??? Smog tests in CA ???

I just transered from Hawaii to here California and found out that I needed
smog test done on my car. I took it to one of these shops and they told me
it failed because of an aftermarket air cone filter. Can this be true? It is
a 94 Chrysler New Yorker with 156k. Engine runs smooth, no smoke. The guy
told me that the mixture of the air and gas is not correct therefore it
failed. He did not check nothing else, he just saw the air filter and made
that assumption. I removed the factory air box coz it had broken hinges and
thought that I might as well get something better than the stock air filter.
If this is true, how can there be so many little racing cars here with
modified air intakes and still pass???? Thanks for your comments.

 

Yep. The air intake assembly is part of the engine emission control
system, and all factory stock emissions-related equipment MUST be in
place, untampered and functional or the car fails CA smog regardless of
measurements made at the tailpipe. They do NOT **** around on this!

No, he saw the non-stock air cleaner and that's all it took.

But these aftermarket exposed cone filters (K&N etc.) aren't better than
the stock air cleaner. Especially now that you need the stock filter to
pass smog.

Oh, that's easy. Cars made before '74 don't have to pass smog. Race cars
that aren't licensed for on-road use don't have to pass smog. There're all
kinds of exemptions, none of which your '94 Chrysler qualifies for.

Go hit www.car-part.com and find yourself a replacement stock airbox.
Results are listed in descending-price order and only interchangeable
years, makes and models are shown. You can remove the restrictor cone from
the stock air intake and get all the "improvement" you need, and since
it's *inside* the stock airbox, the smog tech won't see it.

As it stands, you managed to disable at least two critical elements of the
original emission control system by replacing the factory airbox with an
exposed-element filter, so...go put it back the way it was and try again.

Also, yours is a 1994, not a 1974. It can easily still run smoothly and
with no apparent symptoms and be out of emissions compliance.

DS

 

I just transered from Hawaii to here California and found out that I needed

Yep, they do several visual inspections, looking for a variety of
aftermarket parts that do not come with an Executive Order number to
certify its acceptability, and also for certain missing items. And,
of course, the air-cleaner housing and other aspects of the stock
intake system can definitely be part of the emissions-related
equipment. This is one of the things an inspector is supposed to
explicitly look at:

http://www.smogcheck.ca.gov/stdPAge...herInfo/Frequently_Asked_Questions_Part_2.htm

http://www.smogcheck.ca.gov/stdPAge...ehicle has the smog equipment required by law

More generally, see
http://www.smogcheck.ca.gov/stdhome.asp

He was actually doing you a favor by conducting a "pre-inspection"
that didn't cause a plainly noncompliant vehicle to be entered into
The System, whereupon things would start getting bureaucratic and
expensive for you:
http://www.smogcheck.ca.gov/stdPAge...herInfo/Frequently_Asked_Questions_Part_2.htm



There *does* exist aftermarket equipment, including some that is
directly smog related, whose manufacturers submitted it successfully
for approval and got EO numbers.

Besides that, I would be shocked -- shocked! -- to find that some of
the kids were running illegal mods on the street and temporarily
bolting the original equipment back on when it was time for their smog
check. Of course, this might also sometimes backfire (no pun
intended) after their car, driving style, or attitude inspires a cop
to nose around the car and make a laundry list of additional sorts of
trouble to get 'em into.

--Joe

 

This car failed the test according to the computer that is why he said that
it was probably the air filter. He started the test after he opened the hood
and saw the filter, the problem was that it didnt pass. Can that be the
problem? Thanks.

 

This car failed the test according to the computer that is why he said that

Stern's right, a California smog tech can fail your car if it doesn't
pass VISUAL inspection. (Meaning everything has to be either the way
the factory set it, or it has to have a CARB EO decal.)

If your car failed the actual tailpipe test, you'll have to post your
emissions results numbers for anyone to be able to help you. (And
don't post them unless everything under the hood is connected.)