ca smog is bs!
07-26-04, 08:44 PM
#1
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ca smog is bs!
God dammit I just failed smog and I have a bone stock car! Some freaken shady asian shop said it was due to my spark plugs and an exhaust leak!
07-26-04, 10:43 PM
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Don't feel bad dude, I live in MA, and every inspection place i bring it to says my exhaust is too loud. Most say I have a leak, but I know I don't because I put it up on a lift with my mechanic. Just ask people where they go (like kids with 6" mufflers on their civics). Either that, or just try to find a shop where a kid who likes imports works and does inspection. That's what I've been doing.
-Juice
-Juice
07-26-04, 11:15 PM
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See the thing is I don't know if this guy is trying to scam me and leave my car there for him to fix for a hundred.. I know these guy have never seen a rotary before, because they were just looking at the vaccum diagram for like the longest time. And after the 15 and 25 mph run he just shut off the engine right away.! I was like WTF!.... I saw that he tried to restart the car but it wouldn't start twice. Waited there for like 15 mins and I said to hell with that hundred and bounced.
07-27-04, 01:20 AM
#7
I know how you feel man. I just got my FD smogged and barely squeaked by. And that was with straight pipe exhaust, downpipe and Greddy intakes. The guy took a reaaaaally long look at my intake then passed me. And this is is CA too.
I can't understand how other people in CA are getting by with singles either. I mean the cops are ***** here. Then there's the local shop owner with a 3 rotor in his shop car, and I just have to wonder how he stays out of trouble. The smog guy lectured me and all saying that there's a new law in effect where the cops can just impound your car straightaway if they find emissions illegal crap in your car and you won't be able to get it back.
I can't understand how other people in CA are getting by with singles either. I mean the cops are ***** here. Then there's the local shop owner with a 3 rotor in his shop car, and I just have to wonder how he stays out of trouble. The smog guy lectured me and all saying that there's a new law in effect where the cops can just impound your car straightaway if they find emissions illegal crap in your car and you won't be able to get it back.
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07-27-04, 01:27 AM
#8
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Yo, you got to pm me the shop you went to! They want me to install another pre cat but I just want to do away with it and install a downpipe, but I am afraid of the visual inspection. Does the spark plugs really effect the emission though?
Last edited by ManGaZeRo; 07-27-04 at 01:43 AM.
07-27-04, 01:49 AM
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Try another shop, the one I went to didn't care about my intake or exhaust, and the car passed fine. I live in Redlands, so if you wanted to make a trip to this area, I could give you directions to the shop. Josh
07-27-04, 02:04 AM
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yea CA does suck with emissions. Down in my area for awhile there was a smog place, and people with illegal emission parts could come and they would just pass them without even looking at the car, but the cops found out and shut it down. I live in Sacramento i dont know where u live but i havent really failed emissions yet, but we'll see, i just installed an intake.
07-27-04, 02:56 AM
#13
Yes spark plugs make a difference. Change them, it's not too hard. Mine were really easy except for one, but I think that's because I didn't let it cool down enough before starting the job (first one was a real pain to get out)
bit more info for you: https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...hreadid=102707
-s-
bit more info for you: https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...hreadid=102707
-s-
07-27-04, 09:02 AM
#16
The stupid thing about the CA laws is that they don't offer owners of all-but-the-highest-production cars (Mustangs) a way to mod their cars legally. Personally, I feel I have a right to hotrod my car -- hotrodding is as American as apple pie. I'd be happy to make it clean if I could drive it legally that way, but I'm not going to waste my time if I don't even have that option.
Yes, parts makers can go through the CARB EO process, but that is not economically feasible unless there are a large number of owners of the car model in CA (read: only Mustangs, and maybe a few others). I believe the visual is there to check for parts that might affect cold start emissions, which aren't tested by the sniffer. But realistically, which is worse: a few cars with cold start emissions components removed but still clean when warm, or those same cars with completely dirty setups (and their disillusioned owners who are have to become outlaws to enjoy their right to hotrod). If you could pass emissions on the sniffer test alone, I would invest a lot of time in making my car pass that test with the setup I normally run. Vendors would, too -- releasing parts to help cars run clean would have some value in the CA market, and they could be reasonably priced in small quantities (CARB exemption testing doesn't work unless there are a huge number of cars sold). I want to be legal, and I think it wouldn't be that hard to pass the sniffer if that option was available. But it isn't available -- if you change anything under the hood you can't legally pass the test. So there is no point in trying to make the car pass the sniffer, since you'd fail the visual anyway. I find that to be incredibly stupid if the regulators truly have the goal of clean air.
