Smog question: Moving from Las Vegas to Sacramento

db

Active member
So, my 1990 Alltrac is currently sitting on the back burner as a project that I'd like to finish up in the future. Unfortunately, I don't know squat about California CARB emission laws and the like. My car has a Bay Area front mount with a Blitz BOV. It's got the Twos R Us EGR delete plate and a KN cold air filter kit. I also have the battery relocated to the rear seat at the minute. I've had to install a coolant overflow tank from an older Corolla since the stock one existed where the intercooler piping goes. I've also removed the power steering pump. There are other mods, but I'm not sure how much Cali cares about flywheels, clutches, short shifters, lowering springs, etc. Luckily my exhaust is still stock.

Do I need to change all this stuff if I decide to get it registered in Cali? Space is tight at the new place so if changing stuff back to stock is a pain in the butt I may just sell my car since I don't have any of the original parts anymore. I'd rather not though since I've had the car for nearly 17 years.
 

r-town

Member
It all comes down to the place you take it to smog it. Any modifications done to the air intake must be BAR legal. Else it will fail the visual inspection. Same with the EGR system, the technician is going to test its functionality. If its not there, then you will fail the test. I have two alltracs in SoCal, and one is heavily modified (JDM engine) and the other completely stock. The stock alltrac, when I took it to the smog check the tech told me he could not smog it because he did not have the tool to do the EGR test. So I went to another shop, and the tech at that location did not perform the EGR test, everything else passed with flying colors (sniffer, idle, visual, etc).
 

DTE

New member
It will vary depending on which county you are registered but, most likely it will be a two part test that will consist of, a visual test (whatever is on the under hood lable must be present and appear functional), Second part is the 2-speed test. They will test the tailpipe emmisions at idle and I believe it's 3000-3500 Rpm. Any engine modifications will need a sticker with a CARB EO#. It has been 5 years since I've lived or worked in California so maybe someone else can chime in?
 

flyingdutchman

New member
What r-town said is correct. If you want to pass SMOG you'll need to pass a visual examination, a tailpipe sniffer test at two different engine speeds, EVAP test.... Its pretty thorough.
The BOV, EGR delete, and (probably) the cold air filter kit are all not allowed. Not certain about the FMIC but I wouldn't be surprised if they got you for that as well. If you can find a friendly shop you're in luck, if not, its probably not worth the hassle.

Easiest solution is probably to keep it registered in Nevada.
 

soarer.jzz30

New member
How, in 5 years of me living here, have we not met?
I know of one guy who moved a few years back.
One who sold one
And one 165 owner I've met in Vegas.
Before you move please, let's meet up somehow.
Vegas is a wasteland fir celica owners

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
 

db

Active member
soarer.jzz30":2dhqe3sw said:
How, in 5 years of me living here, have we not met?
I know of one guy who moved a few years back.
One who sold one
And one 165 owner I've met in Vegas.
Before you move please, let's meet up somehow.
Vegas is a wasteland fir celica owners

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

Probably because I don't drive it any more and haven't been active on this site in awhile. I dropped the registration on it a couple years ago when the air conditioning decided to stop blowing cold air and currently daily drive my Fusion. Is the 165 owner Oscar? I've met him but haven't hung out with him in ages.

Back to my car, it'll pass the tailpipe test. I've never failed that since I've had working cats for most of the car's life. I'm more worried about the visual. The visual that Nevada smog places do has always been rather lax and I'm pretty sure only the EGR block off plate is illegal here.

The car currently has the Carlo Sainz front bumper with a FMIC. Is the FMIC smog legal in Cali? This is probably the biggest problem I think I might have.
 
Just find someone who lives in new Mexico and register it to there address. No yearly inspections, no emissions test, no front license plates, no window stickers. Car just goes to dmv, they make sure the vin matches the car and give you your plate. Re register it every year or 2 (depends what you wanna do) online and they mail you the new sticker for your plate.

They price your car to register by weight, they put my st185 down as 2500 lbs so it's only $54 a year for registration.
 

r-town

Member
Mr Alltrac":1yhwrqtw said:
Just find someone who lives in new Mexico and register it to there address. No yearly inspections, no emissions test, no front license plates, no window stickers. Car just goes to dmv, they make sure the vin matches the car and give you your plate. Re register it every year or 2 (depends what you wanna do) online and they mail you the new sticker for your plate.

They price your car to register by weight, they put my st185 down as 2500 lbs so it's only $54 a year for registration.

Oh man sounds like New Mexico is the place to be. Here is California they have the new STAR smog program (some counties enforce it). So depending on your vehicle age and smog history you might get a yearly smog check instead of every two years. I have a 1993 Ford Ranger that I did the smog check every year for the past 4 years until this year's registration, which is back to every two years.
 
When it comes to cars/trucks/bikes, new mexico is where it's at. No restrictions on anything you do to your car. As long as it has working lights and blinkers, you could get away with anything.

Not the greatest scenery here tho, unless your up north, it's all just flat desert, windy, dusty, and hot.
 

db

Active member
Registering it in NM is a no-go. I'd rather go the Nevada route, but driving it to Reno every year just to smog it would get tiring.
 

FC Zach

Active member
It may be the same across the states but not sure on this. . . In TN it's illegal to register a vehicle in a county other than your home address printed on your license. Sure it takes getting pulled over for an officer to know the difference (I know from experience) but that's the gamble some take. I had to do this with my RX7 in a Co. without smog, when I was stopped and given a warning for not yielding to right on red, he asked about the addresses. . I made up a story about going to school in one county while actually living in the other. He logged that in the state's system so I couldn't use the same excuse if I were to ever get pulled over again.

Edit: On top of the legalities. . It was a PITA even though I have relatives in the other Co. hours away, sometimes that's just part of it though. Not anymore though, I have the Mazda registered as an Antique Auto that lasts forever in my state.
 
I don't know if it's illegal in nm or not. I know in Texas it's frowned upon, cause I get a lecture every time I talk to a cop because I live in lubbock but have my cars and drivers license in nm still. You have 30 days to change your license and registration to texas..... I'm going on 3 years without doing it. I just use the I'm just going to school here excuse. I'm 24 so it's believable to cops. We will see how friendly the cops in Richmond va are when I move there this summer.
 

de_engineered

New member
flyingdutchman":1zq6y62b said:
Pretty sure a FMIC is illegal. EGR block off is definitely illegal. (in CA)

Intercoolers can be non-stock, but must be stock location with stock couplers (I've always been vague if that means silicone ones are out for that reason, sorry to give a non-answer there). So you can slap as a big a top mount as you can fit, but can't go front, nor could you take stock front mount car like say an Evo and make it top. And yes yes on ERG blockoffs not being legal.
 
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