Smog Check in CA

[AdvansCPAP]

Thanks to Alain, I just got enough Clean Power in stock for 4 cars. It's a must for 91-94 years. This helps allot from what I read. I will be using it very soon and post the results. Contact me if you need it.

 

[lustedp]

Does anyone have catalytic converters for an NA2 I can borrow until I can purchase them? I have to get smog checked within 30 days and don't currently have cats installed as the car was previously registered in a non smog state.

Let me know if you can help me out, especially if you are in the LA/Southbay/OC areas.

 

[liftnot]

Thanks to Alain, I just got enough Clean Power in stock for 4 cars. It's a must for 91-94 years. This helps allot from what I read. I will be using it very soon and post the results. Contact me if you need it.

any news after using Clean Power? I followed the instruction and like to know what I did wrong. my numbers did not drop at all.

 

[PhAnToM]

Alright, with CA going with STAR Smog Station certifications I think it's a good time to start discussing this subject and maybe share locations and experiences for anyone who has gone through STAR Smog Station testing. I don't know how many of the smog station locations listed within this thread have been approved by the BAR to operate as a STAR Smog Station. I think most - if not all - of the older NSXs will be required to test at these kind of stations. I'm pretty sure, I will be when I get my renewal next year.

 

[Valhalla]

Just got my renewal and I do not have to go to a STAR station.

 

[Kyras]

Car did not pass with 4yr old Random but Ramon installed his spare OEM cats and told me to see Duke at OC Smog Center in Dana Point off PCH exit on 34112 PCH Hwy. 949-545-6573.

Duke has the roller in the ground so there is no issue if your car is slammed.
Car passed within a minute and Duke knew what he was doing. A pleasant guy to deal with to boot.

I am taking my other car to him next week.
For me, its worth the drive up from San Diego. My usual smog guy in SD for the last 4 yrs getting too busy to pay attention to detail. Another new smog guy did not want to touch the aftermarket cats.

+100 on all of the above.Went there today on Ramon's recommendation and was out in 15 minutes. Duke is a great guy and really understands the NSX. I highly recommend him. He is worth the drive from anywhere in SoCal, just like Ramon and Tom. I'll be taking the wife's car there next month.

Just got my renewal and I do not have to go to a STAR station.

^I just got mine, too (due 3/20/2012). I'm going to see Duke, thanks to liftnot and Les's posts. :smile:

**EDIT** I just talked to Duke and he's there until 5PM and said to just drive in. Total cost is $63.00. That's not cheap but seems like it's worth it for a good guy.

**EDIT** I found a coupon, sort-of, to get $5 off. http://www.manta.com/c/mwz2b04/oc-smog-center-2 It says "mention this AD and get $5 off."

 

[rominl]

smogged my car at

http://www.smogatsunnyhill.com/

test only station as well. with certificate 29 bucks out of the door in 20 mins. great guy, went to him for my last few cars. all i needed to point out to him was the location of the connector.

i am sure a lot of great guys mentioned here but more than 50 bucks for smog is a little crazy

 

[Kyras]

smogged my car at

http://www.smogatsunnyhill.com/

test only station as well. with certificate 29 bucks out of the door in 20 mins. great guy, went to him for my last few cars. all i needed to point out to him was the location of the connector.

i am sure a lot of great guys mentioned here but more than 50 bucks for smog is a little crazy

^You have a valid point about the cost. The place I had my S2000 done charges $37.24 out-the-door. I called him (Lucky) but his machine is down today.

 

[rominl]

^You have a valid point about the cost. The place I had my S2000 done charges $37.24 out-the-door. I called him (Lucky) but his machine is down today.

i personally think around 40 is a good norm for smog test, especially for cars like ours. our cars are just too precious to have someone scratching the seat or even breaking a clip.

fwiw the place i go, they have the rollers installed on the ground so it's completely flat and zero problems.

i hope i can make it out to one of the south coast acura meets these days

 

[Kyras]

10-7-2011: Just had the car smogged at AA Smog Test Only, 13891 Redhill Ave., Tustin, CA 92780, 714-669-8633. The guy's name is Brian. His English is a little difficult to understand. He first thought I meant Acura MDX. He quoted me a price of $41.24 which included the transfer fee. When I arrived he realized it was not a MDX. At first he was a bit put off by the Comptech Supercharger. He went ahead and did it just the same. He is a good person to go to if your car is not too modified. His shop is in the Shell Station on the corner of Red Hill and the 5 freeway. I had planned on taking it to the Mobil station across the street. I had gone there two years ago. But it's under new ownership? and they wanted $70 because he labeled it an exotic.
So for what it is worth give Brian a call and let him know when you can bring it in. He had a hard time keeping the speed at 25 mph in the second half of the test and had to repeat the whole thing. I gave him a $5 tip and he seemed happy
Manny

My thrifty side won out and I went to ^this place, today. I walked in with the coupon I printed from online and the cost was $34.24 cash out the door; $25.99 plus $8.25 for the certificate. (If you just walk in off the street it's $50.)

