Cali is just doing PR for all the years they ignored their own laws. Funny that the EPA says they are going after the gas engine tuners then Cali now jumps on board. As someone already said the only 50 state tune legal on a FiST is a 2014-16 MP-215. Mine passes every year at inspection here. Last time I was in Cali the loud exhausts and pop and crackle tunes were dead giveaways to Cali illegal mods. My guess is the state will force or reward the cops to ticket obviously modded cars. One of the many things that make Cali look stupid is having the toughest smog laws in the country and the least enforcement, LOL!
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CARB requiring OEM tunes now
- Thread starter SteveS
- Start date
An LEO in California isn't going to plug into your OBDII. But, if you're stopped for an unrelated reason, and the officer suspects that your car is illegally modified, he can ask you to open your hood. I was stopped in my Mustang for a friendly chat about not having a front license plate. The officer said "hey, bro, let's take a look under that hood...... Wow, lots of shiny stuff, that looks expensive!" I could tell he was looking for obvious stuff, like open breather instead of a PCV, long tube headers, but he didn't mention anything. I had a stack of CARB EO documents if he'd asked for them, but that was it. He didn't crawl under the car to see if I had stock cats. I half expected to get a letter sending me to a smog referee station, but nothing came of it.
Smog regulations, like now requiring a stock tune, are a deterrent to people who realize that if they fail a smog test, they can't get their car registered. I'd be more worried about being pulled over for an expired plate than I would a modded car. Knowing that I'd fail a smog test is enough of a deterrent to me to not really want to change my cat pipe. Similarly, rolling around in my van with an engine light and a P0420 code is enough to get my off my butt to fix it before the smog test so I can register the thing for another year.
Smog regulations, like now requiring a stock tune, are a deterrent to people who realize that if they fail a smog test, they can't get their car registered. I'd be more worried about being pulled over for an expired plate than I would a modded car. Knowing that I'd fail a smog test is enough of a deterrent to me to not really want to change my cat pipe. Similarly, rolling around in my van with an engine light and a P0420 code is enough to get my off my butt to fix it before the smog test so I can register the thing for another year.
Actually, there's an easy way around it... as I mentioned, California doesn't have any type of inspection for the first seven years on new cars. A few people I know who do serious mods don't keep cars nearly that long. Just do whatever you want to the car, mod the bejesus out of it, then sell it out of state before the seven year mark.
Actually California was already wise to tuning. Again like I posted before this is not a smog move as much as a possible anti mod rule. Also it has nothing to do with getting pulled over it only has to do with smog checks that we have biannually.
Its actually 8 years now. Oh and ya like I mentioned already in this thread that is exactly what has been happening with my car . With that said this is the last newer car I buy and mod for more power. From here on out I plan on buying cars that have the power I want stock.
I am just getting over modding cars for the sake of more power outside of maybe a vintage vehicle.
Its actually 8 years now. Oh and ya like I mentioned already in this thread that is exactly what has been happening with my car . With that said this is the last newer car I buy and mod for more power. From here on out I plan on buying cars that have the power I want stock.
I am just getting over modding cars for the sake of more power outside of maybe a vintage vehicle.
Actually that has happened in the past.
They set-up roadside inspection stops, where they have a Dyno on a trailer and they can do a complete inspection.
I have seen these in many different locations
I hear (rumor) that they may be bringing these back.
I forgot to mention also they have a trailer with equipment inside that read your tailpipe across multiple lanes of traffic.
I have seen one of these on I-405.
They also mounted receivers for transponders in various locations to test OBD-3 cars however, this has never moved forward (yet).
They set-up roadside inspection stops, where they have a Dyno on a trailer and they can do a complete inspection.
I have seen these in many different locations
I hear (rumor) that they may be bringing these back.
I forgot to mention also they have a trailer with equipment inside that read your tailpipe across multiple lanes of traffic.
I have seen one of these on I-405.
They also mounted receivers for transponders in various locations to test OBD-3 cars however, this has never moved forward (yet).
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Yeah, I actually got stopped and put on one of those roller dyno trailers several years ago. It was on my street, so I really didn't have a choice. It was interesting... One lane of traffic coned off with the trailer, and a few local motor officers ahead of it watching traffic go by. I was pointed at and waved into the lane to wait to get tested. I was told it was a random sampling of vehicle exhaust in the area, and that I wasn't in trouble. Of course, I was in a modded car, but nothing stupid. Took a few minutes, and I was given a "thank you" and sent on my way. Sort of wondered if I was picked at random or if they saw my particular car and suspected something. Didn't get any follow ups from it.
