Under California's complicated new Smog Check II program. how your car or truck will be testred depends a lot on where you live. Parts of the state with the dirtiest air -- mostly the Sacramento, Central Valley, Los Angeles and San Diego areas -- will face the toughest tests on new equipment. For other parts of the state, including most of the Bay Area, there are also strict new rules and standards.

HOW REMOTE SMOG SENSING WORKS

Remote smog sensors are appearing along California roadsides to measure emissions from cars as they drive by. The entire process takes about three seconds.

(1) An infrared beam shot across the highway picks up the contents of a car's exhaust. A calibrator and computer on the other side of the road screen and measure the emissions.

(2) At the same time, a camera snaps a pictire of the vehicle's license plate. The state uses that in information to find and notify the vehicle's owner if emissions are too high.

SMOG TESTS DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU LIVE

HOW OFTEN VEHICLES ARE TESTED

Toughest testing (a) Once every two years, unless vehicle is a high polluter, and when vehicle change owners.

Less strict Once every two years, unless vehicle is a high polluter, and when vehicle changes owners.

Least strict Only when vehicle changes owners.

HOW VEHICLE IS TESTED

Toughest testing (a) 15 percent of all vehicles tested at new smog centers, others tested at private garages. All tested on treadmills. Test results sent by computer to DMV.

Less strict All tested at private garages, no treadmill. Test result sent by computer to DMV.

Least strict All tested at private garages, no treadmill. Test results sent by computer to DMV.

IF VEHICLE FAILS

Toughest testing (a) High polluters must be repaired and retested at new smog centers. Less severe polluters must be repaired and retested at either private garages or smog centers.

Less strict High polluters must be repaired and retested at special referee centers. Less severe polluters must be repaired and retested at private garages.

Least strict Allvehicles must be repaired and retested at private garages.

REPAIR COST WAIVERS (b)

Toughest testing (a) Vehicle owner must spend at least $450 on smog-relatred repairs before getting a waiver if vehicle fails test.

Less strict Vehicle owner must spend at least $450 on smog-related repairs before getting a waiver if vehicle fails test.

Least strict N/A

Toughest testing (a) If you cannot afford needed smog repairs, you may apply for a one-time, one-year extension.

Less strict If you cannot afford needed smog repairs, you may apply for a one-time, one-year extension.

Least strict N/A

(a) The new program for more polluted areas will only take effect as Smog Check II becomes fully operational in those areas. Currently, Sacramento is the only area where the program is completely in place. The Central Valley will follow next spring. (b) Waivers are not avaiable for vehicles that are changing ownership or are being registered in California for the first time.

 

sounds like a failure from start..

 

The state doesnt have the funds to enact such an ordeal. Dont worry about it.

 

Nah the state will just cut more from education to fund this. Stock ftw.

 

i remembered when i failed smog like 50 times. **** california. they are already strict as it is, why dont they bother other states? plus i will just retire my car if they take a pic of my license plate.

 

good point.

either way, most any modded cars dont pass smog, just find a place to pass you.

 

Got a letter in the mail from the government telling us to sell our 1984 RX-7 because it gives off too big of a carbon footprint (But passes their strict smog laws). They offered like $500 to sell it to them.

They can go **** themselves.

 

really thats nuts.
By the way maverick didnt like the my 4 door for sale? PM me. Dont want the thread jack police on me.

 

That is crazy. I hope they do not do that in Nevada.

 

You know, I've always wondered, can they ticket me if I'm traveling through California in a horribly smog defying vehicle (some crazy turbocharged setup that of course would never be CARB exempt) if I'm not a resident of the state? Or am I free to go about and fill the LA basin with a little bit more NOx and CO?

