary operating permit. But I’m disinclined to place this cost burden on the state’s taxpayers. In my way of thinking it’s my car and my responsibility to get the engine working up to par and producing clean enough emissions to pass the test. I like clean air too.
By the way, on my brother’s old Tercel, the idle was very unstable, and the IAC is mounted underneath the throttle, just like on your car.
I cleaned the heck out of the throttle body. Then I sprayed some carb cleaner into the IAC passage, because I didn’t want to actually remove the IAC valve. It worked great, and the idle was very smooth afterwards.
@db4690 …thanks for the link, but that isn’t the correct part for the IAC. May have something to do w/Calif emissions or manual transmission/Calif emissions setup. My IAC is internal to the throttle body. I’m doubtful the HC problem is related to the IAC in any event, as the IAC has no function once the engine is warmed up.
I’m in the process of running some fuel system cleaner through the system (Clean Power), then will test the FP as you suggested and compression as another poster here mentioned. If those are both ok, will install new spark plugs, cap, rotor, wires (all OEM) , back-off the timing a couple of degrees, and do a re-test. I’ve never replaced the cap or wires in 200K, so while the cap electrodes and wires still look to be ok, years and miles of wear on those might be contributing to imperfect combustion. Worth a shot anyway.
A little frustrating as the engine idles, runs, accelerates as good as the day it was new.
Poster: "The IACV is NOT removable on a FWD 4AFE sedan model. Only the alltrac has a removable IACV. I’ve been fighting this exact issue for over a year and there is nothing I can do to fix it because a new TB with the IACV built in is $700. "
That would be the first thing I’d do, not that I know anything about it. On the kids car I replaced the rotor, cap, fuel filter, and plugs every time. Don’t remember the mileage anymore but I think it was every 25K-whatever the manual said.