Hello group,
Here in California the smog check program has always been
rather byzantine and is about to get more so. There is now
being implemented a program whereby if your car is deemed
a "gross polluter" it cannot be registered, cannot be sold
and there is a very high or no limit for repair costs. If
your car is found to be a "gross polluter" you must go to
a state run test station to be retested. Currently, the
waiting list for retest is approx. 60 days. There has been
a lot of misinformation about this program including that
the state will seize your car and crush it!
The testing program only applies to cars 1966 model year
and newer and exempts electric and diesel cars. The
emission levels that make a car a gross polluter vary by
model year. I have heard that for a 1967 car, a gross
polluter is defined as emitting 4 times the average emissions
level for vehicles of that model year. For newer cars,
this number rises to 20 times the average.
The smog test equipment is now networked to the DMV so if
you fail a test, you cannot just go to another station
for a retest.
The test also includes a visual inspection. If anything is
missing or disconnected, it is an immediate fail and has to
go to the state station.
I could go on and on but I have one further point and one
question. Last point, The official literature for this
program states that this program is the model for the whole
country!
Question, for those of you in other states, what are the
smog testing requirements for your states currently? You
never know, I may want to move.
Reply direct.
Cheers,
Kurt Oblinger
Redondo Beach, Ca.
c394829@is6.mdc.com
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