I went to the dealership the other day to get my coolant flushed and the guy started to tell me about this new smog policy that is suppose to take in effect sometime this year. From that point on they will put your car on a dyno, run it for 15 minutes, and also check your ECU. If they find that you have any missing CAT's or not up to stock speck on emissions they will fail you. This whole smog process is suppose to cost around $200. The story behind this is that, supposedly, they tested the smog levels in California and it has gotten considerably worse. As a result they implemented this new smog policy that requires higher standards.

For those of you who live in California, have you heard of this?? Do you think this is a bunch of BS?? I really hope so, otherwise I'll have to buy a new Y pipe..

 

I had heard that there was a new smog program coming. Supposedly they are going to have government run stations that will check cars. The system should be similar to Oregons program. I'm sure that the current political environment with air quality issues will make these tests strict. I would imagine the fines and dyno tests would be reserved for those cars that either failed emmissions or are deemed modified. Of course I have no proof of any of this. Stay tuned....

 

That really really sucks.

 

Yep.

Just remember if it tastes good spit it out.
If it feels good stop doing it.
If you have any money send it to Sacramento.

Get to work. Millions of welfare recipients are counting on you.

 

That's a good one.

I'm not in Cali (...although I should be. The chicks in NY look like a^ss compared to Cali ). Anyway, in NY they used to have a simple 10 minute inspection that was basically "Toot the horn, flash the lights, stick the sensor in the tail pipe".

Now we have a procedure that takes like an hour where they put it on a dyno and take measurements of the emissions at different speeds. All the while it is apparently hooked up to a camera that takes a picture of the car for files in Albany, NY (head DMV office). There is a screen with a graphical interface that tells you the different speeds you go as well. Real PITA. I used to get stickers from my friends who worked at garages.

I don't know if the $200 you are talking about is for the new test, if so I don't think that would fly. A lot of cars aren't worth $200! In NY, they rasied the inspection price to $35 I think. For the first 2 years of a new car, you get a "new car safety inspection" that is only $10 and takes about 10 min.

 

Man, I guess California is the last state to get the stricter standards. I thought you guys would have it easy overthere since there are less cars. Thanks for the info guys!

 

Wow...I hope to God these new smog restrictions aren't that intrusive. Even with a y-pipe you should pass because it only takes out the pre-cat. Of course your car has to be warm. And the visual inspection, that's another story. Depends on how heads up the tech is. You can always have an exhaust shop weld on the heat shield from the OEM y-pipe, haha. I don't think we have much to worry about though unless you've extensively modified your Max. The cars were already produced with certain emission levels, it's not exactly cost-effective to tighten emission levels on existing cars. Most likely this will affect the newer cars coming out.

HAHA..."Get to work. Millions of welfare recipients are counting on you." <----I love that!

 

I'm starting to regret having those guys punch out my CAT. I only have one cat left and that cat is aftermarket. hehe, well, at least I know I won't be alone. I will see ALOT of honda guys start ripping out all their after market stuff and "homemade" mods.

 

I dont think its as bad as you make it out to be. Although I do not own a maxima I know many people with a wide varity of mod'ed cars. Smog effects more cars than just Maximas Sacramento, Cali has been a Smog II zone for a long time now. Smog II in Cali basically is what you described above that is coming to the Bay Area and the rest of Cali. It is supposedly easier to pass smog on the dyno test than just holding the throttle @ 3k rpm for 2 minutes as we currently do. I have friends in Sacrmento with pretty heavily mod'ed cars who have passed w/o having to do a lot of work -- except for things that would get failed visually. Most are running aftermarket "hi-flow" cats. I sent an email to a buddy who recently passed with a full 3" exhaust on his Eclipse (turbo) in Rancho Cordova (right outside Sac).....I will see what he says in terms of how hard it was to pass....

 

There are basically only three mods that will cause you to fail a visual inspection: 1) Intake, 2) Exhaust, 3) Forced Induction. You may have to return these items to stock in order to pass Smog. That's not too big a deal with an intake. It's a bit more of a deal with exhaust mods . . . particularly Y-pipes. And it's a really big deal with forced induction. That's why I, for one, won't install a forced induction system on my vehicle that's not C.A.R.B. approved. Unfortunately, there's no such thing as a C.A.R.B.-approved forced induction system for 5th Gen Maximas. Nor is there any such thing as a C.A.R.B.-approved aftermarket Y-pipe.

As far as intakes are concerned, only the Injen is C.A.R.B. approved for 5th Gen Maximas. If you have an Injen intake, I'd suggest you bring a copy of their C.A.R.B. approval to the inspection station if you expect to pass Smog with it.

 

Exhaust mods *should* not cause you to fail *visual*. I have a full exhaust on my car and (basically ypipe, hi-flow, and catback) and with the current smog I have never been failed on that. This is not to say that I will for sure pass the sniffer, but with a full exhaust you shouldnt be failed on the visual. Luckily my car has forced induction stock so I have never been hassled about having a larger turbo and my external wastegate is piped to be hidden under the turbo and cannot be seen.

 

Cool. Where do you go to get your Maxima smogged, SpicyTuna?

 

Actually, I'm pretty sure California laws say that only the exhaust components after the cat can be modified w/o failure of visual inspection unless it is CARB approved. Mods that cannot be seen is legal (i.e. camshafts, pistons, etc.). That's why them Honda guys have the CARB # on their DC Headers welded on top so the inspector can see it. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

 

This is true, BUT, when have you ever seen a smog technical crawl under the car to see. If the engine passes visual and the tailpipe passses the sniffer they never go further. On the maxima the y-pipe cannot be seen from on top, where as a honda's headers are easily seen with the hood up. If you ever get a ticket from a cop that requires you to go to a referee for smog, then you are screwed. They check anything and everything and it has to be by the book. I have had a few friends who have been through this. Its no fun. One of them after putting his car back to stock and finally passing just decided to sell the car and move on.


Actually I drive a Mitsubishi Eclipse GST. I have helped roastduck88 with nearly all his mod's on his Max. I have friends who drive anything from Supra's to Civics. We all have to get smogged, and nearly everyone who is mod'ed comes against these things. Thats why I am posting.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by SpicyTuna
[B]

This is true, BUT, when have you ever seen a smog technical crawl under the car to see. If the engine passes visual and the tailpipe passses the sniffer they never go further. On the maxima the y-pipe cannot be seen from on top, where as a honda's headers are easily seen with the hood up. If you ever get a ticket from a cop that requires you to go to a referee for smog, then you are screwed. They check anything and everything and it has to be by the book. I have had a few friends who have been through this. Its no fun. One of them after putting his car back to stock and finally passing just decided to sell the car and move on.


Yeah, I know that a smog tech will not crawl under the car to check aftermarket pipes. I wasn't aware that the y-pipe cannot be seen, as I have yet to fully look over the VQ yet. I'm a big Nissan junkie and I'm getting a 5th gen. in a few months, but I mostly see my friend's Honda inline-4's and my SR20DE where exhaust components are easily visible.