CA DIESEL SMOG TEST

Curious if anyone has had a smog check done in Southern California. Any issues? What did you pay? Just got my renewal...need to get it done.

Check out this forum. These guys are great and can answer your questions. Actually, it has already been discussed; just look around.

Southern California Power Strokes

Had smog done today. Fortunately I did some research. It seems that parts of the test, which is very minimal, are also quite subjective. Plug in to check vital signs is majority of test, no fuel cap, no stick up tail pipe, no rev's etc....but the biggy is the VISUAL, depending on where it is taken IT WILL FAIL, with any type of performance chip in sight. I called around and found this out ahead of time. Fortunate for me I also found a connection where this visual is not a concern.....and cost was less than $40. What a pain.

Had mine SMOGGED (very loose term) in February, and the first thing the tester asked me after seeing the Banks sticker on the side of the truck, "this is a guaranteed failure", but when I explained that it only has the Exhaust Brake setup, he said that was OK. Since I was under a deadline, cause I hadnt had it done earlier, I ran it over to the Ford dealer and $80 later.. what a ripoff. Next time I'll check the "nickle snatcher" newspaper and cut out one of the $29.99 coupons. I dont know how all the folks who have the chips, etc are working out. Funny, Banks has nothing in their ads saying that their products arent legal in Mexifornia.

Banks is not the only one. B&D is another. They push all the get and go stuff but never tell you not for use in CA.

Had mine done yesterday 48 bucks what a rip after ten years and nothing now they found another thing to pick on.
They check just a few things and do a quick rev to see if it smokes IMO not a test at all what a joke.

Here is what it has to pass Visually
1:PCV
2:Fuel Injection
3:Vacuum Line Connections
4:MIL ?
5:Other Emission Related
6:Liquid Fuel Leaks

By the way if you go to the state website they have a list of approved after market parts you can use.
That includes certain chips and intake systems.

Banks systems are supposed to pass the visual smog if you believe this release from Banks.

http://www.bankspower.com/fridaynightnews/show/34

Onetonford - Great info.

mattebury - If anybody believes that BS I have some sand in my pipeline that people swears comes from the desert. It will go for 20 dollars a lb.

Well today I moved the cat out to check something out and I got out to check clearance got back into truck put throttle down nothing would not rev up put truck into park tried throttle again and reved fine. put into gear and worked fine but now the check engine light is lit going to have to get a code reader and see what code I'm getting. Good thing it didn't do it when I had it smogged because it wouldn't of passed!

Our Mot test is very strict over here and they put a probe up the exhaust to measure the gases that come from the engine.
Sean

onetonford wrote:Had mine done yesterday 48 bucks what a rip after ten years and nothing now they found another thing to pick on.
They check just a few things and do a quick rev to see if it smokes IMO not a test at all what a joke.

Here is what it has to pass Visually
1:PCV
2:Fuel Injection
3:Vacuum Line Connections
4:MIL ?
5:Other Emission Related
6:Liquid Fuel Leaks

MIL eliminators are popular products with performance guys. A MIL eliminator plugs in line with an O2 sensor and the main wiring. If you remove your catalytic converters, you would get a code and automatically fail emissions test. A MIL eliminator plugs in line and lies to the computer, telling it that the reading on the O2 sensor is fine and the Catalytic converter/s is working fine. You'd have to visually check to see if these are present.

My cat ran away along time ago. No code on any code reader yet.

Portagie1968 wrote:My cat ran away along time ago. No code on any code reader yet.

Was there an O2 sensor shortly after the cat?

Using a tuner or programmer is another way around that. And things could be different with diesel. My experience with MIL elims was strictly gas performance cars. I know a CEL and a code came through in the first few drive cycles on 4.6L Mustangs after getting rid of cats.

No o2 sensor after the cat

Portagie1968 wrote:No o2 sensor after the cat

That would be why then. On Gas engines, there's a sensor just after the cat that verifies that it's doing it's jobs catalyzing the exhaust gases. Without a sensor, it can check anything. I still have a lot to learn about diesels, now I just have to find a way to pitch buying one to the DW.

More power. Better Gas mileage. Longer Life. Old models less smog, Use to have less problems, and I am hooked.

Ford CC LWB, Allison tramission, Cummins and that is a truck for the ages. Make we cry with envy and pride if I had one. U would need two Ford truck bodies and two transmissions before thew cummins wore out.