help with smog please!

[Homeboyx]

I think he can ask for what I think is known as a parts exemption iirc, I think that's what it's called.

[oldskoolvws]

That being said, here are the California options that I know / know of / seen:

 

- Legal Smog check

- Illegal smog check (at station)

- Referee exemption, usually on conversions (diesel, propane, new model upgrades) few exceptions otherwise

- Address in a county that does not require smog check (very high popularity amongst tuners)

- Re-title to 75 or less

- Make Universal CAT "look" old

- Special DMV title (such as a Cobra kit on a Mustang 5.0 frame; only so many given each year, first open day of the year)

- Out of state registration

- Illegal registration

- Drive a Tesla

 

 

Here is why people should read a little into it. I clearly state this as California options that I know / know of / seen. I did not recommend any avenue, only experiences. I do not condone any of the illegal smog activities above. I think in lonely Santa Cruz they may have locked you guys all down, but I know of just about every example up there being used today here in the Bay. Its funny too because each "clan" has there own preferences.

 

The "new" RX7 guys with the Chevy V8 conversions seem to prefer out of area no smog.

The VW watercooled (early crew) seem to like early VIN swaps and diesel title swaps.

The Honda boys seem to like to run without registration

Datsun peeps tend to go for the early years to avoid all together.

I used to run the out of state titles until the mandated safety check and reconstruction tied to registration came into place. Harder than smog to bypass. I'll take smog any day.

And I got to tell you the "Urban Legend" is not a legend at all. It is still very easy here in the Bay if you know the right people. Mostly those who you've dealt with in the past (history).

 

A while back, I was pushing hard here to get everyone to push hard on SB1224. It failed to pass 3 to 4 with provisions to re-table it in the near future. This would have pushed California smog test years from 1975 up to 1981, 76-80 would have been exempt as well. I have a friend who is a Lobbyist in Sac. and she states that they are going to re-table it but it has no schedule yet on the docket. If it does.....UNITE!

[oldskoolvws]

Here's the original copy of SB1224 that never made it:

BILL NUMBER: SB 1224	INTRODUCED	BILL TEXTINTRODUCED BY   Senators La Malfa and Vargas                        FEBRUARY 23, 2012   An act to amend Section 44011 of the Health and Safety Code,relating to vehicular air pollution.	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST   SB 1224, as introduced, La Malfa. Smog check: biennial inspection:exemption.   Existing law establishes a motor vehicle inspection andmaintenance (smog check) program, administered by the Department ofConsumer Affairs. The smog check program requires inspection of motorvehicles upon initial registration, biennially upon renewal ofregistration, upon transfer of ownership, and in certain othercircumstances. Existing law exempts specified vehicles from beinginspected biennially upon renewal of registration, including, amongothers, all motor vehicles manufactured prior to the 1976 model-year.   This bill instead would exempt all motor vehicles prior to the1981 model-year from being inspected biennially upon renewal ofregistration.   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.State-mandated local program: no.THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:  SECTION 1.  Section 44011 of the Health and Safety Code is amendedto read:   44011.  (a) All motor vehicles powered by internal combustionengines that are registered within an area designated for programcoverage shall be required biennially to obtain a certificate ofcompliance or noncompliance, except for the following:   (1) All motorcycles until the department, pursuant to Section44012, implements test procedures applicable to motorcycles.   (2) All motor vehicles that have been issued a certificate ofcompliance or noncompliance or a repair cost waiver upon a change ofownership or initial registration in this state during the precedingsix months.   (3) All motor vehicles manufactured prior to the  1976  1981  model-year.   (4) (A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), all motor vehiclesfour or less model-years old.   (B) Beginning January 1, 2005, all motor vehicles six or lessmodel-years old, unless the state board finds that providing anexception for these vehicles will prohibit the state from meeting therequirements of Section 176(c) of the federal Clean Air Act (42U.S.C. Sec. 7401 et seq.) or the state's commitments with respect tothe state implementation plan required by the federal Clean Air Act.   (C) All motor vehicles excepted by this paragraph shall be subjectto testing and to certification requirements as determined by thedepartment, if any of the following apply:   (i) The department determines through remote sensing activities orother means that there is a substantial probability that the vehiclehas a tampered emission control system or would fail for other causea smog check test as specified in Section 44012.   (ii) The vehicle was previously registered outside this state andis undergoing initial registration in this state.   (iii) The vehicle is being registered as a specially constructedvehicle.   (iv) The vehicle has been selected for testing pursuant to Section44014.7 or any other provision of this chapter authorizingout-of-cycle testing.   (D) This paragraph does not apply to diesel-powered vehicles.   (5) In addition to the vehicles exempted pursuant to paragraph(4), any motor vehicle or class of motor vehicles exempted pursuantto subdivision (b) of Section 44024.5. It is the intent of theLegislature that the department, pursuant to the authority granted bythis paragraph, exempt at least 15 percent of the lowest emittingmotor vehicles from the biennial smog check inspection.   (6) All motor vehicles that the department determines wouldpresent prohibitive inspection or repair problems.   (7) Any vehicle registered to the owner of a fleet licensedpursuant to Section 44020 if the vehicle is garaged exclusivelyoutside the area included in program coverage, and is not primarilyoperated inside the area included in program coverage.   (8) (A) All diesel-powered vehicles manufactured prior to the 1998model-year.   (B) All diesel-powered vehicles that have a gross vehicle weightrating of 8,501 to 10,000 pounds, inclusive, until the department, inconsultation with the state board, pursuant to Section 44012,implements test procedures applicable to these vehicles.   (C) All diesel-powered vehicles that have a gross vehicle weightrating from 10,001 pounds to 14,000 pounds, inclusive, until thestate board and the Department of Motor Vehicles determine the bestmethod for identifying these vehicles, and until the department, inconsultation with the state board, pursuant to Section 44012,implements test procedures applicable to these vehicles.   (D) All diesel-powered vehicles that have a gross vehicle weightrating of 14,001 pounds or greater.   (b) Vehicles designated for program coverage in enhanced areasshall be required to obtain inspections from appropriate smog checkstations operating in enhanced areas.   (c) For purposes of subdivision (a), a collector motor vehicle, asdefined in Section 259 of the Vehicle Code, is exempt from thoseportions of the test required by subdivision (f) of Section 44012 ifthe collector motor vehicle meets all of the following criteria:   (1) Submission of proof that the motor vehicle is insured as acollector motor vehicle, as shall be required by regulation of thebureau.   (2) The motor vehicle is at least 35 model-years old.   (3) The motor vehicle complies with the exhaust emissionsstandards for that motor vehicle's class and model-year as prescribedby the department, and the motor vehicle passes a functionalinspection of the fuel cap and a visual inspection for liquid fuelleaks.   (d) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2010.

