1993 240: Solution to Failed CA Evap Smog Test

[Gussie]

My bone stock (~250,000 miles) 1993 245 recently failed the Evap part of the CA smog test. The Tech mentioned that the fuel filler neck on many Volvos is aluminum and becomes oval with use, so their 'test cap' won't seat right and the car will fail the Evap test. Mine was certainly oval, but its sealing surface was also slightly dinged up. I put a piece of fine sticky sandpaper on a sheetmetal plate and used the 'sanding plate' to machine the dings away. When they tested it again and even though I did not address the neck's ovalness, it passed easily. The dings were really small and I would not have thought they might be an issue if the Tech hadn't focused me in that direction.

 

[dl242gt]

Good find. It's nice that it was a simple thing. I've also deovaled the neck by carefully bending it toward being round again with some slip joint pliers. I had the neck be so oval that gas would leak from it on turns. That made it seal again. Not pretty but it worked.