I could be wrong here, but I don't think there is any difference between CA vans and those sold in the other 49 states. As for getting your van on the road, something is certainly missing here, but At this point I have absolutely no clue what it is. FYI, without hands on, the only things anybody can offer you is going to be speculation and guesses . Sorry this hasn't been enough for you. I'm sure you will find the the problem soon, and when you do, please report back with your findings and the solution. Tim