Getting A Smog Check in 2015 California
I recently had a smog check in 2015 California. I needed to have my car smogged in order to get my car registration renewed. In the past, I had a car that had failed the smog test. Now when this happened it was of the time when the smog technician would perform several tests prior to actually starting the engine and testing several conditions under power to record the output of various smog-causing products. All of this was accomplished using a sensing device stuffed up the tailpipe of my vehicle. Of course, the technician would do a visual check of the engine compartment looking for missing or modified equipment. The tech would also test the gas cap for its ability to keep vapors from entering the atmosphere. Passing these two tests meant the car could go onto the dynamic end of the test.
Prepping for the smog check
My normal mode of operation at the time was simply to take the vehicle to the smog check center without prior maintenance. If I was close to needing an oil change at the time of the test in the car went without said oil change. My vehicle at this particular test failed the dynamic part of the smog test. My vehicle was less than 5 years old. This was very confusing to me as the car’s equipment was too new to be experiencing failure. I having been trained for a life in automotive repair this allowed me to question the tech as to what the problem could possibly be.
The tech told me that my likely problem was that the oil was probably dirty and that was most likely the culprit of my vehicle’s failure. He also mentioned that the air cleaner filter ele
ment was the next possible area to check. I took the tech’s words to heart I changed the oil, inspected the air filter and replaced it. The car passed with flying colors.
Prep to Pass
The tech’s words did not fall on deaf ears. Whenever a smog check was required of my vehicles I would faithfully change the oil and check or replace the air filter prior to the test in order to increase my chances of my car passing the smog test. After a few years, the smog test evolved to using a dynamometer or dyno for short. Now the car could be stressed during the test while the tailpipe sensor recorded the results. As an added precaution I would put a gas cleaning solution in the tank and run the vehicle 40 to 50 miles to help clean the combustion chambers prior to having the car go on the dyno. Everything was just great, my vehicles are passing the test. The test results are showing that they are running very clean. All is right in the smog world.
Jump ahead to this year 2015 and it’s smog test time. It’s time to change the oil and get a new air filter. Oh ya I need to get the gas cleaner in the tank and run the required mileage. I’m finished with my checklist and off I go to the smog shop. Now my local shop no longer has discount coupons for the test so this presents a dilemma. Do I go to them and pay more for the same test that the new shop down the street will do for less. My wallet speaks and I listen. It’s off to the new smog shop with my coupon in hand.
The smog check
I arrive at the shop present my coupon and after completing the appropriate paperwork sit and wait for the results. I can see the tech get into my vehicle and pull it into a normal stall. Up goes the hood, there’s the usual looking around the engine compartment. But there is no dyno or tailpipe sniffer close to my car. I do not hear my vehicle engine running. The tech sits in the vehicle for a short time and then comes back to the counter. My dread meter starts to peg out. My vehicle must have failed instantly. Failure equaling to no need to take it to the tailpipe sniffer.
The tech tells me that it will be the coupon price and that my car has passed. What! What! I thumb thru the papers in my hand for the test scores. Did I fall asleep during a part of the test? Have I walked into a smog passing shop that w
ill guaranty you’ll pass(wink wink)? I have to ask the smog tech where’s my test results? Are the smog police shining up their handcuffs just for me?
The changes
Whoa! What happened to all that equipment, the tailpipe sniffer, the dyno? The smog tech informs me that the smog test has evolved again. That the test is still a visual inspection of the engine compartment and a look at the car’s computer for error codes. No error codes and the car will pass smog. The tech continues on and informs me that if my vehicle is a 2000 year model or newer these are the new test parameters. Congratulations your vehicle has passed.
So If you have such a vehicle these are the new parameters for your vehicle. Today’s vehicle technology has gotten good enough that it is the ultimate decision maker on the battlefront of smog.
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My wife and I have some friends who live in California who we were having dinner with the other night, and they were talking about needing to take their cars in to a star certified smog station. I had no idea what they were talking about, but I didn’t realize that they needed to have smog testing done as part of their inspection. I’m going to have to see what else I can learn about visits to a smog station, and see if they have evolved the testing methods again like you said! Thanks for sharing your experience!
Thanks for the comment. “STAR stations must meet specified performance standards established by BAR. Some STAR stations are licensed to perform only tests, while others are licensed to perform both tests and repairs. The station is required to post a sign on the services it performs.” from the California Bureau of Automotive Repair. https://www.bar.ca.gov/Consumer/STAR_Program/STAR_Program_Fact_Sheet.html
That means if your friends needed to take their cars to a star certified smog station that their vehicle(s) were close to or had a history of near smog failure in the state of California. If they have newer vehicles like my case they may need to do the clean oil and clean air filter thing along with clean firing chambers of a gas cleaner. I have never had a vehicle get even close to failure with these things in place. Again thanks for the comment I am glad you liked the article.