BigMike's Forum

Off Topic => Chit Chat => Topic started by: Sirdeuce on January 07, 2016, 01:52:16 PM

Title: More CA SMOG program complaints
Post by: Sirdeuce on January 07, 2016, 01:52:16 PM
So, more problems with the smog program/inspectors/stations. As anyone that knows me knows, the SMOG program is my windmill. Welcome to one of my Quixotic episodes.
Why do we have to have so many levels of test station? Test and tune, STAR and of course the test only station. The DMV selects the station you go to.
"Gross polluter"! What the heck is this? The vehicle fails, BADLY, and now, after you repair the car and test it again, it passes! But now you have to test the vehicle EVERY year until the BAR deems it can be test biannually again.
Stations are turning cars away if they are too old (??? If the car is too old it's flipping EXEMPT!). Too modified? Talking suspension mods, absolutely NO relation to the emissions equipment. One from last time I had to smog one of my MR2s, too low. Really? The suspension was stock, in every respect. Also got that one on my FX16, which is lower than stock, but my Mazdaspeed3 is actually lower in stock form. WHY??
Ignorant inspectors. The guy that bought my FX16 took it down to several smog stations. Most turned him away on the aforementioned reasons. When he got one to test the car it failed. Failed for "missing equipment". The equipment in question is the A/C idle up solenoid. The car has NO A/C equipment, from the factory, NONE! But the vacuum ports are capped, from the factory. Now, on the vacuum diagram there is no reference to these ports or the alleged missing equipment. The car was failed for this? Everything else was in place and the car passed the sniffer clean. Again, WHY?
Next time I get turned away with the reason being 'it's too old' I'm going straight to the BAR and requesting them exempt my car.
They need to do something about this stupid program. I'm not against having our cars run clean, just the way they go about it. Poor conception, poorly managed. Shouldn't have to stress on something like this every two years. The "gross polluter" needs to be abolished.
Other states are closing their smog programs for vehicles. California is making the states program stricter.  Stricter on older cars, more lenient on newer cars. Someone needs to pull their head out.