Smog Guy Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 I am a ca smog tech, the new test for 2000 and newer cars is simple to pass. 1 be stock visually or have carb numbers 2 no cel on, monitors set evap ok to not be set 3 exhaust doesn't smoke Basically if you can make your car appear stock and your computer reads no light on and monitors set, it doesn't matter what tune you have done, car will not fail for cvn values. If I can't see it is modified, I can't fail it I have eBay headers on my truck with a carb sticker for headers that look like mine that are legal. This new system made it easier for you guys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezra1234 Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 Had the same problem with my vehicle. It was time to get it smogged in california. However, because of the rather shall we say, extreme modifications that were done to my motor there was no way I would ever pass a smog test in CA. The guy at the smog station just laughed hysterically and smiled as he told me it would be a cold day in hell before he would ever pass my car.So! I was not deterred and found a great solution. Best suggestion for cars needing to be smogged in California? Is Don't even try, instead go to Reno like I did and have the smog check and registration changed. Cost $101 excluding a PO Box or local Reno address. Just renewed for another year in Nev the cost was $49. Yeah, yeah, I hear all the stories about I will be pulled over and cited for not having a Calif. license. I got a ticket for speeding and no problem with the California CHP officer. Oh, I hired a law firm and the ticket went bye,bye as well. Oh yeah, Nevada's snog test is they turn on the key and as long as the red engine light doesn't go on while the engine is running you pass. Hope this helps! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 Wouldn't it be easier to get a PO box in Jackson and not have to do smog at all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris GTO TT Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 I want to know how you got a PO Box so easily when you don't live in the area. When I lived in Los Angeles the Post Office wouldn't give me one because my ID said I still lived in Northern California. 2003 Baja 5MT 2016 Outback 2.5i Premium w/Eyesight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezra1234 Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 Chris: You get the PO Box by going to the UPS Store and better yet, you can state the address as though its an apartment. You know, unit 54, or something like that. Then you take that info to Nevada DMV and register your car. Better yet, when I go to Reno for a weekend of Debauchery and Gambling I can walk in to the Nev DMV and use the kiosk to get my new tags. no waiting for an appt. or in lines. Any mail from the DMV during the year is forwarded to me by the UPS store people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris GTO TT Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 Ah that's what I was thinking. I figured it couldn't be a real post office. 2003 Baja 5MT 2016 Outback 2.5i Premium w/Eyesight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nm Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 Chris: You get the PO Box by going to the UPS Store and better yet, you can state the address as though its an apartment. You know, unit 54, or something like that. Then you take that info to Nevada DMV and register your car. Better yet, when I go to Reno for a weekend of Debauchery and Gambling I can walk in to the Nev DMV and use the kiosk to get my new tags. no waiting for an appt. or in lines. Any mail from the DMV during the year is forwarded to me by the UPS store people. Registering out of state is much more likely to get you into trouble as it is essentially tax evasion. The police and the DMV actually cares about this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezra1234 Posted April 29, 2015 Share Posted April 29, 2015 nm+ I appreciate your observation. However, if your car needs to be smogged and it will cost $5000 to get it back to stock condition in order to pass, chances are your going to look for alternative solutions that are perfectly legal. If you can produce the case law that states I cannot register my vehicle in Nevada and then drive it in California, when I have according to the Nevada's DMV a legal address and insurance in Nevada. I know there is the ten (10) day, or thirty (30) day time frame that the DMV gives to people who live in California that are from out of state to re-register. However, technically I live in both Nevada and California and presented that to the officer that gave me the ticket. He had no problem with the fact that I have an address in Nevada. One other thing, I own four cars and this particular car only gets driven about an hour ever week, which was a consideration when I decided to register the vehicle in Nevada. Are you an attorney? You state that my actions are essentially tax evasion. Do you have the case law to support that statement? The funny part to this story is my car runs on E85 and could pass any sniff test with no problem! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nm Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 nm+ I appreciate your observation. However, if your car needs to be smogged and it will cost $5000 to get it back to stock condition in order to pass, chances are your going to look for alternative solutions that are perfectly legal. If you can produce the case law that states I cannot register my vehicle in Nevada and then drive it in California, when I have according to the Nevada's DMV a legal address and insurance in Nevada. I know there is the ten (10) day, or thirty (30) day time frame that the DMV gives to people who live in California that are from out of state to re-register. However, technically I live in both Nevada and California and presented that to the officer that gave me the ticket. He had no problem with the fact that I have an address in Nevada. One other thing, I own four cars and this particular car only gets driven about an hour ever week, which was a consideration when I decided to register the vehicle in Nevada. Are you an attorney? You state that my actions are essentially tax evasion. Do you have the case law to support that statement? The funny part to this story is my car runs on E85 and could pass any sniff test with no problem! Where do you work? Where do you vote? Where do you pay income tax? Do you have a CA license? See Cal. Veh. section 516 How often is your car operated in CA? cal. Veh 4004.4 If the vehicle is operated more in CA than any other state, EVEN if you are a Nevada resident, you must register in CA. More to the point, in your post, you advocated getting a P.O. Box, not a residency, which is easily seen through. That is a criminal violation of Vehicle Code section 8804, a misdemeanor for evading fees and taxes, punishable by up to 6 months in the county jail. And, yes. California cares about this a lot. So much that they have created a snitch website. https://www.chp.ca.gov/Notify-CHP/Cheaters-Out-of-State-(Out-of-State-Registration-Violators) Piss off your neighbors? They may just report that out of state plate they see pull up to your CA house every night. Some of this changes if you're in the military. This stuff may be somewhat difficult to prove (though not that hard if you admit or a neighbor snitches you out), but it will require hiring a criminal defense attorney and having a misdemeanor hanging over you. This isn't to sya that registering at a non-SMOG address isn't illegal. It is. But no one will really care and your neighbor won't know he can snitch you out. ---- I'd also note that passing a SMOG sniffer on an AWD car is easy. A warmed up catless car might squeak by on a good day. It doesn't actually mean your exhaust is clean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 Like I asked earlier, wouldn't it be easier to just get a UPS box in Jackson? Amador County doesn't do smog checks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezra1234 Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 Thanks for the great information. However, in my case the registration of my vehicle is no longer an issue. In the very near future, the car will be registered in Calif. within the next three (3) weeks as an off-road vehicle only! We are making changes to it that will make it a race vehicle only and thus, will be towed to its destination rather than driven. I own a number of vehicles and this was a car that was just sitting around not being used. Just a word of advice, if you decide to modify your vehicle in the state of Calif. make sure you do it within the constraints of the STAR laws. Calif has become the most predatory State in the country and does not want their population modifying their vehicles! