i just got a state ref ticket help!!
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 64
Likes: 0
From: CALI
Has anybody just gone to court without fixing anything and just have to pay the fine. I've heard of a lot just doing that cuz cali just wants to get paid. I really don't want to fix it then have to pay the fine completly as I seen people say in other forums.
TECH Veteran
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 4,985
Likes: 112
Op
you will have to put back all the smog stuff, exhaust. If your intake does not have a CARB sicker, that to.
yes it is all about collecting $ and enforcing the emission laws
you most likely will get a "test only" notice now when you get your registration notice. Those shops follow the book way closer than "regular" smog shops.
It is a PIA to comply and leaving HP on the table to do so is part of the deal if you want to obide by the law out here. You can have a 383 H/C, header, aftermarket exhaust, CAI car and pass smog. I do.
There are the "alternate" $300ish smog places for tests but the Op has already been ticketed for ref inspection so he will have to fix the issues and still pay fines.
I was on a cruise with other B-body cars years ago.....CHP pulled us over as a few cars were "brightly painted" and the drivers were......Hispanic, yeah a reality here. The initial cause was "loud exhaust, tinted windows" which gave them the excuse to pull the cars over. After that it was a full colonic. CHP inspected under hoods and under car for smog compliance. Two cars were heavily cited with a clear statement that the cars could be towed and impounded immediately.
you will have to put back all the smog stuff, exhaust. If your intake does not have a CARB sicker, that to.
yes it is all about collecting $ and enforcing the emission laws
you most likely will get a "test only" notice now when you get your registration notice. Those shops follow the book way closer than "regular" smog shops.
It is a PIA to comply and leaving HP on the table to do so is part of the deal if you want to obide by the law out here. You can have a 383 H/C, header, aftermarket exhaust, CAI car and pass smog. I do.
There are the "alternate" $300ish smog places for tests but the Op has already been ticketed for ref inspection so he will have to fix the issues and still pay fines.
I was on a cruise with other B-body cars years ago.....CHP pulled us over as a few cars were "brightly painted" and the drivers were......Hispanic, yeah a reality here. The initial cause was "loud exhaust, tinted windows" which gave them the excuse to pull the cars over. After that it was a full colonic. CHP inspected under hoods and under car for smog compliance. Two cars were heavily cited with a clear statement that the cars could be towed and impounded immediately.
TECH Resident
iTrader: (5)
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 814
Likes: 1
From: Crappy Stupid Liberal Washington state
Just another reason I refuse to give that **** hole of a state my tourist dollars... When I was flying down to Austin I had a stop at LAX. That's the only time I've ever been in that state, and I hope it's the last.
**** OP That Sucks! I always knew cali was bad but not That bad. I think ill be putting cats back on my camaro or atleast gutted ones so nobody asks questions.... Even tho mines a 94' and NY doesnt do emissions testing on OBD-I cars anymore 
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 64
Likes: 0
From: CALI
I was just told by a buddy that he knew someone who got one and just paid the fine with out fixing it. I think I'm just gonna take a gamble and do the same or make up a bs excuse. Love cali but hate the system.
you might pay the fine ones or twice, but after that if you get pulled over again it might by an automatic impound. id say go full emission legal and then get electric cut outs and also get a police radar detector thingy so that you know when you have to close them, lol
LS1 Tech Stories
The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Pouria Savadkouei
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Pouria Savadkouei
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP
Verdad Gallardo
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Verdad Gallardo
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power
Verdad Gallardo
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die
Verdad Gallardo
Teching In
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
The best thing for you to do is to locate some used exhaust manifolds and used cats......AND INSTALL THEM. Otherwise, you stand the risk of losing your car when you flunk the inevitable inspection.
Or.....you can take a chance and do nothing to the car.....your choice.
BTW.....running without cats in a car that came from the factory with them, is a federal offense....
KW
Or.....you can take a chance and do nothing to the car.....your choice.
BTW.....running without cats in a car that came from the factory with them, is a federal offense....
KW
If the mufflers have an Executive Order number (not likely) then you can take that to court to prove they are legal. If they don't then you'll have to get them replaced with something that is legal and prove it was done. Call flowmaster with the model of muffler you bought and they should be able to tell you if they have an EO number.
Unfortunately that can't be done after the time of the offense.
Unfortunately that can't be done after the time of the offense.
Teching In
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
If the mufflers have an Executive Order number (not likely) then you can take that to court to prove they are legal. If they don't then you'll have to get them replaced with something that is legal and prove it was done. Call flowmaster with the model of muffler you bought and they should be able to tell you if they have an EO number.
Unfortunately that can't be done after the time of the offense.
Unfortunately that can't be done after the time of the offense.
Teching In
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
I would have to check what type of flow masters I have but I bought the car like that and it passed smog
Teching In
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
TECH Addict
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 2,610
Likes: 4
From: Maricopa, AZ
Some people should definitely NOT give advice about State Laws when the know nothing about them...
