HELP! Got a smog notice - NorCal
#1
TECH Regular
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Stockton, CA
Posts: 447
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
HELP! Got a smog notice - NorCal
Just got my smog notice (not test-only) and I'm worried as hell! Car has long tubes with O2s, catted TSP Y-pipe, 224/224 cam with 114 LSA, 160* stat, and what smells to be a fairly rich tune! All smog equipment is functioning. My main concern are the long tubes and Y-pipe because there is no CARB# and the cats I know can't legally be changed from stock and have to be in the stock location. So I won't pass visual. My tuner says my setup will pass emissions testing physically, but it smells a little rich to me. The cam is small and has minimal overlap so I'm not too worried about that, but I wonder if the tech will hear the cam and know its not stock. I don't want to throw my stock exhaust back on, I want to try to pass as is but how can I get around the visual assuming I pass the actual test? If I have to change out the cam for stock I'm gonna cry.
#3
sounds like me before i ditched my headers and went back to stock manifolds. if you take off the headers, you'll feel a big seat-of-the-pants power loss.
if rick says you'll pass the sniffer, then i'd put my money on it.
something to try regarding the visual: find a hole-in-the-wall smog shop. show up, tell him you bought the car as-is and you're wondering if it looks like it would pass smog before you pay him anything. hell.. leave the lid on and pop the hood. there's a lot of smog shops that don't bother with the visual.
smog notice = he was up for renewal and didn't smog last year
if rick says you'll pass the sniffer, then i'd put my money on it.
something to try regarding the visual: find a hole-in-the-wall smog shop. show up, tell him you bought the car as-is and you're wondering if it looks like it would pass smog before you pay him anything. hell.. leave the lid on and pop the hood. there's a lot of smog shops that don't bother with the visual.
smog notice = he was up for renewal and didn't smog last year
Last edited by BobDoLe; 06-15-2008 at 10:06 PM.
#4
TECH Regular
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Stockton, CA
Posts: 447
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
sounds like me before i ditched my headers and went back to stock manifolds. if you take off the headers, you'll feel a big seat-of-the-pants power loss.
if rick says you'll pass the sniffer, then i'd put my money on it.
something to try regarding the visual: find a hole-in-the-wall smog shop. show up, tell him you bought the car as-is and you're wondering if it looks like it would pass smog before you pay him anything. hell.. leave the lid on and pop the hood. there's a lot of smog shops that don't bother with the visual.
smog notice = he was up for renewal and didn't smog last year
if rick says you'll pass the sniffer, then i'd put my money on it.
something to try regarding the visual: find a hole-in-the-wall smog shop. show up, tell him you bought the car as-is and you're wondering if it looks like it would pass smog before you pay him anything. hell.. leave the lid on and pop the hood. there's a lot of smog shops that don't bother with the visual.
smog notice = he was up for renewal and didn't smog last year
Another question: I heard 2000-up cars are due for smog only once every 4 years instead of every 2 years. Is that true does anyone know?
#5
basically, you don't have to smog a new car for 6 years... after that, it's back to biennial smog. you could also try to get a p.o. box in an area (within ca) that doesn't require smog, then register your vehicle there. post offices know people want to do this and will require proof of residence, though.
Originally Posted by http://www.dmv.ca.gov/vr/smogfaq.htm
Vehicles registered in areas subject to the biennial smog certification program are required to submit evidence of a smog certification every other renewal period. Starting January 1, 2005, owners of vehicles six or less model years old will pay an annual smog abatement fee for the first six registration years instead of being required to provide a biennial smog certification.
#6
TECH Resident
iTrader: (7)
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: San Fernando Valley, CA
Posts: 846
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
Like Bobdole said just go into a couple shops and tell them that you don't think that it will pass. They can do the test and if it doesn't pass then they'll most likely pass it for some extra money. I'm in the same situation and went in two shops and both said I'll pass for $200 bucks. lol Yeah and they didn't even make a visual inspection. The thing is that I'm not running any cats and you are so maybe your car will pass.
#7
TECH Regular
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Stockton, CA
Posts: 447
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Like Bobdole said just go into a couple shops and tell them that you don't think that it will pass. They can do the test and if it doesn't pass then they'll most likely pass it for some extra money. I'm in the same situation and went in two shops and both said I'll pass for $200 bucks. lol Yeah and they didn't even make a visual inspection. The thing is that I'm not running any cats and you are so maybe your car will pass.