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jj808 Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 Greetings from down here in SoCal! I finally said the entire state can kiss my ass and will be moving to Georgia in in July. No smog check or anything at all and I wont be paying the outrageous taxes and fees that Cali has ever again. Catalytic converters? What are those? I was able to squeak by smog this time but will never have to think about it again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nm Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 Like I asked earlier, wouldn't it be easier to just get a UPS box in Jackson? Amador County doesn't do smog checks. Yes. Not legal either, but would be harder to enforce and I'm not sure anyone actually cares. Note that if you park in an urban area, it will likely prevent your ability to get a local parking permit. Sacramento requires the vehicle be registered to an address in the area of the parking restriction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 Just passed mine with a full tune. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kaos22B Posted November 1, 2015 Share Posted November 1, 2015 Hello everyone, I would like to hear from anyone who has a 2007+ that has had the new smog test while a tune is on the car removing certain codes (in particular, the air pump delete). PM me if you feel more comfortable with that, but I'm in the middle of a rebuild and would rather not spend a ton on factory air pump parts if this isn't actually an issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hadvw Posted November 2, 2015 Share Posted November 2, 2015 How do you plan to pass visual? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhitter Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 How do you plan to pass visual? Do the techs know enough to check for an airpump? (ignoring all the other mods that might trip them up) My OBXT build Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris GTO TT Posted November 4, 2015 Share Posted November 4, 2015 Usually there's a sticker under the hood telling them what to look for. 2003 Baja 5MT 2016 Outback 2.5i Premium w/Eyesight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezra1234 Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 Recently, I had a discussion with our California State senator (Ted Gaines) Senior Staffer about the possibility of creating or amending the current laws allowing owners of vehicles that have made the good faith effort to convert their vehicles to E-85 and can pass the sniff test to be allowed the same exemption that 30 to 40 year old hot-rods and classic cars are currently allowed within the State of California, which allows those vehicles to be exempt from being smogged? This is supposed to be proposed in this 2016 legislative session, but like all things political may stretch into 2017. This addition to the current law would essentially allow all of the people out there who have highly modified vehicles that are not 30 to 40 years or older the ease of registering there vehicle without the fear that they would pass the current Star law. If this is something that you really feel passionate about? Then its about time for each and every one of you to stand up and let your State Senator and Assembly person know your feelings. After all we are not asking for much for going green. Plus, in my case it will be so much fun unleashing my brand new close to 900whp Subaru on the the streets once again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris GTO TT Posted November 5, 2015 Share Posted November 5, 2015 LULZ Ted Gaines... Not a fan of him but not the topic here. That being said it would be nice to dump the pointless visual inspection for just a sniffer. 2003 Baja 5MT 2016 Outback 2.5i Premium w/Eyesight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wang Lung Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 Something tells me Mary Nichols won't take that...lying down. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezra1234 Posted November 6, 2015 Share Posted November 6, 2015 In speaking to Teds senior legislative staff member Mary Nichols was discussed. He felt that as long as the program was defined as a green program where each vehicle would be evaluated on its own and assuming that the vehicle passed the one and only sniff test that Mary Nichols would not be anything but a bump in the road. Also you have to understand that if such a law existed? Ms. Nichols would have no choice but to implement the amendment or law in its entirety. What concerns me and most people like myself who would love to see this change made is the passive nature of the people in the Sport Compact Community. I am and have always felt that we all have to jump into the fight if we are to prevail on any issue. These type of issues need the relentless and on-going support of the entire Sport Compact community. As you are all aware, you might as well keep your vehicle stock if you live in California. Because under the prevailing CARB/Star laws you have little choice. So I would expect that all Performance oriented Sport Compact vehicle owners in the State of California to stand up and let your legislators know you expect that they would support those folks who have converted their vehicles to Green vehicles to be granted special exemptions. If you do not support this effort than you can kiss any future hope of being able to modify your vehicle and drive it on the streets of California. Because the noose is tightening folks and your the target! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hadvw Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 So, who do we contact/what do we say? Also, in my case, not a US citizen, so unlikely to have much of an impact.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wesleyCrowbar Posted November 7, 2015 Share Posted November 7, 2015 I'm moving to CA in 2 years and I'm interested as well. Would the sniffer test apply to cars with hi flow cats as well? I don't necessarily want to go e85, but I would like to be able to drive a modified car Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezra1234 Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 If you live in California your best bet is to start by contacting your state senator, or assembly person, which is what I did. Realize that right now there is no legislation either that has been proposed or is pending! So, your going to have to do what I did, which is present why this type of law is necessary for those people who have converted their vehicle to E-85 and can pass the sniff test. I don't believe that the current law would be amended to facilitate modified vehicles that are modified and not in compliance with the current Star requirements if that vehicle uses gasoline. This change if it ever occurs? Will only apply to E-85 vehicles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now