Smog readiness BS in California, help

So, I have my friend's 02 Celica that I was planning on buying, or selling to one of my coworkers, so I have been driving it a bit. The car is currently on non op, and tags expired in 2016, and I just got pulled over tonight for it (cop was a real douche bag about it but let me go).

I recently replaced the battery which apparently cleared all the obd codes, so I had to do this drive cycle to reset them, which somehow I was able to do, once. Pretty much the day after resetting the codes, I accidentally disconnected the battery again which reset all of the OBD codes, again. Since then, I have put probably 300 miles on the car, and have done the required cycle almost as perfect as humanly possible but the damn things won't reset.

So basically, I can't drive it because of the non op and 2 year old tags, but won't pass smog without being driven more to complete the readiness cycle. DMV was useless, as was this cop tonight who just said that I was wrong and computers don't need to be reset. Anyone have any advice?

 

Bump

 

Not familiar, does no op mean its not supposed to be used on public roads?

 

By California law yes...

If I remember correctly, California allows you to keep a vehicle registered (and insured) so the plates stay current, but you're allowed to skip the smog test if you don't drive it on public roads...

Another reason California sucks! In Pennsylvania, we have safety inspections statewide but emissions is only required for gasoline-powered vehicles in 25 of 67 counties, and registration isn't tied to emissions!

 

Can a car with expired tags be insured?

 

In Pennsylvania, yes. In California, I'm not sure but I'm also guessing yes...

There's a rich guy in my area with a UK-spec RHD '57 Bentley who has never registered it in PA. He just kept the UK plates on it and only drives it to shows. He also owns his own insurance company so that probably helps...

 

Non op basically means the car is registered but won't be operated on public roads. Since on this car it has been non op for 2 years, registration expired a long time ago and now needs a smog. I can't believe how difficult it is for this car to be "ready".

 

That's California for you...

My uncle lives in Monterey and has two VW buses, a '71 Bus and '77 Westfalia camper. The '71 spent it's whole life in LA, and being older than 1976, it's exempt from smog. The '77 came from Texas if I remember correctly and was originally fuel-injected, but the motor was replaced with a carbureted variant. Unlike most states, California does not allow vehicles older than a certain age to be registered as "antique" (in Pennsylvania, it's 25 years old and older). In California all vehicles 1976 and newer must be smogged in order to be registered, even it's a super rare Ferrari or Rolls-Royce that won't be driven often. Face it, California is a car enthusiast's worst nightmare!

 

@drewskie

My uncle, who has beliefs that I would consider to be "environmentalist" but is a lifelong car guy, "cheated the system" and registered the '77 Westfalia as an antique, in Texas at his brother's home address!