COMIFORNIA, has the right to inspect ANY vehicle on any public roadway for emission compliance. If you have any NON FACTORY parts such as a CAI it better have a C.A.R.B. # and or sticker for it. The tree huggers run that State!!!!!!!
They have the right to impound your car for equipment violations at any time. No emissions hardware along with no cats is major to them.....
There are plenty cams that will sneak by with proper tuning. You MUST instal all emission equipment to avoid the hassle. I only got messed with 1 time in Fresno I was on Blackstone and I had the misfortune of dealing with local PD about my exhaust but he blew it off due to my Vegas plates..
He did state a list of my violations:
Exhaust
No CARB stickers for my air intake
Lowered suspension ( modified suspension)
Window tint which was factory from 96
I just laughed as he did stating the rules suck but they are what they are
COMIFORNIA, has the right to inspect ANY vehicle on any public roadway for emission compliance. If you have any NON FACTORY parts such as a CAI it better have a C.A.R.B. # and or sticker for it. The tree huggers run that State!!!!!!!
They have the right to impound your car for equipment violations at any time. No emissions hardware along with no cats is major to them.....
There are plenty cams that will sneak by with proper tuning. You MUST instal all emission equipment to avoid the hassle. I only got messed with 1 time in Fresno I was on Blackstone and I had the misfortune of dealing with local PD about my exhaust but he blew it off due to my Vegas plates..
He did state a list of my violations:
Exhaust
No CARB stickers for my air intake
Lowered suspension ( modified suspension)
Window tint which was factory from 96
I just laughed as he did stating the rules suck but they are what they are
It doesn't matter what California or the people there think is right. What matters is what's written in black and white. There is so much wrong in California on so many levels of Constitutional violation it's sickening. I could never live there.
TECH Veteran
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 4,985
Likes: 112
If you get pulled over by law enforcement they can "inspect" the car for vehicle violations in Calif.
if, for example, you have removed the CATS they can impound the car and write you a ticket. Not only is it a "fix it" ticket....you still have to pay the violation fine. Not like it was back in 70's-80's when a "fix it" ticket just meant you had to fix it and go get it inspected by Hwy. Patrol to sign off on the fix.
Not saying I agree with all this horseshit, just the way it is. Abuse of a badge and a gun over citizens is not exclusive to California.
if, for example, you have removed the CATS they can impound the car and write you a ticket. Not only is it a "fix it" ticket....you still have to pay the violation fine. Not like it was back in 70's-80's when a "fix it" ticket just meant you had to fix it and go get it inspected by Hwy. Patrol to sign off on the fix.
Not saying I agree with all this horseshit, just the way it is. Abuse of a badge and a gun over citizens is not exclusive to California.
Teching In
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
If you get pulled over by law enforcement they can "inspect" the car for vehicle violations in Calif.
if, for example, you have removed the CATS they can impound the car and write you a ticket. Not only is it a "fix it" ticket....you still have to pay the violation fine. Not like it was back in 70's-80's when a "fix it" ticket just meant you had to fix it and go get it inspected by Hwy. Patrol to sign off on the fix.
Not saying I agree with all this horseshit, just the way it is. Abuse of a badge and a gun over citizens is not exclusive to California.
if, for example, you have removed the CATS they can impound the car and write you a ticket. Not only is it a "fix it" ticket....you still have to pay the violation fine. Not like it was back in 70's-80's when a "fix it" ticket just meant you had to fix it and go get it inspected by Hwy. Patrol to sign off on the fix.
Not saying I agree with all this horseshit, just the way it is. Abuse of a badge and a gun over citizens is not exclusive to California.
TECH Veteran
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 4,985
Likes: 112
i also got a ticket for modified exhaust but the cop did not pop my hood or check anything on my car he just wrote me the ticket. My car is all stock with flowmastets, i just bought it in the December 2016 it passed smog I haven't done anything to the car and got the ticket in march 2017. What can I do ? Can I use the smog papers I already have to show proof or do I still need to go to a state ref? I've got an 86 iroc btw. Thanks
A smog shop doesn't care about the sound a car makes, just if it passes tail pipe and visual inspection and the PCM shows all IM monitors ready (now you can only have 1 show not ready in Calif)
Visual inspection would include seeing if CATS are there. If you have headers you would need a CARB sticker for them. If you have aftermarket CATS they would need a CARD sticker AND a OBD 2 compliant if for 96 and newer. Magna Flow makes a CARB/OBD2 CAT....$250
OP, see if there is any model # or CARB # (EO#) on the mufflers. Look up that part to see if it is compliant for use in Calif. If so you take your smog test results and that info on the muffler to traffic court and the judge will throw the case out.
Cops can be real ******. He may have pulled you over for some completely unrelated issue only to find there was no issue but wanted to make his ticket quota and or is just a ahole