California New Smog Law Starting Next Year!

[Kenpo]

Anyone hear the news that starting next year we have to bring our cars to the smog station?

I went to my local smog shop yesterday to meet up my friend to get his car smoged and the owner saw my car 01 insight and told me that starting next year Hybrid cars have to go and get their cars inspected. He told me that they are gonna get a new machine for hybrids to check for pending codes on insight! This machine will let them know if any parts on the engine needs to be replaced? I asked him, what if there's no codes/check engine light on? He said the new machine will let them know if theres pending code. He also said it won't go on the machine. They're just gonna do a visual check and scan the ecu for pending codes....Price is still pending since the state doesn't make the price. Owners of smog stations are gonna come up with it and agree to the price so they stay the same everywhere!

I looked it up at the DMV and couldn't find anything. I hope this is not true. Can someone confirm this? Anyone own a smog station in here? I take all my cars to him and he seems like an honest guy. Just thought I would pass the news. I know its sad, but what can we do.

[biododge1]

all theyll do is plug in the obd port and check redyness, codes, and for MIL function. pending codes meen zilch as they come and go offten. the only other test they may do is the gas cap test. the test is a breeze (if its the same as we have-dont see why it would be diffrent though)

[gjenn12]

Just another tax scam

[Eli]

This is standard operating practice for most cars?

They plug into the OBDII port and check for codes. If there are no codes, you're good to go.

The unfortunate side effect is that our cars get failed for IMA lights, which has little impact on the emissions overall.

[Willie Williford]

There was a thread and discussion about this some time ago. It is just another way for Ca. to get funds. (Thank you Jerry). After that when the EV's take hold and get massed produced and sold they will probably have to be certified also (For a fee).

Lots of boreing information here:
http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/levprog/test_proc.htm

This one is good for research:
http://leginfo.ca.gov/

Willie

[seattle_insight_05]

I purchased my 2005 CVT from a rural part of WA state (no smog test) last December. I asked the licensing agency if I needed the test to register in Seattle/King County and they said yes. I drove up on a weekday afternoon and the whole crew wanted to look at my car, they had never seen one. The collected the $15 fee, plugged in their code reader, started the car, let run for 2 minutes ( no codes ) and sent me on my way. They also entered the test results and odometer mileage into the computer. That where Carfax gets their info. It turns out Hybrids are exempt in WA State, a second licencing agency employee told me when I returned to transfer the title.

[Blue-Civic-Hybrid]

I hope this is not true, this is total crap if they even look at our cars.

[met-head]

Boy, now I'm glad I bought a new IMA batter rather than doing that small block chevy conversion.



"I'm not a genius, but I do have a little insight"

[Kenpo]

I guess $15 isn't as bad as $50 but still these new laws are just away to california to get more money. We don't even know how much they will charge yet, I just hope its around the same price. DMV web site still shows hybrids are exempt in california. Lets hope it stays that way.

[jeff652]

I heard over a year ago this was coming. Diesels first (now getting tested) and Hybrids second . . .