Smog check - questions.

AFAIK, things vary from state to state and province to province..... you might let us know where you live so you can get pertinent advice.

lmfao foctard warman if no mil lite on he will pass

obd 2 ever hear of it lmfao

u go girl

hurc ast

Indeed, Tom... here in Alberta we don't even have any clear cut anti-tampering laws regarding emissions controls. All the Alberta government has been able to tell me is that we "can't" do that... there are no penaltes currently in place. Several years ago, I was informed "they are coming"...

Conversely, improper disposal of waste oil and antifreeze or improper refrigerant handling procedures can net both tech and employer some pretty hefty fines.

A quick trip to British Columbia shows an entirely different take on the subject.

lmfao now your babbling what does emmission control have to do with waste oil

lmfao U GO GIRL

hurc ast

lmfao u better get some obd2 certs

lmfao u go girl

hurc ast

Those that know anything regard both as "environmental impact". Zero pollution is an impossible dream.... therefore, it behooves each and everyone of us to minimize the "footprint" we leave behind.

A long time ago, someone astutely observed that "we don't own this planet.... we are borrowing it - from our grandchildren".

Naturally, everyone here doesn't expect you to realize any relevance in this and we await your next meaningless diatribe....

What is it, spring break?

Pass or don't pay is here in California. How about Alberta?

Frank

lmfao more treehugger babble still waiting for that oil change fail an emmission test

hurc ast

as usual tom the troll cant read

hurc ast

Sorry, my bad. I live in California, in the Sacramento area.

Thanks in advance.

C.G., I'm in Los Angeles. Here's my take:

Be wary? Yes, if you don't pass you are screwed. Been there, done that. They don't do repairs. Test only. Of course if you're positive it will pass it doesn't matter. If you're *not* sure, try to find a smog station that will work with you. Talk to them before you commit. Tell them it barely passed last time and you are really worried about it this time. Try to get a feel for whether they will work with you or not.

We have three vehicles and the guys at the local smog shop have gotten to know me. When I come in I usually remind them that I'm a regular with something like "Hi guys, me again" and show my fingers crossed.

When I did my T-Bird this last time they unplugged, then replugged the computer and had me drive on the freeway for 40 minutes and come back. It then passed by a whisker. The second reason to shop is (I'm pretty sure about this) that when your car is hooked up to the computer (at a test only place) and fails there is a record of it in Sacramento. Why pay to get one strike against you?

Sadly, we have nothing.... no visual, no code scan... nada, nunco, zip. We are so far behind the times that I'm lost for words.

FWIW... under warranty, I am not allowed to defeat emission controls.... when it comes to retail, I refuse to defeat emission controls.

I am certainly no tree hugger... but I do believe that we need to mind our excesses.

I'm confident that it will pass. But I'm also ignorant as to what they test. What components in the car should be in shape? There are no OBD lights 'on' except for the seat belt. The motorised seat-belt jammed last month and I disconnected the motor for now.

That said, my original concern was, "are there things that the mechanics could do to delibrately fail my car and try to make money out of me?". I might sound rather paranoid given the fact that I'm taking it to a test only center. But this is my first time and I thought it might help to be paranoid than sorry.

Thanks in advance.

I live in SoCal and have dealt with the smog laws most of my 50 odd years. I get my vehicles smogged at a local shop where I do business on a regular basis. If your vehicle is an 1987 or newer, the chances are very good it will pass. They will be looking at unburned hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen. A sniffer up the tail pipe will be reading your exhaust gasses. As long as the air filter is good, the MAP and MAS sensors are in working order, the plugs are in fair condition, the gas cap seal is good and the timing and idle are correct, you will pass assuming there are no codes. In the pre '87 days, they fiddled with your idle speed, tweaked the timing, adjusted the idle air mixture and tested the PCV valve, the EGR valve and its crappy little rubber diaphragm, the vacuum advance of the distributor and the choke mechanism along with the AIR injector system. In short, there was a lot more to go wrong. Newer autos using fuel injection and computer controlled ignition and timing burn so much more efficiently that unless those key parts have failed they easily pass. A state smog station is now real guarantee that the test will be done correctly. Ask around and see where your friends go. In my experience, Wal-Mart has been a good bet. They don't do repairs, really don't want to lose their state license, have no incentive to cheat you and are trained and certified by the state to do the test. YMMV of course.