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New Smog Check Changes for 2019

koozy

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#1
FYI...

Smog check changes in effect Jan. 1, 2019.

Vehicles that are eight model years old are now exempt from requiring a smog check compared to the previous law that exempted vehicles at six years. But vehicles that have those additional two years of exemption will have to pay a $25 yearly smog abatement fee. Also, the current $20 smog abatement fee for the first six years of exemption remains unchanged.

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180AB1274
 


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#2
FYI...

Smog check changes in effect Jan. 1, 2019.

Vehicles that are eight model years old are now exempt from requiring a smog check compared to the previous law that exempted vehicles at six years. But vehicles that have those additional two years of exemption will have to pay a $25 yearly smog abatement fee. Also, the current $20 smog abatement fee for the first six years of exemption remains unchanged.

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=201720180AB1274
Dude, Sweet... Dude! Sweet![twothumb][woot]
No draconian inspection till 2023 for my 2015!
 


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koozy

koozy

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Thread Starter #3
I wouldn’t consider OBD2 inspections draconian, but I know what your trying to say. [emoji106]


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#4
Ok, draconian is a bit figuratively obtuse, but on the last inspection in November on my truck, the inspector pointed at and questioned the TRD intake (even with EO sticker under hood). He and then pretended to look for other "infractions".

It would have been [rofl] if it wasn't a total waste of time, and $48.96.
 


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koozy

koozy

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Thread Starter #5
CARB does have undercover ops visiting shops to make sure they are thorough. I am sure shops also get nervous about losing their license if caught not being thorough. It’s their livelihood.


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Intuit

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#8
Older cars are precisely the ones that would need to be tested. This is simply a way of further neutering the law. Testing only NEW vehicles is a complete waste of time and money. The only ones these tests are somewhat likely to catch are the likes of a Volvo.

Probably average 1.2 vehicles a week where I'll get in behind one that is running, but not running right. One within the last couple of weeks was like driving with my head in a frig'n gas pump... on the highway... in traffic... my only choices were back-off about three truck lengths, get in a slow lane or hold my breath. I think the car behind me noticed too LoL.

All that said, we're not at a point here where I would agree to the hassle and expense of emissions testing cars. Once you're off of the factory exhaust, keeping a non-leaking one underneath the vehicle literally becomes an annual expense. So if one were implemented here, IMO it should ignore leaky and busted exhaust systems; flagging only poorly running engines.
 


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#9
Testing only NEW vehicles is a complete waste of time and money.
Admittedly it's poorly worded, but you misinterpreted. New vehicles are exempt from smog tests. They used to be exempt for 6 years, they are now exempt for 8 years. So, technically, you could go ape-shit on your brand new vehicle and own it for 8 years before having to go through the effort to return it to stock for a test, and then biennially afterwards. 8 years is a long time.

Loud exhausts are no longer fix-it tickets though. Can't wait to see how that plays out for people.
 


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Dpro

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#11
Did all of the LEOs/CHPs carry db meters around with them, or was this solely a biased/subjective 'discretionary' based 'law' previously?
It was discretionary. It was most annoying as well as there are a lot of loud open pipe Harley’s running around that are twice as loud and yet they never lifted a finger towards them.
 


Intuit

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#12
Admittedly it's poorly worded, but you misinterpreted. New vehicles are exempt from smog tests. They used to be exempt for 6 years, they are now exempt for 8 years. So, technically, you could go ape-shit on your brand new vehicle and own it for 8 years before having to go through the effort to return it to stock for a test, and then bi-annually afterwards. 8 years is a long time.

Loud exhausts are no longer fix-it tickets though. Can't wait to see how that plays out for people.
Thanks. That makes sense. It's worded good enough... not sure how I came out with the original interpretation.
 


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#13
hey guys, new guy here [:)] I work at California DMV, and yeah I heard about the change to 8 years as well! Nothing official "on paper" for me to tell customers yet, but it was discussed and it's totally sweet. Helpful since I'm all of a sudden gona be paying triple the reg fees i was paying before.

Still no talk on budging on the "rolling smog", it used to be vehicles 30 model years or older, but has stood at vehicles model year 1975 and older exempt since 2005 [:(]

Diesels get smogged now, too. Anything model year 1998 up to brand new is subject to biennial smog in applicable counties.

Vehicle transfers are exempt from smog for the first 6 model years, used to be 4, when that change takes effect.
 


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