[thatdatto]

 

 

she passed guys!!!! Winning!

[oldskoolvws]

SO...the million dollar question is....how? What was done differently this time?

 

Congrats.

[thatdatto]

After trying to find a CAT with many failures and talking to a couple smog shops also with failures me and a friend decided to just go to random smog shops and see who wouldn't call to verify the cat.

 

Ended up showing up to a random shop and asked for a smog check. The tech pulls out his iphone, puts the license plates on a website and it tells him that it failed about a month ago and asked me why. I cringed a bit like damn im screwed! Haha. Told him it failed due to the cat however I didnt know why, I acted as if I knew nothing. So he gets under the truck and looks at it and says hmm it looks good to me. He pulls out his iohone once again and enters in the numbers on the cat. I once again cringed like dammit now im really screwed haha. Nope!!! He shows me on his phone and says why would the previous shop fail you if this cat is good for vehicles pre 1995 so its good. I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders when his next words were ok let me do a full check it will be 49 once complete. I said yes lets do it!! He still ran the truck twice and questioned me throughout the process because he didnt believe me it was just the cat being the issue due to him not personally knowing me he thought I was a ref trying to nail him for illegal smogs haha.

 

so basically long story short it passed just as it should have from the beginning.

 

A friend of a friend that is also a smog tech said the reason himself and others wouldn't smog it is because it had already failed once and if the next guy passes it it throws red flags up to dmv at their shop and can potentially lead to an investigation.

 

So I had made the mistake of telling this guys it hadnt passed due to the cat so thats y I had so many scared bums not willing to even touch the truck. That way I learn next time just dont say ish and just drive up and get it smogged and u might run into a smart guy like the one I used that actually knows their shit and wont call the hot line to check everything.

 

^success story so its long just had to vent it all out couldnt believe I struggled this much with something so simple!

[DAZE752]

Also another trick for them not being able to read the cat and its perfectly legal is to add a heat shield. 

 

California smog law states you have to check for a cat, but if theres a heat shield, you are not required to take it off.

[thatdatto]

Also another trick for them not being able to read the cat and its perfectly legal is to add a heat shield.

 

California smog law states you have to check for a cat, but if theres a heat shield, you are not required to take it off.

oh man where were you a few weeks ago before the headache started?!! Haha great info thanks!