To: Triumph List, Inet
Philip E Barnes asks about Smog tests . . .
I've been reading with some interest the postings from folks who
have to get their lbc's through some sort of emission
certification process. I am fortunate enough to live in an area
of New York state that ,thus far, does not require this
inspection. At some time in the future we will all have to go
through this nightmare, I'm sure, but for now I'm curious about
how this works. Do you need a passing grade to get your car
registered the first time? What happens if it fails the test? How
can you get a waiver, if at all? To what vehicles do these
standards apply? Who does the testing and what does it cost? It
seems that California looks for equipment. If the equipment is
missing, but the car still passes, then what? I apologize in
advance for what may seem like stupid, naive questions. Phil
Barnes '71 TR6 CC61193
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No such thing as a stupid naive question, Phil. While I cannot
vouch for any other states, I can fill you in on California's
history of smog control. (I promise to give you the Reader's
Digest condensed version).
As you know, there are federal emission standards and state
standards. Prior to 1968 there were no federal or state
standards. Then, in '68 new federal standards took hold. Calif.
had same standards until _________ [someone more knowledgable than
me please fill in the blank], when the Calif. Air Resources Board
(CARB - really, no joke), was created and began imposing stricter
standards.
The system in Calif. works as follows:
Every year you have to register your car and pay the registration
fee. Every OTHER year, in order to get the sticker for your
license plate showing you paid your fees, you must have the
vehicle smog checked to verify that its emissions are no greater
than that amount mandated for that particular model year vehicle.
To get it "smogged", you take it down to the nearest "licensed"
garage, gas station, repair shop, etc. (all of them must be lic'd.
by CARB in order to do smog checks), where some half-stoned,
zit-faced, uncombed, dirty 18 year old attendant (1) inspects the
engine compartment to verify that all of the vaccum hoses, and
other emission goodies are all hooked up properly, and (2) hooks
your car up to a "sniffer" machine (he shoves a 2 foot long probe
up its rear end - kind of like going to the proctologist). He
then starts the car and the sniffer measures CO2, NOx, and a bunch
of other stuff that I can't pronounce or spell properly.
As to the visual inspection, I believe each smog station has some
form of emissions manual for all vehicles diagraming the layout of
the emissions equipment for that vehicle. They then compare this
to what they see under the hood. If everything is there, they
proceed to the sniffer. If not, my recollection is that the smog
station must refuse to do the test, and you have to pay to have
the system "restored". There is a cap on how much you can be
forced to pay (somebody help me here - I think it is $500
depending on the year of the vehicle, etc.). If you can't fix it
for less than that I believe you can get a waiver (not sure about
this though). Thus, even if your car doesn't have halotosis of
the exhaust, if it is missing smog gear you are SOL.
Anyways, if your car passes visual inspection but still doesn't
pass the sniffer, the smog station itself will offer to make the
necessary repairs (and will almost certainly gouge you in the
process) or you can go elsewhere and return for another check.
Again, there is some type of cap on the repair costs, but I am not
real familiar with that aspect. If your car passes,
congratulations! You are given a printout that shows the date,
location, time, phase of the moon, high tide mark, etc, which you
then submit along with your registration renewal fee in order to
get your sticker for your license plate. The cost varies from
station to station. Usually about $25 for the smog check and then
another $7 to $9 for the certificate.
So, that's it in a nutshell. My advice to you -- lobby your
congressman/woman to ditch the whole thing. It's a royal pain in
the patoot.
Ross D. Vincenti
64 Spitfire Mk. I, (sold the Datsun Roadster) and a cat named
Flounder
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