CA smog check fiasco
10-25-2012, 12:33 PM
#1
Race Director
Thread Starter
CA smog check fiasco
Got the 2004 c5z smogged yesterday (barely).
I had a breather on the dr side valve cover & forgot to pull it off for the visual inspection.
The tech pointed it out, but he let me go get the plug & return a few min later to continue the visual (he was a nice guy).
He then said that the pcv routing did not match his diagram in his materials from BAR (Bureau of Automotive Repair).
I insisted it was stock (it is) and suggested he call a local Chevy dealer or I would go get my 2004 FSM to prove it.
He got a dealer to fax him a diagram that shows the plug in the 2004. GM moved the valve to the valley some time between 03-04.
He spent about 45 min (seriously) doing the visual & then put on the dyno & sniffed it (clean as can be 5 min.).
I chatted with him & he said if a tech misses something & the car later is determined to be not compliant the $$$ fine goes back to the tech personally (or who he works for).
Same day my buddy got the business over a CAI on an M3 which had previously been smogged with the intake no problem.
Just a little joy from CARB(Calif Air Resources Board) & BAR and the legislature in Kalifornia.
Seems these morons can't even provide the smog techs with correct & up to date info on the stock systems.
Almost had to go to a smog referee to get the cert.
I had a breather on the dr side valve cover & forgot to pull it off for the visual inspection.
The tech pointed it out, but he let me go get the plug & return a few min later to continue the visual (he was a nice guy).
He then said that the pcv routing did not match his diagram in his materials from BAR (Bureau of Automotive Repair).
I insisted it was stock (it is) and suggested he call a local Chevy dealer or I would go get my 2004 FSM to prove it.
He got a dealer to fax him a diagram that shows the plug in the 2004. GM moved the valve to the valley some time between 03-04.
He spent about 45 min (seriously) doing the visual & then put on the dyno & sniffed it (clean as can be 5 min.).
I chatted with him & he said if a tech misses something & the car later is determined to be not compliant the $$$ fine goes back to the tech personally (or who he works for).
Same day my buddy got the business over a CAI on an M3 which had previously been smogged with the intake no problem.
Just a little joy from CARB(Calif Air Resources Board) & BAR and the legislature in Kalifornia.
Seems these morons can't even provide the smog techs with correct & up to date info on the stock systems.
Almost had to go to a smog referee to get the cert.
Last edited by froggy47; 10-25-2012 at 01:52 PM.
10-25-2012, 05:34 PM
#5
Advanced
Member Since: Jan 2012
Location: L.A.
Posts: 86
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I would have immediately left and gone someplace else. I got my C5Z smogged with my CAI, tune and some other non-smog mods with zero issue.
Before even getting the work written up, I popped the hood, asked the counter guy if this would smog and he said yes and 20 mins later I was outta there for $32. Like everything else....just gotta find the right place to go.
Before even getting the work written up, I popped the hood, asked the counter guy if this would smog and he said yes and 20 mins later I was outta there for $32. Like everything else....just gotta find the right place to go.
10-25-2012, 08:03 PM
#6
Drifting
I don't see how he would get fined for missing something after the fact. It's common practice to swap oem parts back on for smog and reswap after. However, I have heard of more smog places getting huge fines if caught in the act.
10-25-2012, 08:28 PM
#7
Race Director
Thread Starter
I would have immediately left and gone someplace else. I got my C5Z smogged with my CAI, tune and some other non-smog mods with zero issue.
Before even getting the work written up, I popped the hood, asked the counter guy if this would smog and he said yes and 20 mins later I was outta there for $32. Like everything else....just gotta find the right place to go.
Before even getting the work written up, I popped the hood, asked the counter guy if this would smog and he said yes and 20 mins later I was outta there for $32. Like everything else....just gotta find the right place to go.
10-26-2012, 08:15 AM
#9
Drifting
Calif puts more crap in the air in a day than most states do in a year ..... and now they actually have smog techs" and BAR's and CARB's .... that's some serious BS created by all that bad air ...
Last edited by rbl; 10-26-2012 at 08:18 AM.
10-26-2012, 12:05 PM
#10
Le Mans Master
Just think of how much this costs and what a waste of time. 99% of cars are stock and have never been touched, I mean how many offenders do the REALLY catch and is it worth all this effort and expense? NJ spent all this money to add dyno's to their facility and do a similiar test. They started breaking cars and just found it turned out to be a complete waste of time. They went the total opposite direction after learning from their mistake and the wasted tax money and now they just plug a code reader into your PCM and that is it, no tires, no brake, no headlight, no visual inspection. As long as you are not throwing codes you go right through.
