Smog Check CA

How often does my vehicle need to be tested?

Smog Check CAs are required biennially (every other year) on vehicles over six model-years old. Furthermore, a Smog Test is required if you market a vehicle that’s over four model-years old and when registering an out-of-state vehicle for the very first time in California.

How can I help my automobile pass a Smog Check CA?

Performing regular and appropriate maintenance depending on your owner’s manual rather than tampering with the emissions-control gear will aid in improving your vehicle’s chances of passing a Smog Check CA. When the “Check Engine” light comes on, then take your vehicle to a licensed repair station as soon as possible to have the issue diagnosed-do not wait for the automobile ‘s next scheduled Smog Test. A blinking or flashing light indicates a malfunction that should be addressed promptly to avoid serious harm to the motor or emission-control systems. Check your owner’s manual for repairs that may be covered under your car or truck maker ‘s emissions guarantee.

Which are the components of a Smog Check CA?

Smog Check CAs are designed to assess the quantity and type of pollutants that your vehicle is emitting. A Smog Test may include any of the following tests:

• Visual inspection of emission control components and systems
• Functional inspection of the vehicle’s On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) system
• Tailpipe emissions inspection

What vehicles need a Smog Check CA?

Gasoline-powered vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and alternative-fuel vehicles that are model year 1976 and newer need a Smog Check CA, with the following exceptions:

Six model-years and newer do not require a biennial (every other year) inspection.

• Four model-years and newer do not require a change-of-ownership inspection.
• For example, a 2010 model-year automobile will first be subject to a biennial Smog Evaluation in 2016 (2010 6 = 2016) and a change-of-ownership Smog Test in 2014 (2010 4 = 2014).

Diesel-powered vehicles 1998 and newer with a gross vehicle weight rating of 14,000 lbs and less need a Smog Test.

Is the Smog Check CA Program biased against older vehicles?

No. Even though California law requires the Smog Test Program to concentrate on high-polluting vehicles, the Smog Check CA Program also doesn’t demand older vehicles to meet the very same emissions standards as newer vehicles. Smog Test emissions standards take into account the age, make and model of each vehicle, so that a vehicle is not held to a standard that applied when the vehicle was originally manufactured.

I have a vehicle that’s six model-years old. My DMV registration renewal note states it should possess a Smog Check CA, but I thought it had been exempt from the biennial Smog Test requirement.

A gas-powered automobile is excused from Smog Check CA until it is seven model-years old. Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) computers have been made to recognize the exemption and process your renewal consequently. Contact DMV if you think there’s an error. If you are unable to resolve the issue with DMV, a country Referee facility may be able to help. Telephone the Referee Call Center in -LRB-800-RRB- 622-7733 to schedule an appointment.

What’s an Enhanced Area?

An Enhanced Area is a metropolitan area characterized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as not being in attainment with national health standards for ozone. Vehicles enrolled in an Enhanced Area are subject to a treadmill emissions test on a dynamometer and may require testing in a STAR-certified channel.

Have California auto emissions standards changed?

Yes. BAR periodically adjusts some standards to raise their fairness. Because of this, some standards become slightly more stringent than they were formerly and a few slightly more lenient. California’s emissions standards consider the model-year, automobile make and model, and gross weight of the vehicle. Older cars have significantly less rigorous standards than newer ones. No older vehicle is held to the very same standards as a newer, more technologically advanced car or truck. Allowances are made for normal wear and tear in a vehicle’s emissions control system as it ages. Standards are created by means of a regulatory process and are made available for public comment before they are adopted. The previous alteration occurred in 2010.