California Smog Inspection

[huffer7.3]

Just got in the mail registraion for my truck. California now has a law that requires a smog inspection....Does anybody know anything about it? What shops are doing the inspections?

Thanks any info is a help...
Brandon

[cleatus12r]

California now has a law that requires a smog inspection....Does anybody know anything about it?
Brandon


Yeah, it's a revenue machine used for stuffing your state representatives' wallets and giving the EPA and CARB a false sense of purpose. :cursin:

Sorry, I can't help you with knowing anything about it other than you better have all of the emissions garbage that the truck came with installed or they'll fail you.

[huffer7.3]

Yeah that's kind of what I'm seeing. We have a truck that is pretty much stock that I think I will have to swap parts out for the test. I've pulled the intake heater, crankccase vent is on a bypass, differnt turbo, intercooler, intake, exhaust, exhaust brake, fuel system has a cooler on the return line, fuel regulated at 60lbs. I Just wondering how far they care to snoop under the hood. Plus the 6 position from bill. I spent a hour or so searching that it is more of a visual inspection. I believe they do a visual start up test and at a high rpm, looking for smoke.

I am thinking that i may need some advice from Bill. Maybe a tune just for smog to cut down on the smoke. On the 70 race that I run daily it smokes when you step on the throttle. Maybe the fuel sipper? Pull the chip and go stock.

Have to love California right?

[907DAVE]

That's pretty scary stuff!

The rumor is that they will be testing up here in 2012, but in the meantime they are going to start testing everyone's furnace.:smiley_roll1:
Heck there are already cat converters you can buy for your house if it doesn't pass.

For the gassers it is a visual and tailpipe test. If ANYTHING has been changed on your engine or exhaust (pre-cat) without a CARB # it is an automatic fail, regardless if tailpipe emissions. Explain that!

My question is for our diesels, what if the engine is all stock and fails the tail pipe emission test (NOX), or opacity test, or whatever they do?

There really is nothing you can do about it, there was no emission control devises on there to begin with, less the CCV.

And what about the Dodge guys with the "road draft" system?

Damn eco-****;)
Ok....rant over.:D

[cleatus12r]

without a CARB # it is an automatic fail, regardless if tailpipe emissions. Explain that!



Exactly: CARB


If your company didn't pay the California Air Resources Board enough money for an exemption (basically pay them off to turn a blind eye....) then you will fail.

[epowers777]

I live in cali. What I have heard is there is no visual inspection. They scan you r computer make sure theres no codes like overboost etc. then they sniff it. You can blow a certain number and I guess some people here left the chip in on economy and it passed.

A guy posted this on my page on my other question I had but hes in AZ. Call some shops ask ??? and let us know!!!

Here in AZ they do an opacity test. I went through earlier this month and passed with no problems. I left it on my performance tune and blew a 5 out of an allowed 40. The didnt plug into my OBDII port.

[soutthpaw]

here is the testing manual from CA in PDF... :cursin: so it lists everything that is pass or fail. The chip is generally hidden so most smog techs that are not well versed on diesel would miss it.... Might be worth using stock or have Bill make a no smoke tune if it fails under stock setting
http://www.autorepair.ca.gov/80_BARResources/05_Legislative/RegulatoryActions/Smog%20Check%20Manual%20w-diesel%208-09%20V3.pdf
Folks wonder why Banks stuff costs so much, other than all the money he spends on advertizing he pays lots of $$ to CA to get EO numbers for all his products... Not sure about Edge, Bill probably knows more if they have an EO number or not. EDIT: here is EDGE's take on EO numbers Edge Products: Customer Support (http://www.edgeproducts.com/customer_support_article.php?csak=33)

Maybe Bill can add more but I am sure as tunes are "Custom" each special tune would probably need an EO number... Oh, my FSR would not require emissions as its over the 14,000GVW... pre 1998 diesels don't require CA emissions testing either
From CA DMV website "Currently, smog inspections are required for all vehicles except diesel-powered vehicles manufactured prior to 1998 or with a Gross Vehicle Weight (GVWR) rating of more than 14,000 lbs , electric, natural gas powered vehicles over 14,000 lbs, hybrids, motorcycles, trailers, or gasoline-powered vehicles 1975 and older. "

[gabeyd]

Can we pass with the chip in (on stock setting I guess), or will the OBD II give some code that says there is a chip, or something else? I was planning on removing mine, but I'm not due until August, so I have some time for all of you to figure out the details for me...

Some say remove the chip, and then you have to drive a certain amount of time, or a certain number of key cycles after removing it to cycle out all the codes? Anyone know what the real story here is?

[Power Hungry]

The diesels are much less of a problem in regards to the P1000 problem because they don't have all the Evaporative equipment like gas vehicles do. In most cases, a couple key cycles will clear that right out. Also, we recommend switching to stock or a low HP program (25 Tow, for example) and you should pass just fine. Other than that, the chip doesn't leave any tell-tale codes unless you're getting Overboost, Intake Heater, or ICP codes which can easily be cleared by disconnecting the batteries for a few minutes. If you have a scan-tool, it's that much easier to keep tabs on that sort of stuff.

[fifity]

So if the phoenix is int he stock position and the tech hooks up an obd scanner, they wont be able to tell the chip is hooked up?

If so then :woot:

[cracknut]

Makes me glad I got the gryphon. I'll program back to stock and remove it for the test.

[Jackpine]

Please notice what Bill said, cracknut. When you program back to stock, it will set a P1000 (drive cycle) code that will cause you to fail, if the code is still set. He said a couple of "key cycles" should clear that code out, but I would not take it to the smog test unless I had driven the truck for about a week to make sure.

We advise people with the gas tunes to just leave the tune in and remove the Gryphon and cable, so the smog folks don't see it. Nobody's ever failed by doing it this way.

- Jack

[huffer7.3]

Got the smog inspection done...
I left the chip in and move it to my 40tow tune to do the visual smoke inspection.
The test is a complete visual inspection. He told me that any modification to the fuel system would require a carb number.
No problems with the my intake heater removed or overboost either.

Any big mods i would spend a day to remove them go test and then put them back on if they were going to be an issue.

[gabeyd]

I just got mine done too.

I removed the chip and the switch - better not to be found during a visual inspection - but, I probably could have just put the switch up under the dash.

I did not remove my over boost annihilator, as I couldn't. The map line was too short now to reach without it.

He looked around under the hood with a flashlight. Didn't find anything that he commented to me about - I have a Motorcraft AIS intake, and a 4" downpipe, and the overboost annihilator, but otherwise, stock under the hood.

He looked around inside a little, but didn't even say anything about my brake controller - which could look like a programmer?

He revved it up a few times, it smoked a tinny bit, but I guess as long as it clears in < 3 seconds, it doesn't matter how much it smokes. Mine clears instantly as soon as the RPMs fall...

I passed. It was no big deal for my minor mods.

[epowers777]

Did he stick a.scanner on it? And did he look under the dash at.your computer?

[gabeyd]

Did he stick a.scanner on it? And did he look under the dash at.your computer?

For mine, I don't know, he wouldn't really let me watch, they made me wait in the office. I've heard they put a scanner on it, but I don't know. I didn't have my computer under the dash - I removed it all together, I just think I could have left it under the dash. But, it's not that hard to remove, so I just removed it then I wouldn't stress so much during the test.