Being sent to California smog referee

P49Y-CY

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The tech didnt even plug in anything to the car he just scanned the smog notice. I would have to swap back to the stock pulley which I dont even have a puller.

This is interesting. So your smog guy never hooked up the state computer but you still need to see the ref?

+1 are you sure he didn't plug it in? maybe you just didn't see him do it?

the good news - if you can call it that - is at least billetflow has started making their awesome pulley pullers again. when i called i told them they should start making their 3.65 rings again too, they probably would have alot of interested buyers from california lol
 

Stangra

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[QUOTE="cesar24, post: 16333858, member: 137838" ...trying to figure out if I should take it with the tune or go back to stock which I would have to swap back to the stock pulley which I dont even have a puller. And I'm not sure how the port will affect the car on the stock tune. Any info helps![/QUOTE]

I think those guys at the referee station have seen it all, know what to look for, and will scrutinize everything. Bad idea trying to get anything past them, not sure what happens when they find a non-compliant set-up but it can't be good.
 

03cobra#2

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I would think you would be OK with the stock tune and the smaller pulley. Just stay out of boost.

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01yellercobra

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I just got done reading the thread and I'm going through the same thing. I've had my 03 for 8 years and never had any issues with smog until now I got flagged to go to the state ref also. The tech didnt even plug in anything to the car he just scanned the smog notice. I have a tune from AED and its passed the star smog before I just swap back to my stock midpipe. The car is ported with a 2.76 pulley stock lower and a CARB legal intake. I had ran the car before going and all the monitors were ready except evap according to my scanner. My question is has anyone tried going to the ref with their tune if it has the monitors ready? I have an appointment Thursday and trying to figure out if I should take it with the tune or go back to stock which I would have to swap back to the stock pulley which I dont even have a puller. And I'm not sure how the port will affect the car on the stock tune. Any info helps!
As long as you have the stock MAF and injectors you'll be fine. As mentioned stay out of boost. My last time getting smogged I had to write a base tune and all my monitors were set within 20 miles. I used a scanner to check them.

I would say something is up with your smog guy, but a local guy got a notice to go to the ref station after getting smogged. But then I know he had all his monitors turned off.

Next December is going to be interesting for me.
 

cesar24

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Ive been going to the same smog guy for a while but got flagged somehow this time around. I was standing nearby and he didn't plug the state computer into the port at all. I called Shaun at AED and he said when he tuned the car he didn't change any of the monitors that affect emissions. He said visual should be the main concern as they want pretty much everything stock. I still have the stock MAF on. I'm gonna try my chances with the tune and take off the snub idler and put the supercharger pulley cage back and see what happens. Shaun did note that they're starting to crack down on these cars hard and essentially don't want them on the road anymore. Gonna be interesting for the guys that are heavily modded in CA.
 
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Blkkbgt

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Ive been going to the same smog guy for a while but got flagged somehow this time around. I was standing nearby and he didn't plug the state computer into the port at all. I called Shaun at AED and he said there's no way for them to verify that it has a tune. He said when he tuned the car he didn't change any of the monitors that affect emissions. He said visual should be the main concern as they want pretty much everything stock. I still have the stock MAF on. I'm gonna try my chances with the tune and take off the snub idler and put the supercharger pulley cage back on to hide the pulley and see what happens. Shaun did note that they're starting to crack down on these cars hard and essentially don't want them on the road anymore. Gonna be interesting for the guys that are heavily modded in CA.

Something in the tune from your last smog was probably flagged by the state and it's just now catching up to you would be my guess.

You said he didnt mess with any of the monitors that effect emissions but are ANY of them turned off?
 
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01yellercobra

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Ive been going to the same smog guy for a while but got flagged somehow this time around. I was standing nearby and he didn't plug the state computer into the port at all. I called Shaun at AED and he said there's no way for them to verify that it has a tune. He said when he tuned the car he didn't change any of the monitors that affect emissions. He said visual should be the main concern as they want pretty much everything stock. I still have the stock MAF on. I'm gonna try my chances with the tune and take off the snub idler and put the supercharger pulley cage back on to hide the pulley and see what happens. Shaun did note that they're starting to crack down on these cars hard and essentially don't want them on the road anymore. Gonna be interesting for the guys that are heavily modded in CA.