The roller dyno trailers were trolling around Orange County for a while, but I haven't seen one in quite a few years. I also haven't seen one of the exhaust sample trucks in OC for a few years. Those were easy to spot - red Dodge trucks with silver service beds, with testing equipment set up next to them. Looked like they were picking up samples at the ends of on ramps, where people would likely have the pedal floored to enter the freeway.
The roller dyno trailers were trolling around Orange County for a while, but I haven't seen one in quite a few years. I also haven't seen one of the exhaust sample trucks in OC for a few years. Those were easy to spot - red Dodge trucks with silver service beds, with testing equipment set up next to them. Looked like they were picking up samples at the ends of on ramps, where people would likely have the pedal floored to enter the freeway.
That is pretty much what we have been saying and what the article says. They are not going out and actively hunting for aftermarket tunes. All they are doing is during the smog check checking to make sure the car has a stock or CARB approved tune.
Like I previously said outside of a downpipe mod or intake mod one could reflash to a stock tune drive around for 100 miles to reset the ready state and go pass smog even with a larger turbo as long as the tech did not get overly snoopy.
Like I previously said outside of a downpipe mod or intake mod one could reflash to a stock tune drive around for 100 miles to reset the ready state and go pass smog even with a larger turbo as long as the tech did not get overly snoopy.
That was in the past.
Who knows what they may do in the future.
My point was that they do have the capability to pull you over into a roadside inspection.
Ca. CHP also did this kind of thing in the past to check lights and brakes.
Again, my point is that it could be done just to plug into your OBD-2 connector.
Who knows what they may do in the future.
My point was that they do have the capability to pull you over into a roadside inspection.
Ca. CHP also did this kind of thing in the past to check lights and brakes.
Again, my point is that it could be done just to plug into your OBD-2 connector.
Thread Starter
#38
Not click bait. Just people took the thread and started saying things that are wild extrapolations.
The change in policy is this: In the past, when a car had to be smogged, they just did a visual inspection and the tailpipe test for emissions and that was that. If you passed you passed. Now they will also check to see if you are running a tune. If it's OEM or CARB-approved, then it's OK. If not, you fail, even if the tailpipe test passes.
The change in policy is this: In the past, when a car had to be smogged, they just did a visual inspection and the tailpipe test for emissions and that was that. If you passed you passed. Now they will also check to see if you are running a tune. If it's OEM or CARB-approved, then it's OK. If not, you fail, even if the tailpipe test passes.
It is a bit of an extrapolation to think about what could come in the future. I work in the automotive aftermarket business, and OBDII compliance is a big deal. Looking at OBDIII, when it comes, it is supposed to have a two-way communication factor. Not only will the car transmit data, but there is the supposed ability to transmit data back to the car remotely. People have talked about the possible outcome, but it remains to be seen what that will be.
Honestly, I had assumed by now that a car wouldn't pass with an aftermarket tune, and had anticipated putting my ST back to stock tune before I need to get my first test. Just the fact that the smog tech was able to fail my van recently because he could tell that I had just cleared a few codes was a reminder that yes, they do sniff around in the ECU when you get tested. And my guy is the most lenient smog tech around. But, he can't bend the rules.
Honestly, I had assumed by now that a car wouldn't pass with an aftermarket tune, and had anticipated putting my ST back to stock tune before I need to get my first test. Just the fact that the smog tech was able to fail my van recently because he could tell that I had just cleared a few codes was a reminder that yes, they do sniff around in the ECU when you get tested. And my guy is the most lenient smog tech around. But, he can't bend the rules.
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It was a little more complicated than that here in CA. They still plugged into the ODB2 port, primarily to make sure all of your emissions systems are active and reporting.
People here have passed with non-stock tunes so long as they didn't defeat emissions systems outright (and also passed visual + sniffer). Those tunes won't pass anymore strictly by virtue of not being authorized.
And yes this pisses me off. I run an FSWerks custom tune that's basically a gently modified 'stage 2' tune, no profound emissions impacts whatsoever. But I guess I'm more of a menace to the environment than Jimbob getting groceries in a brand new diesel dually.
People here have passed with non-stock tunes so long as they didn't defeat emissions systems outright (and also passed visual + sniffer). Those tunes won't pass anymore strictly by virtue of not being authorized.
And yes this pisses me off. I run an FSWerks custom tune that's basically a gently modified 'stage 2' tune, no profound emissions impacts whatsoever. But I guess I'm more of a menace to the environment than Jimbob getting groceries in a brand new diesel dually.
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