I recently moved to California and as a result had to have the car smogged to get it registered. Anyways, I should have had a pre-test smog check done but I didn't know and I had it tested and it failed the nitrous oxide part of the test and now is labeled a gross polluter. All that was wrong was the the EGR valve was not working. But the problem now is that the car is labeled a gross polluter. It sounds like a minor problem has turned into a major problem. It looks like now that the car is in the California system as a gross polluter, it will have to be tested every year from now on and at only at test only stations which charge a lot more. I am now leaning on the possibility of just keeping my Washington state license and keeping the car registered in Washington. My Washington state license doens't expire for another 3 years so maybe by then, I can have the car tested again and they will have forgot that the car failed. Since I have not registered the car in California, how long will the gross polluter label stay in the California DMV computer? I just wish I could just have the car retested because I know it will pass now.
- posted
20 years ago