I didn't have the stock tune in mine when it was smogged. So they can't tell with our cars at least.

To show how things have changed I got sent to the ref when I had my 01 Cobra. It had a D1 and a busted stock engine. I pulled the D1 and put the stock mid pipe back on. It passed with an aftermarket tune and the rear O2's turned off.
 

nxhappy

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if they aren't 100% on par with laws they can fail you for any stupid reason. Make it look as close too stock as possible for the visual. A tune is ok, but your monitors have to be "set" and clear. you have to have cats. and your SC has to be CARB, as well as the intake. Goddamn I can't wait to leave this shit hole.
 

Wings65288

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Register the car out of state and be done with this crap. CA has gone full and i mean FULL retard.
this is what I'm saying. How come people aren't doing this? I'm in just about the northern most part of California and they're more lax up here (no smog in my county). But if it gets bad I plan on registering my car out of state.

My question is if you get popped can u just say screw the ref station and just reg it out of state?
 

BADBOYSVT

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Question .. when you get flag and send to the referee . It’s require to go ? Do you have time limit ? I know you have to pass emission to renew your tag just like in Texas .
 

rolive

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Question .. when you get flag and send to the referee . It’s require to go ? Do you have time limit ? I know you have to pass emission to renew your tag just like in Texas .

No smog cert=no registration or yearly tags.


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rolive

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this is what I'm saying. How come people aren't doing this? I'm in just about the northern most part of California and they're more lax up here (no smog in my county). But if it gets bad I plan on registering my car out of state.

My question is if you get popped can u just say screw the ref station and just reg it out of state?

That was my plan B. My family lives up in Del Norte county, so if I couldn’t get past the smog I was just going to wait a bit then register at her address, until the smog nazi’s invade up there anyway.


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01yellercobra

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this is what I'm saying. How come people aren't doing this? I'm in just about the northern most part of California and they're more lax up here (no smog in my county). But if it gets bad I plan on registering my car out of state.

My question is if you get popped can u just say screw the ref station and just reg it out of state?
If you get pulled over with out of state plates and a cali license you'll get fined. I was opposite in that my car had cali plates and I had an Az license. I was prior military so I didn't think about it. I had to pay for the license and whatever the fine was. I'm sure it's gone up since then.
 

gimmie11s

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this is what I'm saying. How come people aren't doing this? I'm in just about the northern most part of California and they're more lax up here (no smog in my county). But if it gets bad I plan on registering my car out of state.

My question is if you get popped can u just say screw the ref station and just reg it out of state?

Exactly. You would place the car on "non-op" in CA and then register in another state. This is done all the time.

If you get pulled over with out of state plates and a cali license you'll get fined. I was opposite in that my car had cali plates and I had an Az license. I was prior military so I didn't think about it. I had to pay for the license and whatever the fine was. I'm sure it's gone up since then.


Nonsense. That's an easy win in court for people who have addresses in other states and are simply visiting CA. You can't fine someone for "driving through" who doesnt live here.
 

Wings65288

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Yeah I see people all the time up here with Oregon plates. I think you can get an Oregon ID too somehow. I know for sure you can create a small business through a courthouse and register your car though the business in ANY county in Oregon except Medford and Portland as they have smog in those 2 counties. I met a guy recently who had a lot of info on this. I need to get his number and ask him more about it
 

Wings65288

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Lol it's so sad we gotta go through all this, sucks you have to mod your car in fear nowadays.
 

01yellercobra

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Exactly. You would place the car on "non-op" in CA and then register in another state. This is done all the time.




Nonsense. That's an easy win in court for people who have addresses in other states and are simply visiting CA. You can't fine someone for "driving through" who doesnt live here.
If you have a cali license obviously you're not just passing through. The fact that my name was on the registration for my car with a cali residence showed I wasn't just passing through.

You can do what a friend of mine did. He owns a place in Az so all of his none daily drivers are registered out there. His daily is still registered here. But he went ahead and got an Az license. He was pulled over once in one of his Az registered cars and was let go with no issue.
 

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