 

what happens is if you get pulled over and the police officer suspects your car has something modified they will pop your hood(california only) Usually common mods without carb exempt stickers will be stamped with a state ref(state referee) sticker(headers, intake, exhaust, tape on your intake......etc). so yes they can ticket you, there is no excuses.

my friend just recently got pulled over, and they nailed him for modified exhaust. Since the cop knew his car was modified (crx that is lowered, exhaust, rims......) They asked to pop his hood. He is running a Gsr with basic bolt-ons, they got him(state ref) for tape around his intake boot, yellow valve cover, modified exhaust, and license plate lights. From my previous experience the police officer can only write you up for as many violations as the ticket can hold (4 lines, 4 violations)

 

Damn, random emissions checking? Ain't that some ****. Well, I just got my car smogged and the results were extremely low (rebuilt ftw), so at least I don't have to worry about that. But damn, I can imagine how many beaters and modded cars are gonna get it up the *** after this.

I don't get why there are so many places in the US and Canada with either no emissions, or extremely lax emissions. There are even CA counties with no emissions! Yet certain places get laid into super hard...hey, we're all breathing the same air here, buddy.

 

the terminator has really done a poor job with cali and is scrambling on how to tax more on the hard working folks like you and i here in L.A. smog cheking is a joke with a buck fitty any car passes!!!!!

 

They are getting ready to do that in Virginia too. Passing state wide emissions in a couple of months, setting up the road side testers.

I wonder if this allpies to classic cars. if not, you'll start to see antique cars that are emissions exempt on the road more often then. people will start selling all their 240sx's to buy 240z's. The Ef's on this board are getting real close to antique tag time.

once people start seeing the equipment and how it works, they will find a way around it. maybe divert the exhaust. run it back towards the front of the car so it disperses more before the sensor can take a reading. or put some kind of alcohol injector in the exhaust the burn the residual gas fumes like a lot of diesels do.

 

cali sucks...if i was to live there i would be snaping on the cops **** em...hope they never do this **** in PA.

 

What qualifies as an antique in Virginia? In CA, smog exempt is pre 76....I'm not gonna hold my breath for my EF being smog exempt here any time soon

 

here its 25 years.
GA
only a few more to go haha

 

If they really want to clean up the air tell them huge big rigs to take a hike. Most newer cars are pretty clean burning. Older honda are not that bad. Why sell an honda which gives 25+ mph per gallon and buy a chevy that does 8-15mpg. It just stupid I just paid 8.75% tax in sacramento. I thought it was only a fraction which they were raising ****! They raised it by a whole percent! Yea cut budgets from schools.

If we collectively do not pay tax they would be screwed. With the housing market crashing the governement free money is going down the toilet.

Just got my property tax bill nearly 300 bucks a ****en month. I am pissed with all this taxes (FREE MONEY) and government being un-responsible with all this money..one of the reasons why the government is failing. I see a **** load of cops, traffic cops everywhere doing nothing! Trying to make easy money!

The politicians are all bunch of crooks.

 

Well, cali fails horribly at making smog laws easy for people to take care of, but the rest of what you're saying I can't agree with.

1. You can talk about cutting school budget ( which is bad in the fact that part of the reason Cali is such a powerhouse is due to the graduates that it produces and their inventions, like the computer ) but what about the person who goes to school and doesn't, for instance, use roads as much as you do?

2. Cali wasn't lacking responsibility and that's not the reason why we're in a hole. The reason has nothing to do with politicians. Cali requires a balanced budget, and they had no way of factoring in all the lost taxes from foreclosures. So, on one hand you handcuff cali to not have any rainy day funds because they can't put aside money and on the other you have a scenario that isn't any single ( or multiple ) politicians' fault.

Politician's *can* suck sometimes but lets not pretend that the residents of the state are the real reason why we're in this mess.

 

it wont last, california will be 20 billion in debt next year becuase these propositions wont be passing next week. rest easy honestly, it wont happen.

 

No they can't do **** to you. I just moved out here to Cali from GA back in December. I drive my S14 which was my daily drift ****. It was obviously modified and my uncirculated bov was a nice give away. I was pulled over and he did ask me to pop my hood to see what I had. He said there was nothing he could do since I was a out of state resident. My car was registered and plated in GA, GA license, and the insurance was under my house in GA. He sais have a nice time in Cali. Since then I have thrown a rod and the car is being stipped and sold part by part. Now I drive a ef sedan lol >.>

 

I have seen those camera things on the on ramps of the 105 and 110 freeway. You can usually see a truck (looks like a roach coach) with a couple cameras on tripods and some sensors.