We need clean air, but the current laws and regulations for CA emissions testing are truly broken. They attempt to unjustly limit the freedom of car enthusiasts to hotrod their cars, but in effect lead people to not care at all about running "clean" setups since they couldn't pass the test anyway. And it creates a significant feeling of ill will toward the DMV and law enforcement, which bleeds over into other government agencies as well. The laws need to change.
-Max
Yes, parts makers can go through the CARB EO process, but that is not economically feasible unless there are a large number of owners of the car model in CA (read: only Mustangs, and maybe a few others). I believe the visual is there to check for parts that might affect cold start emissions, which aren't tested by the sniffer. But realistically, which is worse: a few cars with cold start emissions components removed but still clean when warm, or those same cars with completely dirty setups (and their disillusioned owners who are have to become outlaws to enjoy their right to hotrod). If you could pass emissions on the sniffer test alone, I would invest a lot of time in making my car pass that test with the setup I normally run. Vendors would, too -- releasing parts to help cars run clean would have some value in the CA market, and they could be reasonably priced in small quantities (CARB exemption testing doesn't work unless there are a huge number of cars sold). I want to be legal, and I think it wouldn't be that hard to pass the sniffer if that option was available. But it isn't available -- if you change anything under the hood you can't legally pass the test. So there is no point in trying to make the car pass the sniffer, since you'd fail the visual anyway. I find that to be incredibly stupid if the regulators truly have the goal of clean air.
We need clean air, but the current laws and regulations for CA emissions testing are truly broken. They attempt to unjustly limit the freedom of car enthusiasts to hotrod their cars, but in effect lead people to not care at all about running "clean" setups since they couldn't pass the test anyway. And it creates a significant feeling of ill will toward the DMV and law enforcement, which bleeds over into other government agencies as well. The laws need to change.
-Max
07-27-04, 09:49 AM
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Max..
You are so right, that was very well said. Im moving back to Atlanta from Cali, so I called Atlanta's clean air force to see how the smog laws are. They told me they test every year...I was a little bummed out, then I asked if I can modifiy my car. They told me they ONLY do a visual on the cat. If you have a Cat and you pass the sniffer you are good. You can do anything else to the car legally. thats the way it should be.
The smog requirements are put in place to keep the air clean, we all can respect that, BUT...If your car meets those requirements and you have your emissions equipment on board you should be able to do anything else to your car.
My car has a street port, 3mm seals, catback , full exhaust, pfc, intercooler, etc... after I got my ACV problem taken care of my emissions were super clean. Why should my car be illegal, when its as clean as it is?
You are so right, that was very well said. Im moving back to Atlanta from Cali, so I called Atlanta's clean air force to see how the smog laws are. They told me they test every year...I was a little bummed out, then I asked if I can modifiy my car. They told me they ONLY do a visual on the cat. If you have a Cat and you pass the sniffer you are good. You can do anything else to the car legally. thats the way it should be.
The smog requirements are put in place to keep the air clean, we all can respect that, BUT...If your car meets those requirements and you have your emissions equipment on board you should be able to do anything else to your car.
My car has a street port, 3mm seals, catback , full exhaust, pfc, intercooler, etc... after I got my ACV problem taken care of my emissions were super clean. Why should my car be illegal, when its as clean as it is?
07-27-04, 03:04 PM
#20
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Originally Posted by ZeroBanger
I spent about $1500 and 7 tests before I finally passed, so dont feel bad.
california sucks.
california sucks.
07-27-04, 06:47 PM
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I'm for clean air, but if you really want to fix the problem..............VOTE!
I have to have some faith that there are some politicians with common sense.
Let them know you want some common sense laws.
Find them and vote for them. The eco-Natzis are killing it for all of us.
Hasn't any one seen the clouds of smoke and fumes from diesels?
Or noticed that the cities with the worst pollution usually have the highest traffic airports. What's the HC limit on a jet?
I have to have some faith that there are some politicians with common sense.
Let them know you want some common sense laws.
Find them and vote for them. The eco-Natzis are killing it for all of us.
Hasn't any one seen the clouds of smoke and fumes from diesels?
Or noticed that the cities with the worst pollution usually have the highest traffic airports. What's the HC limit on a jet?
07-27-04, 06:57 PM
#22
True and also ships that dock in LA and other ports up and down the coast of Cali have un-regulated diesel. They are using the dirtiest fuel they can find, bottom of the barrel stuff, why shouldn't they be regulated???? grr... Cruise liners included
07-28-04, 12:50 AM
#25
Originally Posted by ManGaZeRo
Is it going to be very easy to spot if I replace my precat with a downpipe?