State emissions
02-20-2015, 12:08 PM
#11
Senior Member
I do not like the loud harleys, its annoying as hell, but if you have been riding that long, you know "loud pipes save lives"
02-20-2015, 01:46 PM
#12
HMM no.. They are not almost all carb certified.. Please prove me wrong.. Im sure ebay goes threw all the hoops with their cheap china made crap.. I have a buddie that lived in vacaville and was cited for having an aftermarket exhaust, and yes the cats were installed.
02-20-2015, 01:54 PM
#13
For a "503er" from PDX (Portland, OR), you seem to know a lot about California SMOG II laws...
For one, I WISH they would pull people over for modified exhaust!!! That would take all the illegally (and loud) piped Hardly Dangerous motorcycles off the road. I would love it (not a bike hater, I've ridden now for over 40 years myself).
Next, the LEOs can't pull you over for it unless it has caused a traffic issue somehow. The emissions laws governing equipment are known as "passive laws". They can only be ticketed subsidiary to a moving violation or similar offense.
As was mentioned, if an aftermarket item or modification has a registered C.A.R.B. certification/EPA registration number, you're good to go.
For one, I WISH they would pull people over for modified exhaust!!! That would take all the illegally (and loud) piped Hardly Dangerous motorcycles off the road. I would love it (not a bike hater, I've ridden now for over 40 years myself).
Next, the LEOs can't pull you over for it unless it has caused a traffic issue somehow. The emissions laws governing equipment are known as "passive laws". They can only be ticketed subsidiary to a moving violation or similar offense.
As was mentioned, if an aftermarket item or modification has a registered C.A.R.B. certification/EPA registration number, you're good to go.
Well, having my second car being a BMW, I have spent some activity on the forums and many of the other members are from california. This topic had been talked about many times, wondering whats is and is not legal in that state. I am aware its not a primary offense, however you can still be cited for being to low, not having the factory engine, intake, exhaust and so on, just all depends on who you get snagged by. Yes some are CARB certified, but many are not. I do not claim to be an expert on anything, just offering what I (beleive) to know.
02-20-2015, 02:39 PM
#14
MEH...
It's not some secret voodo to if it's legal or not. The CA laws are pretty simple actually.
1. Any vehicle pre-1975 is exempt from bi-annual smog checks. Hybrid and Vehicles four model years and newer are also exempt, IOW if your vehicle is less than five years old you do not have to have the bi-annual test done until it is five years or more. For those that have to get a smog certificate, the year you have to get it done is based on the last digit of your vin.
2. For any aftermarket part which replaces an OEM smog device (cold air intakes and exhaust fall into this catagory) they MUST have an E.O. number. It costs $$$ to get CARB compliant and get the E.O. and that is why when it's a cheaper part, the manufacturer doesn't bother getting an E.O. even if they would be compliant otherwise. To be more succinct, I don't believe mufflers are required to have an E.O. BUT catalytic converters do since they are considered a smog device. IIRC it was along the lines of $25,000 to go through the process for ONE part for ONE class of vehicle with ONE motor. I.E. an F150 with a 5.0 may or may not be able to use the same E.O. as an EcoBoost so it would be $25K per motor. Then for the 5.0 in a mustang a different E.O. so another $25K. Not sure if it's still this way but it was ~8 years ago. AAA was working with some small manufacturers at a facility in SoCal to help with some of the expense but I think that program is no longer available.
3. Motor swaps are legal and there is a process to go through to get them approved. the initial time through is a bit of a pain but after that it's just like getting smog on any other vehicle. For the swap to be legal, the motor has to be the same model year or NEWER than the vehicle it is being swapped into. The motor has to be from the same class of vehicle as the one you are swapping into. You cannot take a light duty truck motor and put it into a Miata for example UNLESS that same motor was available in a car as well. ALL smog equipment from the donor MUST be retained and functioning. Also the donor vehicle MUST be smog compliant in CA. You cannot swap a motor from a UK model vehicle that is not compliant in the US even if it retains all of the smog equipment it may have from the UK or even from a vehicle which is 49 state approved (this usually means it was not CA smog compliant when it says 49 state).
If all of the above is in place you take it to a smog referee where they will verify everything and issue a new data plate which has all of the information about the swap on it along with a bar code. Next time the registration comes up for smog, take it where you want, they will scan the bar code and they will smog it just like any other car. some shops are not as up on the requirements so they may give you a hard time but as long as you haven't deviated from the above it shouldn't be a problem. As an aside, there are Miatas running around here in CA with SMOG legal swapped Ford 302's (monster miata) and LS1's.
All the horror stories you hear about the smog equipment is usually because #2 above was violated.
It's not some secret voodo to if it's legal or not. The CA laws are pretty simple actually.
1. Any vehicle pre-1975 is exempt from bi-annual smog checks. Hybrid and Vehicles four model years and newer are also exempt, IOW if your vehicle is less than five years old you do not have to have the bi-annual test done until it is five years or more. For those that have to get a smog certificate, the year you have to get it done is based on the last digit of your vin.
2. For any aftermarket part which replaces an OEM smog device (cold air intakes and exhaust fall into this catagory) they MUST have an E.O. number. It costs $$$ to get CARB compliant and get the E.O. and that is why when it's a cheaper part, the manufacturer doesn't bother getting an E.O. even if they would be compliant otherwise. To be more succinct, I don't believe mufflers are required to have an E.O. BUT catalytic converters do since they are considered a smog device. IIRC it was along the lines of $25,000 to go through the process for ONE part for ONE class of vehicle with ONE motor. I.E. an F150 with a 5.0 may or may not be able to use the same E.O. as an EcoBoost so it would be $25K per motor. Then for the 5.0 in a mustang a different E.O. so another $25K. Not sure if it's still this way but it was ~8 years ago. AAA was working with some small manufacturers at a facility in SoCal to help with some of the expense but I think that program is no longer available.
3. Motor swaps are legal and there is a process to go through to get them approved. the initial time through is a bit of a pain but after that it's just like getting smog on any other vehicle. For the swap to be legal, the motor has to be the same model year or NEWER than the vehicle it is being swapped into. The motor has to be from the same class of vehicle as the one you are swapping into. You cannot take a light duty truck motor and put it into a Miata for example UNLESS that same motor was available in a car as well. ALL smog equipment from the donor MUST be retained and functioning. Also the donor vehicle MUST be smog compliant in CA. You cannot swap a motor from a UK model vehicle that is not compliant in the US even if it retains all of the smog equipment it may have from the UK or even from a vehicle which is 49 state approved (this usually means it was not CA smog compliant when it says 49 state).
If all of the above is in place you take it to a smog referee where they will verify everything and issue a new data plate which has all of the information about the swap on it along with a bar code. Next time the registration comes up for smog, take it where you want, they will scan the bar code and they will smog it just like any other car. some shops are not as up on the requirements so they may give you a hard time but as long as you haven't deviated from the above it shouldn't be a problem. As an aside, there are Miatas running around here in CA with SMOG legal swapped Ford 302's (monster miata) and LS1's.
All the horror stories you hear about the smog equipment is usually because #2 above was violated.
Last edited by jayz66ragtop; 02-21-2015 at 04:28 AM. Reason: Added more details on what vehicles are exempt form smog checks
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