Looking to get some info on when CA emissions came into effect for Aerostars. I'm in the market for another Aerostar that is 100% rust free and many that fit that criteria are for sale in CA. I am an auto mechanic and know from experience that there can be significant differences between vehicles with CA emissions opposed to the 'standard’ federal requirements.....


~Justin

 

California emissions would have been in effect from day one. They are not that different from Federal, but some things might be different--not a lot.

The Bureau of Auto Repair and Cal. DMV sites have tons of info, but nothing specific to a particular model.

 

I think all cars built after about 1976 had to have separate CA emission controls vs 49 state emissions depending where they were to be sold. In those early days, the systems were indeed quite different, so the two types of cars had noticeably different performance. However, more recent models used different calibrations in the engine computer, with the rest of the hardware pretty much the same. Because the computer controlled EFI systems work so well, you really won't notice any significant driveability, power, or efficiency differences. Maybe I haven't experienced non-California Aerostars, but my 1990 California model starts easily, runs fine, and gets decent mileage for what it is.

 

The CA model has a slightly more powerful catalyst, and some models might be equipped with EGR. The extra smog equipment really doesn't rob any power, it just costs more.

Most newer cars are built to California standards regardless of where they are sold, though in large and heavy duty type vehicles they are still sometimes different.

 

Ford used different camshafts in many of it's offerings for the Cali market to meet Ca. regs., lower lift, less overlap intake/exhaust and shorter duration
FoMoCo engineering also used a different PCM/ECU in its Cali offerings with changed timing advance curves, fuel tables etc.

we were getting a large influx of Cali's moving here the past 10 years. they'd dump their Cali emissions rigs as soon as they could after moving here. Cali rigs here have a lower wholesale at the dealer auctions.

looks like Cali is going farther in limiting emissions with even lower limits in their state than now.

 

Damn I was really hoping that they would all be 'federal', is there any way to find out exactly what the differences would be...???