You can find some smog place to give a pretest where they go into manual mode for the test. Its usually half price. That keeps it out of the state system. Otherwise if you fail you will be in the system as a possible gross polluter and be bound to "test only" stations for ever. Most older cars in the city have to go to those anyway. Its not that big a deal. . If the engine has been running poorly you could have toasted the Cat. If it has been running fine then you are likely in the clear.
Also many repair places use gas analyzers to help diagnose and they can pretest for you as well.

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Chris
84 280sl
82 300d euro