Smog Test Only Stations CA

[Solid Red 98]

When you get a "Smog Test Only Station" notation on your CA registration, do you trust any one of them, or do you try to find one that handles high performance cars? Since they dyno the car, I am leery of some smog hack handling my snake. Recommendations?

 

[Paul Hawker]

On the dyno they only run certain RPM's. Pretty cut and dried. You can watch while they do it. They do a visual and stick a probe up the exhaust.

 

[Martin]

Where are you located? I have a guy in Cupertino that is a test-only station that does Vipers all the time. He lets you drive your own car onto the dyno and stand right by while he checks everything. Price is pretty good, too.

 

[Newport Viper]

Been to many different ones, never a problem.....

 

[redtanrt10]

Have a good guy in south orange county, has done alot of vipers. As Paul said they only run the car to maybe 2500, open the hood and look for the emission stickers and place the probe in the sidepipes or rear tailpipe. (Help them with the hood if they don't know vipers). My shop also gives me the option of loading and unloading on the dyno.
If you car is lowered just make sure they don't scrape the nose backing it in. My guy has boards just in case.

 

[bluesrt]

when we had it st louis,all the employees were x rodeo clowns,thank god we dont have them any more,they all got back in the rodeo business,oh and some were x kindercare emplyees too.

 

[Solid Red 98]

OK, I'll just take it in after a freeway run and watch'em like a hawk. Thanks guys.

 

[Paul Hawker]

Vipers tend to run pretty clean. Only problem I have seen is with people that put in aftermarket hi flow cats. They run clean for a while, then tend to be less effective when they get some miles on them.

Some cars will even test well with only one cat, but they also tend to fail after some miles.

 

[Martin]

Vipers tend to run pretty clean. Only problem I have seen is with people that put in aftermarket hi flow cats. They run clean for a while, then tend to be less effective when they get some miles on them.

Some cars will even test well with only one cat, but they also tend to fail after some miles.

I've run into that, too... Failed once and then took the car out on the freeway and drove it at 5000 RPM for a few miles. Bought it back for a re-test, and passed clean as a whistle

One thing that is a real bummer in CA right now is the $500 repair credit that is now un-funded. My Jeep is also a 'test only' car, and it failed real bad one time because the high-flow cat went south (was 4-wheeling, and something hit it and shattered the innerds). I applied for the fix-it credit, and got a brand new high-flow cat installed compliments of The State.

 

[Solid Red 98]

Well, as a follow up, I drove around and found a very clean establishment with two young "techs" standing around with nothing to do. Having never tested a Viper, they treated it as if it was made of heavenly matter. These guys really enjoyed looking the car over while listening to the lumpy cam and resonance of the 98+Borla rumbling idle.

I backed the car up onto the dyno and one of the guys ran through a couple of gears at low speed. The look on his face was like a kid in a candy store.

The car Passed with flying colors. A viper has the ability to turn A mundane smog test into a fun BS and Q&A session. A playful launch down the street left smiles all around. I must say that this is the first time I've ever enjoyed a smog inspection.

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

Cats fail in a manner that the light-off temperature increases. So they don't really stop working, the temperature threshold increases. This is why cars come with pre-cats - because they are smaller mass and closer to the heat of the engine exhaust, so they start working sooner. (The EPA test forces OEMs to get the cats to operate quickly.) If your driving doesn't get up to temp, it will seem like it is dead; drive in a manner to "warm it up" and it will work close to like new. Once it's "lit off" it should maintain efficiency, so the idea of a hard drive before visiting the smog station has some merit.