HUH? no sniffer test? -you mean they don't stick the long probe up my cars A**?
What do they do then?

(yeah, i've had no codes thrown, etc... ..actually ever for anything on my MCS). -maybe 1x for a low tire pressure ...but never related to emissions.

 

-okay just read most of AB-2289...
http://www.smogtips.com/new-smog-law-AB-2289.cfm

I love it, so basically a visual inspection and relying on the car's own OBII readout. So if I've never thrown a code I should be good?

-------

here is a new question,
how have other's experience been in regards to mod's and the visual portion of the inspection. I mean if they are relying on the car's own computer to determine if emissions are w/in spec' ...then do they care about a CAI?

 

Subbed!

 

as long as all your emission monitors are checked by the ECU and you are not throwing a CEL, you'll be fine assuming your tech passes your visual inspection, no carb sticker means you are not passing but thats at the discretion of the tech

Worst case you put the stock intake back on for a little bit until you smog the car, then you put it back on

 

brought my MINI in today for smog.
FAIL. -I LOVE California.


...and the reason for my fail? Aftermarsket turbo boost and water temp gauges!!! I was like WTF? The tech guy at the smog station I went to said that the gauges represented a performance upgrade that was not OEM and thus not legal.


He agreed that if I removed them he'd retest the car.


Surprisngly he did not notice my NM downpipe exhaust and the entire test went well other than the aftermarket gauges. So f'n stupid ...so I removed the gauges and wires that were related to them in the engine bay.


So fingers crossed that this will go better tomorrow.


I should have known, ...he failed the previous two people in front of me too. Both mid 90s cars.


Had I not had to pay already I would go somewhere else, but he said he'd not charge me again if I brought it back and it passed.

 

..seriously, gauges!! -I am still in disbelief!

 

What a joke. I guess it makes the guy feel important and powerful, some people need that.

 

 

Or, you could report this guy, and help fix the system... Intent has nothing to do with anything.

Then again you were dumb enough to try and get inspected knowing full well you should fail visual for the downpipe... Just saying

 

Um, sure I was dumb enough to try... So guess this is what I deserve is what your saying? ....thought we were all car guys here.

 

What does being a car guy have to do with removing the catcon in the downpipe? No reason to screw up everyone's air because you want a bit more Hp on the cheap. The MINI is not a fast car, and never will be. But it is entertaining.


Do you guys still have brown air out there? I remember being in LA in the 70's. You could cut the air with a knife, and it burned your eyes and throat. About 200 days a year worth. Yes, C.A.R.B. is a bit of a killjoy, but you sure have a lot fewer respiratory challenging days because of it.

 

So I passed smog today with emissions well within the boundaries using my NM Engineering "Downpipe Back Exhaust" -2nd cat removed. Yes, they did do a sniff test as well as the CEL and visual tests.

Here is where I feel the weenies at the state level are not doing us a service and where they have missed the spirit of the intent of the law. Richard, I feel you too are miss understanding me and also missing the spirit of the law. The smog law as I understand was to get high polluters off the road. Which I agree with 100%. However the issue I have is with the visual portion of the inspection which seems to be completely subjective based on the personality of the smog technician and or their mood that day.
A truly non biased smog test would be to administer the sniff test only. You should be allowed to do whatever the heck you want with your car so long as it passes the sniff test and your car is under the specified limits set by the state. This would get high polluters off the road and alleviate a huge headache for consumers and free up bureaucracy within the state. Most industries work like this and as a result promote creativity.

What difference does it make if I put a CAI on my car if it does not effect my emissions in a negative way? Seriously, can someone give me a good answer for this other than "because it is the law". Even with my mod's (NM Exhaust) I passed well under the limits set for my car. In fact my readings were probably extremely close to those of an OEM car if not the same. The CARB listings are a joke. Yes a total joke, what makes one CAI intake CARB legal and another not is strictly a license paid by the manufacturer.

My results were this:
CO2: MAX Allowed: 15.3 Measured: 0.1
HC: MAX Allowed: 60 Measured: 2
NO (PPM): MAX Allowed: 459 Measured: 8

I realize that I may not understand how the measurements relate to those allowed and my readings may look more drastic than they actually are read. But the point is that my car is NOT a polluter as another poster stated, and the visual portion of the law is biased. Maybe because I am a programmer by trade I like logical solutions and the visual test seems totally random/arbitrary to me. The smog tech I took my car to was looking for ANYTHING that was not factory. He was even looking at my turbo heat shield quite a bit.

anyway,
hope this helps others as they get their MINI's smogged w/ the NM setup I had.
the real smog test here is the visual test, which is arbitrary (in my opinion and understanding). As most of our mods are not really effecting emissions as far as I can tell.

 

Sorry, I thought you put a cat less downpipe on the car. No way that would pass a sniffer test. And I agree, if the car passes a sniffer, it shouldn't matter what you did.

Have fun.

 

-ah, thanks Richard. No prob-

yeah, I do not want polluters on the road and in no way would I completely remove my primary cat and become a polluter.

yeah, just annoyed whenever I have to deal w/ the state, -DMV, Smog tech's, etc... all state bureaucracy is a pita.

 

why didnt you take it somewhere else where the guy isnt ****ing **** about it?

I drive 30mins to get smogged because my tech isnt **** about gauges, gauges are just gauges, nothing more or less, nothing illegal about them

if carb really cared about the air, they would only do the sniffer test, the visual inspection is only to attack the 1% of people who mod their cars, and that argument doesnt hold through since cars are much more efficient now then they were in the 70s, florida has no smog at all, and everyone one i know with a modded car there is catless, but there is no huge pollution problem and their air isnt orange

 

I took it back to the same place because I was charged a fee for failing. They charge a reduced rate for a fail. Even though he did not do the test in it's entirety he still charged me for a fail. But, said that if I brought it back and it passed the visual inspection that he'd charge a reduced rate for the PASS. So all in all, I paid about the same as if it passed the first time.

I found the entire experience to be questionable, ...he was failing cars left and right.

Yet I feel powerless to these ****'s ...I looked up our state's CARB representative, but can not find a direct email to him ...only a general email address to the state's website ....which I am sure will go nowhere. I am hoping to email someone directly who will seriously consider what I went through and the BS involved. I am not really sure where to even start w/ the system. And maybe its not worth it as I only have to put up w/ this every other year.

Yes, in the future I will definitely go to a different smog place. Yet it is a total crap-shoot w/ these places.

I was thinking of writing a letter to some of the auto magazines I subscribe to ...see if they could write an article about the madness! ...maybe get some attention.
Don't mistake, I have no issue w/ the emissions test (that makes 100% perfect sense). It is the visual test which I take issue w/ being arbitrary and subjective.

 

-okay I sent out a letter to 2 of the auto magazines I subscribe to asking them to consider doing a story/report on smog laws. ...as I don't recall reading about them in any magazine ever.

Also sent a letter to a CA state rep' ...yet I am sure that will go nowhere.

hoping the magazines can draw some attention. Going to see if there are any organizations out there ...someone else who thinks the visual test should be repealed and get these smog techs' to stop interpreting it to their benefit. I did pay about $15 buck more for the fail and pass ...so wondering if this is a quick scam to get an extra $15 bucks out of people?? But the system allows this.

 

here is a petition to get a 30yr rolling exemption, if interested please sign:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/casmogblows

 

Signed! Thank you.

 

Thanks for signing,