CA Smog - how do you escape catch 22 ?
 

Say you got a car that is unregistered and needs to be smogged to be registered. How do you complete the required ODB drive cycle post dead battery with no valid registration in order to clear all code and have ODB ready to test ? Seems like aCatch 22, no ? Is there a special DMV request for a temp registration you can apply to ? Thanks !

you're asking if you can drive it unregistered so you can clear codes?

my office tech used to be with the DMV. she said you can go and get a "1 day moving permit". they will give you several if you ask.

As Vash said, you can get temporary permits. A PITA though, just dealing with DMV... If it were me, I'd pay all the DMV fees so it will show up if you get pulled over and I'd just drive the car (carefully) for a few days, then get the smog done. Voila, reg is in the mail to you.

I wouldn't even bother with a day permit.. Throw a battery in it and drive to the smog tester. If on the off chance you get pulled over, no cop is going to write you up for expired registration when you explain what you're doing. Then I would suggest, once it's legal, change the vehicles residency to a non smog County and never bother with smog again until you sell the vehicle. It's regional law not State law and there are plenty of counties to choose from. Make up an address but check the box on the DMV form "would you like to keep your mailing address the same?". They never check on the residency address of the vehicle. Make sure you get the zip code for that county right, that's how the computer knows whether to send you notice every two years or not. The every other year smog thing is not about clean air, it's about money. Lots of money. About $7. of the hundred bucks it costs you every other year goes to public service reminders on tv telling you how filthy it is to use your fireplace. The rest goes to the smog shop and "State administrative costs". It's a multi billion dollar scam.

Have your wife drive right behind you to block the expired plate.

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+1 for Vash’s explanation. I have a Jaguar I need to do this with.
AAA guy told me get a 1 day permit (free) if it doesn’t pass come back and get another 1 day etc… if it really has issues you can get the 30 day permit but you have to pay fees…

I just went through this with the Rover. It would throw P1170 and P1173 codes for 02 sensor faults. (even though they were brand new) I chased my tail for weeks researching and replacing all of the know causes. The last thing left is to replace the catalytic convertors. I ended up clearing the codes and doing the readiness monitors very near the smog shop. The second they popped, I was less than a quarter mile from the smog test center. I got it smogged and registered. I now have two years to save up for the cat replacement and no stress.

When you get "permission slip" from DMV you are supposed to write the date down on the document. When I did this, I just left it blank. For about 2-3 months. I kept it on my passenger seat with a pen.

I made a deal with my smog guy so I could drive the crap out of her on the freeway nearby, and go on the rollers HOT.

My cats were weak-- passable numbers when HOT.

A few decades ago I was a "master tech" idiot in the BAR/CARB program. No guarantees implied.

(i think)
If you have a modified, imported, or grey market vehicle the next step to take is the test-only center for exceptions.
https://www.bar.ca.gov/services/EtBlast/PrintMsg.aspx?QryMessageKey=18687

Caveate emptor.
I once had Honda with a single kinked vacuum hose which failed normal smog. It burned clean otherwise.
Took it to Gold Shield place in San Bruno on El Camino Real which wanted hundreds initially.
They changed their story and passed it quick after explaining who I was.

Or do what many people in the same situation do.
Toss some mud on the bumper and drive it easy but with insurance.

shower cap over the plate. :)

Thanks guys..Yeah there are cat issues that need resolving first so it's good to know you can have multiple days ;-)

Get off the smog train and you can lose those cats

Seller's responsible for smogging.

Was it a CA registered car prior ?

probably oxygen sensors along with the cat

Steve Jobs had a trick where he never registred his car, ever, and simply alternated between cars

https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/steve-jobs-car-apple-ceo-license-plates/story?id=14834608

"A vehicle displaying a copy of the report of sale may be operated without license plates or registration card until ... [a] six-month period, commencing with the date of sale of the vehicle, has expired."

the updated verison, it's 90 days now

https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/vehicle-code/veh-sect-4456.html




sell it to a buddy
buy it back
carry the bill of sale on you

if you and your buddy trade cars every 90 days, you might never even have to smog it in the first place :D