My 2005 with 27,677 miles passed easily.

 

[omega2]

I just got my DMV renewal and it says I have to go to a STAR smog station. Has anyone gone to one of these yet? If so, what is different? From what I have read, they are monitored by BAR; but what does that actually entail? Do they actually check for CARB EO numbers on parts?

I tried to go to several STAR stations today, but they had really long lines or their machine was down. Either way, I gave up since I didn't want to wait around for over 2 hours until my turn came.

Can anyone recommend a STAR station?

 

[enkrypt3d]

http://www.smogcheck.ca.gov/PubWebQuery/STAR_demo/STAR_QA_7.pdf

http://www.bar.ca.gov/80_BARResources/02_SmogCheck/HEP_Explanation.pdf


If this isn't complicated I don't know what is........

 

[Exiled]

As already noted, an excellent thread. I have never had a car I owned fail smog until last week. Yes, this was with my 103K mile NSX which I keep in pristine condition. I've been going to HB Smog in Huntington Beach. I hate waiting and simply call Hank, the owner, and go there to avoid waiting. He's a bit of a Goober but over the years was worth paying the $50 just to get this PITA process done.

As I was sitting near my car while Hank went through the process, he kept asking me questions. How do you move back the seat? How do you open the engine hatch? Mind you, he smogged my car before. While on the dyno, he was lugging it in 2nd gear. Although I brought the car in hot, that still worried me. As it turned out, it failed. I told him to warm it up and retry. He said he did, but I questioned his resolve.

Frustrated (and pissed), I drove to Autowave, which was close by. After speaking with Shane, he sent me to EZ Smog. Shane sends all of his NSX customers to this place. As a couple of others have already experienced, Brian (nice Vietnamese fellow with wife Michelle) warmed-up the car properly and it passed. Brian said each year, passing smog for NSXs will get harder. Still, this guy understands what needs to be done. He knows to get the cats get hot enough and how to run the engine during the testing sequence. It was worth the $75 after paying the goober at HB Smog $40 for nothing.

Next time, I'll remember to look for a coupon before going back to EZ Smog. Don't mind saving a few bucks but am happy paying full price nonetheless to avoid wasting time and the aggravation. Peace!

Steve

did you mean "easy smog" that is right down the street on gothard and talbert?

 

[LMR]

did you mean "easy smog" that is right down the street on gothard and talbert?

Another prime member had problems with that shop. He said the guy didn't seem to know much about the NSX. He removed the glove box and other things trying to find the OBD plug. When it failled on the first test he told him to go drive for 20 minutes and come back. When he came back after 20 minutes of driving the guy had closed. He went to another place and was in and out in 15 minutes.

 

[omega2]

I went to Brea Smog test only on Saturday. I chose this place as they rated pretty high on Yelp, they do DMV registration onsite, and have two dynos at ground level. I also had to choose a STAR certified smog station. It really didn't seem any different than a regular smog station or test. Additionally, the technician actually had another NSX friday, so at least he was familiar with the car.

Unfortunately, my car has always had difficulty passing and this time was no exception. I actually treated the gas tank with the Guaranteed to Pass too. I did mention to the technician to run the car in first gear for the 15 mph test since testing in second gear drops the RPM's too low. The technician insisted in testing in 2nd gear. According to him the law requires the test in 2nd gear unless the RPM drops below 1200 RPM and does not exceed 3000 rpm (I think those were the limits). Since the RPM was 1691 at 15 mph in second gear, my NOx and HC were too high at 15 mph. My NOx and HC at 25 mph in second gear barely passed. I'm pretty sure my cats were warm enough as I would have failed the 25 mph test if they were cold.

I already know my car was setup to run rich after I had the CTSC installed, but has anyone been able to pass in second gear? If so, did you have to change anything? I still haven't checked my air intake temp sensor.

