SSWS6

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.

01SOMSS!

iTrader: (12)

why did you get a smog notice?

BobDoLe

iTrader: (11)

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

SSWS6

Good idea, I will try that. This is Stockton so there a ton of hole-in-the-wall smog shops so I will start there.

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?

BobDoLe

iTrader: (11)

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.

01SuperSport

iTrader: (7)

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.

SSWS6

Thats what I'm thinking too. But shops can lose their licenses and pay $50,000 fines if they get caught doing that and there have been undercover stings to catch them. But there has to be a shop thats willing to do it for me and I'd rather pay $200 than change the exhaust every 2 years. And I may pass as is so I just need someone who will ignore the visual.