10-26-2012, 01:28 PM
#11
Race Director
Thread Starter
Just think of how much this costs and what a waste of time. 99% of cars are stock and have never been touched, I mean how many offenders do the REALLY catch and is it worth all this effort and expense? NJ spent all this money to add dyno's to their facility and do a similiar test. They started breaking cars and just found it turned out to be a complete waste of time. They went the total opposite direction after learning from their mistake and the wasted tax money and now they just plug a code reader into your PCM and that is it, no tires, no brake, no headlight, no visual inspection. As long as you are not throwing codes you go right through.
Greenies & enviro wackos run the state more or less. I am for clean air etc, but they screw up the attempts to enforce it.
I paid $30 for an hour of the garage's time plus $5 for the certificate.
Think that shop made any money on my inspection?
Plus bubba running my Vette on a dyno pretty fast & not strapped down?
I have heard that sometimes there is a fail on the dyno & the car goes flying off.
I think the obd plug in & ck codes is probably better way to go. I would really like the fools in Sacramento to have some safety ck, lights, wipers, brake linings rotors etc but that would make too much sense. And a lot of unsafe cars would never be registered again. That would cost the state some revenue!
What a mess.
10-26-2012, 05:21 PM
#12
Very reason Id never move there.
The reason for the air pollution problems (that give them justification for all the ridiculous oversight) has nothing to do with the state of the vehicles but rather the highly dense population in areas such as LA.
Glad things worked out
The reason for the air pollution problems (that give them justification for all the ridiculous oversight) has nothing to do with the state of the vehicles but rather the highly dense population in areas such as LA.
Glad things worked out
10-27-2012, 12:30 AM
#13
Advanced
Member Since: Jan 2012
Location: L.A.
Posts: 86
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
AB 2289 - New Smog Check Law
Set to begin January 01, 2013; Model year 2000 and newer vehicles will no longer require the tailpipe emissions test portion of the smog check process. AB 2289 will require late model vehicles be administered the smog check's visual and functional tests only.
The implementation of AB 2289 is expected to reduce the time and cost of the smog check. The program will now take better advantage of a vehicle's OBD II technology by eliminating tailpipe testing and instead using the vehicle's own OBD II emissions monitoring system.
Set to begin January 01, 2013; Model year 2000 and newer vehicles will no longer require the tailpipe emissions test portion of the smog check process. AB 2289 will require late model vehicles be administered the smog check's visual and functional tests only.
The implementation of AB 2289 is expected to reduce the time and cost of the smog check. The program will now take better advantage of a vehicle's OBD II technology by eliminating tailpipe testing and instead using the vehicle's own OBD II emissions monitoring system.
10-27-2012, 10:42 AM
#14
Racer
I am moving to the LA area sometime early next yr. as my wife is moving with her job at Aon. Not looking forward to getting my car on the road out there. That being said, it wasn't exactly easy in DFW to "pass" a visual. Is the OBD2 test like the one in San Francisco? We thought we were going up there but going to LA instead. That sounds easy for un modded cars but for my car, not so easy.
10-27-2012, 01:54 PM
#15
Race Director
Thread Starter
Yes looks like ab 2289 is the law starting 1/1/13. I asked the tech if anything new was coming re: smog & he did not say anything about this, so much for staying up to date in your field.
10-27-2012, 02:27 PM
#16
Drifting
I just tested a new car that I bought out of state a few weeks ago and asked my tech about the new rules. Knowledgeable guy and owns the business that I have been using for years and he started complaining about the state and how they (the techs) have not even really been informed in detail yet about what the changes are going to be or what the exact testing procedure are going to be. So if anything the blame probably lays with CARB or whatever the specific agency is that supposedly administers this program.
10-27-2012, 02:44 PM
#17
Race Director
Thread Starter
I just tested a new car that I bought out of state a few weeks ago and asked my tech about the new rules. Knowledgeable guy and owns the business that I have been using for years and he started complaining about the state and how they (the techs) have not even really been informed in detail yet about what the changes are going to be or what the exact testing procedure are going to be. So if anything the blame probably lays with CARB or whatever the specific agency is that supposedly administers this program.