Getting a smog in California

Zach · Jan 31, 2018

For you guys that are running the Air Doc intake tube or anything else, you may want to switch back to stock for smog. Guess the new laws since the first of the year, you may fail the visual test. And without a CARB number on the Air Doc, they will fail you. Just did a tap dance to get the 2 passed. Just a heads up

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08H3 · Feb 1, 2018

Love California, but your smog rules would kill any hope of me ever living there. I'll have to stick to Indiana where they allow any bucket of crap on the road.

cgalpha08 · Feb 1, 2018

08H3 said:
Love California, but your smog rules would kill any hope of me ever living there. I'll have to stick to Indiana where they allow any bucket of crap on the road.

Saw a m minivan without a hood or front bumper driving down the road here lol

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scoreh3 · Feb 1, 2018

My guy didn't mind the AirDoc on my H3 , but he wouldn't pass my F150 with a cold air K&N. The K&N has a CARB sticker and is Ca compliant , but now they say all air boxes must be a closed system.

08H3 · Feb 1, 2018

In all seriousness, how do you CA guys deal with that? I know all my cars would fail for one reason or the other. Hummer has an AirDoc, Jeep is a total piece of smoking crap (but I like it), truck has a perpetual engine light, Monte Carlo MAY pass, but it's 31 years old with a carburetor, so I doubt it. Wife's car has weird emissions exemption sticker under the hood, which I really never did figure out why, but have always been curious. I'd be riding a bike.

scoreh3 · Feb 1, 2018

I keep the stock air boxes in a box in the garage just in case. Now I'm glad I did. So it looks like every other year I'll be putting the stock intake on for the afternoon. It's a good thing it's a quick and easy swap. Your engine is an automatic fail . The smog tests now are all OBD plug in tests and any code will fail you.

Mr_Rich · Feb 1, 2018

Is there a specific regulation number to look up regarding any changes to the intake tract of the engine excluding any mods to the engine? An Air Doc keeps the intake system "closed" by the reason posted previously. I got grief when I tried to smog my Firebird with an LS6 engine. An LS6 has an improved PCV system that routes the breather hoses on the opposite side of the engine compared to the stock LS1 and I almost got a fail because of it. The shop recommended I get a sticker from a referee which I was told there is one location in San Luis Obispo County.

scoreh3 · Feb 1, 2018

I don't know of any place to look up what is good and what's not. The guy doing the smog on my F150 said the CARB sticker was good for the old test rules , but now it has to be a closed system. I swapped out the air box to pass , but I'll be calling/emailing K&N to tell them that Ca will not pass the system they are still selling as Ca compliant. I still can't figure out how you can change the rules and not grandfather in the old CARB stickers.

08H3 · Feb 1, 2018

So, not to keep asking dumb questions as an outsider, but SoCal is probably the hub of customs. How can all those hot rods and one offs pass?

Edit: Tennessee is pretty awesome, too. This is NOT the first car I've ever seen down there to use plywood for automotive repairs. Does CA have a termite inspection? This might not pass!

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Mr_Rich · Feb 1, 2018

08H3 said:
So, not to keep asking dumb questions as an outsider, but SoCal is probably the hub of customs. How can all those hot rods and one offs pass?

You're golden as long as the vehicle qualifies as pre-1975. If you sell the vehicle to someone outside of your immediate family it needs to be smogged.

Mr_Rich · Feb 1, 2018

That's one reason that I go to the shop I've been dealing with for the last twenty years. Even then my older vehicles are suspect because I like to keep the engine compartments clean and everything looks too new for the year of the vehicle I suspect.

Mr_Rich · Feb 1, 2018

One of the differences in stock vs. aftermarket air intake systems is that stock systems are noise baffles. I don't really notice that difference myself...

rascole · Feb 1, 2018

That law was in effect last year when I had to smog my 06. My mechanic passed the visual anyways. Tail pipe and OBD2 are the only concerns that matter. Find a good mechanic and stick with him. As for the stock system, it is a volume chamber and designed to smooth out cylinder pulsations, noise dampening is a mere benefit.

Zach · Feb 1, 2018

I went to one that I've gone to before. Tags were up and had just put a cat on the Pig. Wasn't just the Air Doc, my headers were an issue too. Then tried to say the power source for winch, lol. A CARB number your good. Smogged my truck truck with same set up for years. Since the first of the year it has changed

cbetts · Feb 2, 2018

Not a new law. My last two inspections (2016, 2014) required the stock system in place. I tried arguing that the stock air box was still there but it didn't matter. It takes very little work to swap back, provided you kept the stock parts.

Zach · Feb 2, 2018

cbetts said:
Not a new law. My last two inspections (2016, 2014) required the stock system in place. I tried arguing that the stock air box was still there but it didn't matter. It takes very little work to swap back, provided you kept the stock parts.

Headers don't help either[emoji33]

Getting a smog in California

Zach

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08H3

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cgalpha08

"Like Nothing Else"

scoreh3

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08H3

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scoreh3

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Mr_Rich

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scoreh3

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08H3

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Mr_Rich

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Mr_Rich

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Mr_Rich

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rascole

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Zach

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cbetts

NERD!!!

Zach

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