passing CA emission standards

[Lyman]

Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
Originally Posted By: Blkstanger
Ca is the worst when it comes to this subject. It's all about power and control in this state. Power to tell you how to live your life and enough control to pull it off.


Or its about clean emissions from vehicles.


Many other states have adopted their standards.
I disagree. The way the system is set up is illogical. If a car passes the sniff test it can still fail on the visual test. So in the states eyes it's NOT about clean air. It's about control and power just as I stated.

 

[Merkava_4]

Originally Posted By: joaks
How stringent is this test?


The most stringent in the world.

 

[wrcsixeight]

If your emissions equipment is the same as it left the factory with...
If you are currently getting the maximum mileage you expect to get.....

Then passing A Smog will be painless.

My Van passed with a lazy 02 sensor, and an out of range coolant temp sensor, and smelling like it was running rich.

It is not that hard to pass the sniff portion of the test.

They even reduced the allowable CO on my vehicle and I was still well under.

I fear the portion where they pressurize the gas tank and see how well it holds.

The best numbers I ever got on a 2007 test, was when I tested the day after driving across country in 3 days.

Everybody in the shop was fairly astounded with the numbers, and the car before me had failed the sniffer portion.

 

[390pi]

Don't forget the EVAP test... in addition to the dyno test for 1976-1995 cars/trucks. Had older cars fail that many times.

Glad I left the state... it once was a fantastic place to grow up and live.

 

[cjcride]

Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Originally Posted By: joaks
How stringent is this test?


The most stringent in the world.


I thought Japan held that honor.

 

[Le_bow_ski]

Originally Posted By: wrcsixeight
If your emissions equipment is the same as it left the factory with...
If you are currently getting the maximum mileage you expect to get.....

Then passing A Smog will be painless.
That's my experience as well. Our twenty year old Miatas and fifteen year old Mustang GT pass with a very wide margin of safety. Folks make much more of it than there is. If your car doesn't pass it's because there's a problem that needs correction. Otherwise, it's really not an issue.

 

[The_Jeff]

Originally Posted By: Blkstanger
Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
Originally Posted By: Blkstanger
Ca is the worst when it comes to this subject. It's all about power and control in this state. Power to tell you how to live your life and enough control to pull it off.


Or its about clean emissions from vehicles.


Many other states have adopted their standards.
I disagree. The way the system is set up is illogical. If a car passes the sniff test it can still fail on the visual test. So in the states eyes it's NOT about clean air. It's about control and power just as I stated.


The sniff test is to catch gross pollution. It's not the end all be all thing. Good, as we'd have chinese cars by now if it were.

There are all sorts of events outside the scope of a 20 minute smog test that it takes to get a car EPA/CARB certified in the first place, and all the stuff that makes it tick still needs to be there. Cold starts, altitude, slamming the gas shut, lugging the engine, etc.

 

[Jarlaxle]

My CDV wouldn't pass a Kali visual smog check.

At the last IM240 test, it blew CLEANER than my 1997 Cherokee. (Which also passed easily.)

 

[Errtt]

Last time I took one of the vehicles in for smog, it was pulled out of the bay and while I was in the lobby, I didn't hear it ran on the rollers (2 different speeds) like usual. I though something failed, but when he came in the office I asked what is wrong with it. Nothing he said. It's not required anymore for this car.
Visual checks on some things and a visual at the tail pipe, opacity I guess, and of course no check engine light.
So in & out much faster, more vehicles in & out of the shop. Did it cost me less? Nope, not this time at this shop anyway.
Hope my other vehicle gets the same later this year, and my DD (2010) doesn't get smog check until the 6th year.

 

[tom slick]

Last smog check I had was a visual then they scanned the ECU. That's it.

 

[artificialist]

Originally Posted By: cjcride
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Originally Posted By: joaks
How stringent is this test?


The most stringent in the world.


I thought Japan held that honor.

My understanding was that in Japan, the fee for testing an older car is so huge, that it ended up making more sense to export those cars to New Zeland an Australia.

I thought Germany's car tests were the strictest.