danglerb

My 91 mustang sniff clean, but the Calif smog tech would not pass it because he couldn't read the CARB EO number on the bottom of the cats.

The toughest part of a smog test is the fact that the tech has his license on the line, and faces no penalty for failing you for any reason.

Speedtoys

FWIW...I dont try to cheat the system, but I operate at it's edges.
I have cats, I run clean, but theyre not "approved" cats nor is the smog pump hooked up (no belt)..but I sniff clean..which is my goal, to service the intent of the law.

Once a quarter, I roll into my friendly smog station, say hi..meet the owner again..and whatever new guy is there, and just get a non-test run on the system..to see where the car is at.

I pay the full price, then leave..everyones happy I was there.

So..when every 2yrs I show up with a new car, or whatever..im a known factor. No belt on the pump..and..well, they look like cats..and I pass clean..its not a problem.


I probably couldnt roll a S/C setup thru however.

Bjbpe

When I lived in "patooowee" Connecticut where there was no worry about cow flatulence but all sorts of concern about greenie stuff, my 928S4 passed every year without any need to "fix" things. Here in Wyoming there are not enough people to make such measurements necessary. The car runs fine and now, with no cat, is getting around 23 - 25 mpg. Not sure if I should be happy with that or not. Any "non-cat" guys with similar measurements?

cabikefreak

When I had my Lotus Elan (and I still had to meet smog) I could not believe that they could figure out some of the obscure pieces they knew had to be there. And when I tried the line about how these pieces were no longer available, they had a very nice young person call me the very next day with a source. Apparently our fair state was hiring troubled youths in the system to do this work!

Funny how efficient we were (or could be) when we put our minds to it!