California Smog Check on a TT
10-30-2001, 09:37 PM
#1
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
California Smog Check on a TT
Because I purchased the car from out of state the great soveriegn state of California decreed that I should have my car smog checked before they would deign issue me a plate. I did this today....
Because the car is four wheel drive they don't dyno it of course. What you do is hook it up and run it at 2200 or so rpm and then check it at idle, and lastly check the gas cap to see if it's integral.
Anyway the fellow at the smog check station had not seen too many TT's, in fact it was his first. So we had some fun looking over the back end of the little expensive lump for things like the place to connect the lead for the spark signal. What fun!
Certainly it passed with flying colors but it is interesting to go through the smog station with cars like little imported tomatoe cans that produce more pollutants.
Because the car is four wheel drive they don't dyno it of course. What you do is hook it up and run it at 2200 or so rpm and then check it at idle, and lastly check the gas cap to see if it's integral.
Anyway the fellow at the smog check station had not seen too many TT's, in fact it was his first. So we had some fun looking over the back end of the little expensive lump for things like the place to connect the lead for the spark signal. What fun!
Certainly it passed with flying colors but it is interesting to go through the smog station with cars like little imported tomatoe cans that produce more pollutants.
11-23-2001, 01:08 AM
#2
Burning Brakes
Just to let you know, I don't think cars are ever dynoed to get smogged. All the smog stations I've ever seen are gas stations or tune-up shops that are licensed by the state. Also, I think every car that changes hands has to be smogged, not just ones from out of state. I'm inferring that from the requirement that a car that's sold has to "pass smog".
11-26-2001, 05:17 PM
#3
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
I am sorry to say that they are indeed dynoed. Any official smog station has a rear wheel dyno on which the car is smog tested over a dynamic range. The data is sent to Sacramento on a "real-time" basis. Also tested is your gas cap. Again, in real time with Big Brother watching.
The car (except for 1973 and before) will need to be re-certified on an ongoing basis. For my 1995 993 C2 it was once every three years. It will not need to be smogged when it is re-sold unless the sale coincides with the smog test expiration date.
New cars must have official smog test data recorded even though they may be recorded as "50 state" automobiles. I am not certain of thier re-certification time periods.
The car (except for 1973 and before) will need to be re-certified on an ongoing basis. For my 1995 993 C2 it was once every three years. It will not need to be smogged when it is re-sold unless the sale coincides with the smog test expiration date.
New cars must have official smog test data recorded even though they may be recorded as "50 state" automobiles. I am not certain of thier re-certification time periods.
11-27-2001, 02:53 AM
#4
Three Wheelin'
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Got my 928S4 smogged in Culver City, CA and whilst there watched a brand new Bentley Azure get the test. That thing had ZERO emmissions. Both I and the tester could not believe it. I mean if you wanted to kill yourself in this car, you'd die of hunger first.
K
K
11-29-2001, 06:21 PM
#6
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
In a former working life I was involved with supplying a stack gas emissions monitor and other analytical instrumentation. The EPA and its' California and sometimes local counterparts designated different areas as "non-attainment" zones. These were zones where the measured level of certain components to things we typically lump together and call "smog" were below targets. I would imagine that the requirment for dyno testing of cars would more-or-less correspond to these zone designations.
For what it's worth our 996TT's are very low emission vehicles. I am sure that is because Germany is an environmentally conscious country.
For what it's worth our 996TT's are very low emission vehicles. I am sure that is because Germany is an environmentally conscious country.
