[Vwdiesel] Passing emissions tests (1.6L NA)

[Tobin Copley]

Hi, I have a diesel vanagon westfalia with a stock 1.6L NA diesel.
It's been stored for the last 6 months and I just fired it up for the
summer yesterday.  Changed oil and filter after warming it up.  I want
to get it insured and on the road for camping ASAP.

Before I can buy longer-term insurance for it, it needs to pass a
tailpipe emissions test.  For diesels, it's my understanding that the
test is limited to a particulate test in which they check the colour of
a filter placed over the end of the tailpipe, comparing before and
after the test.  Test itself involves running the vehicle with the
drive wheels on a set of rollers in which the load is varied and the
test operator runs the vehicle at various prescribed rpm/load
combinations to simulate driving conditions.  Or so they say.  I moved
into the big city last year, and as we didn't have to test where I
lived before, this will be my first time through the test with a diesel.

The camper presently has 1/4 tank of 6 month old diesel in it.  I plan
to get a one-day insurance for it, and run it around for the better
part of the day to burn the old fuel and get the engine nice and hot
and running happily again.  I'll throw Techron injector cleaner in at
the start of the day, and again when, after running nearly empty, I
throw another 1/4 tank of fresh low-sulphur diesel into it, along with
more injector cleaner.  Then I'll get the engine as warm as I can and
take it to a testing facility.

Last fall, when driving behind the camper as my wife drove it, I
noticed some brown smoke out the tail pipe as she accelerated from stop
lights.  Should I be concerned about this, with respect to the test?

I'm thinking of turning down the fueling before the test.  Will this
reduce my heavy load tailpipe smoke?  Any other tips anyone might have
for making it run cleanly for the test?  It was fully timed, and had
valves adjusted last year (about 5,000 miles) ago.  Injectors have less
than 10,000 miles on them.

Thanks!

T.

------------------------------------------------------------------
Tobin Copley       Vancouver, BC, Canada    49deg 23'N-123deg 19'W

'82 Westfalia 1.6L NA diesel ("Stinky")
'97 son Russell                            =============
'99 daughter Margaret                     /_| |_L| |__|:| clatter
                        SPEED KILLS!      {.            .| clatter!
                   Drive a Vanagon diesel  ~-()-==----()-~