TRD/ Magnuson 4.0 Supercharger Tips, Tricks, and Mods

Jumping back to the CA smog stuff… I would threaten the shop if they refused to smog you. They’re only allowed to refuse if it’s unsafe. Lazy isn’t an excuse. Smog techs aren’t mechanics or techs in any sense of the word. Don’t get in the field if you can’t do the work.

 

Threatening shop isn’t gonna do anything but waste your own time. I too failed visual for not having s/c sticker and I was only told after end of test and he had already taken payment. That’s where free retest screws ya. The sticker is replacement for not having an rivet tag which is common on headers and other metal parts. I think I’ve even seen intakes with sticker on them. honestly I’m surprised they didn’t etch it onto the intake cover instead of stickers to prevent this issue or faking it. A TRD cover on my Volant intake would probably pass with my TRD intake sticker

 

They can't fail you on the grounds of not having a sticker, as the sticker is not a required part of the emissions compliance equipment outlined in the EO description. An EO off the CARB (or ARB) database website that exists and is applicable to your make, model, and year alone is all that is needed, along with the equipment in place (and obviously installed properly) which is outlined in said EO in order to pass. Any smog tech which fails you based off a missing decal alone is eligible for a phone call to the BAR for their lack of compliance to proper procedure.

 

Smog tech are techs most of the time. To get a smog license you have to me ASE master certified, witch required 3 years in the field minimum. They have to have ASE L1 and L2 certifications. This is what I remember they need. I could be forgetting something.

 

Also false. Do you know how many bozos run test only stations who are not mechanics and far from ASE certified?

On a side note, I was NEVER ASE certified yet I held my license for over four years. The L1/ L2/ clean air car course requirements may be a part of the ASE certification testing program, but you certainly do not need to get certified when doing so.

If conditions have changed since the 2010's then that would be indicative of the state Attempting to tighten it's noose around the technicians capable of performing the tests in order to increase the failure rate.

 

Not having the CARB sticker for the blower just adds to the possibility that the tech may fail you. And as the customer that is tiptoe-ing the line of legality, i want to be on the good side of the tech. I dont want the tech to go over my truck with a fine tooth comb.

It's like trying to report income tax while paying the least amount...while trying not to trigger an audit. (IMHO)

Re: Magnuson Moss Act..... dont get me started. That's an Act that will tie up your $$$ and life in court for an extremely long time if you ever think about challenging it. Your vehicle will be taken as evidence since it's what is being contested. The Act is more protective of the manufacturer instead of the end user.

 

Oh yeah, I agree. The possibility of a fail does go up, but that doesn't make it right nor is that in accordance to the proper inspection procedure.

This is the problem with state run programs, there's a lot of gray area and there is a lot of misconception and misinterpretation. The rules are so muddied up that a lot of people end up getting confused and bad things end up happening in the process.

 

Would the TRD stamped dealer installed s/c pass visual over the other?

 

In theory it should because anything TRD related is Toyota and just about any idiot who works in automotive knows that, but every once in a while you get an idiot who crosses new territories not previously explored.

 

Mine is the TRD blower and not Maggy. Afaik, the only CARB EO documentation for the blowers comes on that sticker. You can look up the EO # and print out all the documentation you want, but the smog techs that I've dealt with were quite adamant about having that sticker.

Obviously, there are ways of obtaining or reproducing these stickers.... but thats another thread.

But, I will agree that having "TRD" does help. For example, if you have the TRD lid from @Coupe to replace the Volant lid. You'll most likely not be hassled because the tech would think the TRD lid/intake was standard equipment.

I need to CA smog in a few weeks. I'll remember to report back with my experience.

 

I got my FDA vehicle smog license from ITT Tech and now I'm $55k in debt.

 

I'm glad I never had to go to ITT or any other school. Having that student loan would be hell. Every new tech talks about how much their loans are for the schooling. It keeps going up and up. In the 14 years at my current employer I have hear of about $20k in price increases.

 

There is an impending education bubble (along with a housing bubble) that is going to pop and all students in debt will not be paying back their loans.

I think the current pricing on education is an absolute scam.

 

I probably shouldn’t have used the word threaten. Sounds too harsh. In my head I meant let them know it’s not legal and you’d report them. Technically a threat but not so aggressive sounding. If the smog tech is making us abide by all the rules, they should too.

 

This only makes sense. The problem is that that kind of common sense isn't so common anymore. Especially when these fresh out of school rookies with a smog license have no practical hands-on experience to back their fresh shiny certifications and diplomas that say they know everything about everything in the automotive world.

 

Also to add is the politics and and uniformed government workers that police the smog shops and are constantly in forcing said laws and rules. Not to mention they are continuing to try and trap smog shop by baiting vehicle and sending people in to try and convince them to pass a failed vehicle.
But this is just food for thought, not to argue politics and government. I will sign off of this topic now.

 

What's itt?

 

It was/like Wyotech. A profit organization posing as a trade school. I think they got caught up with strong arm predatory sales tactics that got unsuspecting student signed up for massive loans. Sales agents posing as school counsellors.

Existed in different forms since the 80s. I sat through a couple orientations back whe I was just out of HS (mid 90s). When asked to sign on the dotted lie for their program ($30k), 18yo me said that I had to consult my parents. Which I was then mockingly asked if I was mature enough to choose my own clothes, meals, etc....or did I have to have daddy's permission too. The recruiter didn't do it insultingly, but more in a "C'mon, you should take charge of your OWN life" pressure attitude to try and close the deal/loan.

That type of shadiness..... sorry ITT grads, i mean no disrespect. I'm talking more about dark underside of these trade schools who's reputation is of taking advantage of the naive, the uninformed or unsuspecting.

 

Damn that's lame af.

 

Guys, I was being factious...

That said, @SUMOTNK is absolutely correct.