California smog check

[Nick Triesch]

So I have been sending emails back and forth to BAR asking them how do they get around the California vehicle code 27157 that says our cars will be tested to the standards for when they were manufactured. They sent me a ton of stuff to read but they still will not tell me how they can change the cutpoints for testing. So today I got another email from BAR and they told me that the standards have not changed, only the cutpoints.????!!?? For fairness and wear?????????? What does that even mean??

[Arne2]

One more reason not to live in CA, I'd say.

[juanbenae]

what year is the car? if the intake & exhaust are stock to just past the cat a fine running 911 should ace it's era's test. now that is the era of the motor, not the chassis. if you have a 3.0l in say a 76-77 2.7 shell the car shall be held to the smog standards of that SC motor. getting them to grasp that sounds like what you're going through??

you are trying to register some Frankenstein fro another state, good luck with that...

[rusnak]

the Dust Nazis are out to get us

[Rich Gas]

I just smogged mine with a Fabspeed sport cat 200 cell. Numbers were great. 84 Carrera.

[Nick Triesch]

I'm not saying that our cars will not pass, I'm saying that California wants to remove our cars from the road!

[thstone]

My 78 SC 3.0L failed CA smog test. My local shop leaned the mixture for the repeat smog test (passed quite well) and then changed it back after the test. And we'll do this dance all over again in two years.

[mark waller]

My 83SC passed on the first try last year but she only has 58,000 miles

[ossiblue]

Originally Posted by pmax

Wait till these catch you.

SmogTips.com - Roadside Smog Check Checkpoints. Roadside Emission Testing. Remote Smog Test Sensing Devices capture your vehicle's emissions exhaust as you drive on California roadways. Roadside smog testing. Roadside smog test check point. Determini

Apparently, even exempt vehicles are subject to the program.

Searching for cutpoints turned up the other thread... California Smog and cutpoints

The remote smog testing in the link may subject a polluting car to participate in a voluntary repair program.

[pmax]

Originally Posted by ossiblue

The remote smog testing in the link may subject a polluting car to participate in a voluntary repair program.

The dmv code seems to indicate otherwise.
Any lawyers here

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/?1dmy&urile=wcmath:/dmv_content_en/dmv/pubs/vctop/vc/d12/c5/a2/27156

Gross Polluter: Air Pollution Control Device

27156. (a) No person shall operate or leave standing upon a highway a motor vehicle that is a gross polluter, as defined in Section 39032.5 of the Health and Safety Code.

[SCadaddle]

I remember reading the Late Great Harry Pellow when having to get his old Mercedes smog checked his trick was to install old fouled spark plugs, dirty air filter, tune the carburetor/injection way rich and then go for the check and get terrible numbers. There was some directive in the law if you could "repair" the car to get 10% or better numbers they'd pass you. So he'd go home and put all new plugs, air filter and tune the mixture---go back and pass with flying colors.

[ossiblue]

Originally Posted by pmax

The dmv code seems to indicate otherwise.
Any lawyers here

https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/?1dmy&urile=wcmath:/dmv_content_en/dmv/pubs/vctop/vc/d12/c5/a2/27156

Gross Polluter: Air Pollution Control Device

27156. (a) No person shall operate or leave standing upon a highway a motor vehicle that is a gross polluter, as defined in Section 39032.5 of the Health and Safety Code.

Don't really see any conflict.

http://www.greencarcongress.com/2005/09/new_california_.html

The post about the roadside remote sensing dealt with a temporarily funded program in 2005 and expected to last one year. The purpose was to gather data on gross polluting vehicles, offer assistance in repair of those vehicles, and pay owners to scrap polluting vehicles. If you were notified, you could volunteer to have your car repaired through the program, get financial assistance to do so, or get reimbursed for scrapping the car.

AFIK, that program has expired and has not been renewed.

Originally Posted by SCadaddle

I remember reading the Late Great Harry Pellow when having to get his old Mercedes smog checked his trick was to install old fouled spark plugs, dirty air filter, tune the carburetor/injection way rich and then go for the check and get terrible numbers. There was some directive in the law if you could "repair" the car to get 10% or better numbers they'd pass you. So he'd go home and put all new plugs, air filter and tune the mixture---go back and pass with flying colors.

Those standards are long gone, replaced by the cutpoints now in effect and the exemption of 75 and earlier vehicles from testing.

[ossiblue]

Originally Posted by pmax

The part about a voluntary repair for cars identified as gross polluters seems in direct conflict of the vehicle code.

Okay, maybe poor communication on my part. Gross polluters under the program in the link could voluntary resolve the issue through the program features, but couldn't voluntarily ignore repairing their gross polluter altogether.