Thread: Need help modding due to stupid California SMOG laws

I'm from California I planed on modding my car but don't know what I can or can't do because of SMOG laws, If somebody knows or someone from California that has modded there car, it would really help?

Just make sure what you buy is/has CARB e.o. numbers/compliant.

Pretty sure that's all you have to do.

Think SLP/TOG catted headers, crap like that.

But I live in the midwest where cops don't give two sh1ts about emissions.



First thing I'd do is ditch the red loom on the wires and either use it elsewhere or toss it. Re-run those wires UNDER the blower snout, it really cleans up the engine bay...along with painting those rails red. That'll make it pop quite a bit.

Yea I know about the CARB E.O. but what about cams and pcm they don't say if there legal?

A PCM is a PCM it looks the same and shouldn't effect you passing or failing unless something has been messed with it to throw codes.

when they obd2 port scan your car, they are just looking for codes, and that the vin # matches.

theres another ca thread, where they say they are getting away with ic and stuff. look that thread up. one guy was in training to be a reff out there.

Originally Posted by scottydoggs

when they obd2 port scan your car, they are just looking for codes, and that the vin # matches.

theres another ca thread, where they say they are getting away with ic and stuff. look that thread up. one guy was in training to be a reff out there.

AS of right now it is still the OBD 2, sniffer and visual. This is what is supposed to take into effect beginning in 2013.
SmogTips.com - AB 2289 - Smog Check Law California. No more tailpipe smog test. Elimination of tailpipe smog check testing for 2000 model vehicles and newer.

sounds like Nj to me, cant be all that bad to pass.

they put a nice camera in the ground, the tech drives the car over it and watches on a monitor lol

all they do is look over the car obd2 scan, and visual for a cat, they only go under the hood to hook up and scan pre 96 cars. they ditched the sniff test too, just test the gas cap.

i passed last year, with the abs/trac off light on, bald tires, and a broken driver side view mirror, dont even know how they passed me. NJ has always been quite strict in the past.

Originally Posted by txslow6

A PCM is a PCM it looks the same and shouldn't effect you passing or failing unless something has been messed with it to throw codes.

So if I buy a pcm from ZZperformance I should be good then, now is a higher lift cam going to pop up any codes? (like XP Cam)

Originally Posted by The Guz

AS of right now it is still the OBD 2, sniffer and visual. This is what is supposed to take into effect beginning in 2013.
SmogTips.com - AB 2289 - Smog Check Law California. No more tailpipe smog test. Elimination of tailpipe smog check testing for 2000 model vehicles and newer.

Thanks for the link and info.

Originally Posted by Gm Man

So if I buy a pcm from ZZperformance I should be good then, now is a higher lift cam going to pop up any codes? (like XP Cam)

Yes.
As far as the the cam goes you will have to have the car tuned for it. Once its tuned properly there shouldn't be any issues like a PO300 code etc.

Move out of California.... problem solved.

Originally Posted by NegativeOne13

Move out of California.... problem solved.

Born and raised Northern Californian I love it here I wouldn't move for nothing, I just hate the tree hugging hippies (They should move out of California).

Those tree huggin hippies are what's saving your economy. The porn industry is down due to free internet porn. If it wasn't for the weed Cali can produce, the government woulda sold Cali to Japan or Mexico ten years ago.