On a side note, for those with the CTSC you might want to print the CARB EO for the supercharger and put it in the glove box. My tech actually did ask for it during my test. Thankfully I had that ready to go.

 

[fyrnup]

Just completed my smog check. I went to O.C. Smog Center 2 located at 34112 Pacific Coast Hwy. Dana Point Ca 92629 Phone number 949-545-6573 ask for DUC. He knows the NSX, stock and modified (CTSC). He is very knowledgeable about all the current requirements and how to navigate through the CARB approved aftermarket parts. I was impressed with his work ethic and attention to detail. I highly recommend him and If you have any questions feel free to call him, he is a wealth of information. I mentioned to him that I would post this today so that WE have someone on our side to assist us with smog check issues.

 

[omega2]

Finally passed. I turned out my Random technology cats were bad. They are CARB approved, but I think these high flow cats are junk for emissions testing. I put new OEM cats back on and the emissions were almost zero.

 

[liftnot]

Finally passed. I turned out my Random technology cats were bad. They are CARB approved, but I think these high flow cats are junk for emissions testing. I put new OEM cats back on and the emissions were almost zero.

Great news passing smog! not easy to do in CA.
my new Random lasted only one smog and I replaced with 300 cell cats and that lasted one smog as well...installed 400cell cat and still won't pass....finally passed with OEM cats. The surface areas of the AF casts are much smaller and SS doesn't sustain heat compare to cast.
I wonder anybody passed with DEC cats as OEM cats are near impossible to find.

DUC at OC smog center 2 in Dana Point is the man to see with our cars.

 

[fkong777]

Just got my car Star smog.
I only have aftermarket mufflers so no drama.
$60 at Rowland Heights, Smog Pros. next to Lambs Auto Center. Colima rd near Nogales.

Roller on floors. and didn't have any problem in the drive way.
Not sure if they do more test than before but he seem to do a lot more visual inspections.
Did have to pull TCS fuse. my TCS button on the dash didn't work.

 

[enkrypt3d]

Finally passed. I turned out my Random technology cats were bad. They are CARB approved, but I think these high flow cats are junk for emissions testing. I put new OEM cats back on and the emissions were almost zero.

I dont think any hi flo cats are carb approved. been there and done that with random tech and prospeed - both didnt pass after about a year or so of use. Not sure what makes them quit working so quickly...

 

[Spooler]

Test only center that has been good to me and my cars through the years.

Just Smogs
7722 Talbert Ave. #B
Huntington Beach, CA
http://www.justsmogs.com/

Although my mods are pretty much bolt on with carb legal badge on there. I/H/E
So not sure how the hard core guys with their non carb legal flux capacitors might do. :wink::tongue::biggrin:

I went to your guy today. Clean place and I worked with Danny...very friendly.

He asked me if the car was stock. I said, H/E only with stock Cats.

He was fine with the exhaust but asked me if the Headers are C.A.R.B. approved.

Surprized I said "they must be" Brand is Comptech. I told him to check the I.D. stamped on the Headers.

He said: "Nope" the law has changed. You are now required show the the Current Manufactuer C.A.R.B. certification number as well.

Since I bought this car with headers already installed and never thought it was going to be an issue, I did not have this number on hand.

No test done.

Right back on to Beach Blvd which BTW is an absolute nightmare (so many cars)...what has become of HB

Well I guess for now,

I will try another place and hope they don't ask any questions.

Give CT engineering a call see if Certification number exists.


Hi Eddy :biggrin:

S

 

[enkrypt3d]

This isn't good news for me as I have to get mine smogged w/ the same exact setup..... CT headers and OEM cats & exhaust - was this at a STAR smog station? And where can we find the CARB cert info?

 

[PhAnToM]

This isn't good news for me as I have to get mine smogged w/ the same exact setup..... CT headers and OEM cats & exhaust - was this at a STAR smog station? And where can we find the CARB cert info?

+1 on this!

 

[Spooler]

It's OK...I got it.

Sent from Nate at CT Engineering

E.O. # D-455-21

He sent me the latest 4 page E.O. (executive order) dated 2-26-2004.

Attached.....

 

[enkrypt3d]

it's ok...i got it.

Sent from nate at ct engineering

e.o. # d-455-21

he sent me the latest 4 page e.o. (executive order) dated 2-26-2004.

Attached.....

yes thank you! !!!!