Biannual Smog inspection

Well, my Taco's registration is coming up and I went to a Test Only smog station and passed with flying colors. I got a coupon in the mail for the inspection, $31.75 plus the $8.25 for the certificate. When I go to pay for the smog it comes to $70.00. Turns out that my truck is older than 1999, I get charged an additional $30.00. I guess it's to help pay for the dyno they have use to do the smog.
This must have just changed; I don't remember paying this much a couple of years ago.

 

Man I love being in a smog exempt county

 

You must live in an "enhanced" area. I live in a "basic" area so no dyno is required. They still do charge more for '99 and older, I assumed it was because of more work involved having to do the tail pipe test. Fortunately I haven't owned anything older than 2002 for a long time. As long as there is no CEL I'm good to go. Don't have to deal with that stress of the sniff test. I pay something like $50 or $60.

 

Jesus Christo. Anything they can do to make it uncomfortable and more expensive to own an old car. In CA they want to make it illegal to drive classic cars on certain days of the month/week. Sigh.

 

You must have moved; dyno+smog has been a thing for years.

There are very few small areas that have smog exemption, or smog without dyno, but who would volunteer to live there (here's looking at you Bakersfield/Kern/Indio/Barstow areas).

 

Yeah in most of CA if you a 99 or older vehicle, getting smogged is more expensive because they run the dyno/sniffer test on it. If you have a 2000+ it's just a visual inspection and obdII scan, cheaper and less to worry about. You can have an all stock 99 or older truck with no trouble codes and still fail smog if you don't pass the sniffer test.

Then you'll get an offer with your next DMV registration renewal form to turn in your gross polluter for $500 I get that one with my 04 every year lol.

 

Or, just give it to me cause we're homies

 

No been here for a while, seems like everything got jacked up since covid and we get the shaft.

 

Or, they just added something that's been around awhile already

I've wheeled in Sonoma and it's spread pretty wide; what's the population of the town you live in?

 

I thought he was just surprised at the cost, not the fact that they dyno.

I live in an area of the central coast that is "basic", meaning no dyno, most people would love to live here. As for places with only change of ownership smog requirements, Amador County is nice.

 

Around 175,000.
I went to the same shop a couple of years ago and wasn't charged the extra $30. My truck is now a couple of years older now and may have gotten put into the old vehicle status. I still runs like new.

 

Makes sense, I focused on the 'dyno' part of it and understood it as if he didn't have to put it on a dyno before

Yeah, Monterey County has the same smog rules and all

Was only $40-45 or so total

Sold my 4R here in Fresno County and that too was only $50 give or take a dollar

 

I'm betting inflation

 

Just had my 6th smog on my 07 in San Diego County. I’ve paid $50 the past three smog checks. They’ve never done a dyno test. They only check for erased CEL codes and do a visual. My Taco should be failing the visual ‘cause I have a catch can, but they always miss it.

 

They have never done a dyno test because 2000 and newer do not require dyno or tailpipe testing.

 

This, not sure why he thought they would.

 

They don't check for erased code. They checked for monitors readiness.

 

1999 and older vehicle smogs, require tailpipe test .
Shops must lease the smog machine and are not seeing that many 1999 and earlier vehicles.
That's why the cost is more.

 

The price for a Smog Check on my '88 911 in Los Angeles has jumped to about $90 including the certificate.

 

I love not being in California period!