[959]

idiot CA smog techs won\'t smog EFI kits.

Has anyone else had issues with this. the smog guys won't put my jeep on the smog tester. because it has the Howell kit. they said that I would need to go to a referee and get a BAR label to approve of the modification. Is this true or is it crap?

EDIT.
It passed smog. I took it to the referee. he smogged it. He couldn't give me a BAR label because it is already legal with the EO #. he said the smog techs I took it to didn't know what they were doing.

 

[1830]

Re: smog guy won\'t smog howell kit

That's disconcerting....as far as i know, if it has a carb sticker, it's legit. it does have that, right?

 

[959]

Re: smog guy won\'t smog Howell kit

the label "don't mean nothing to them."

moral of the story, I'm going to the referee, and let him approve it.

once that is done. then I get a BAR label that is specific to my vehicle vin# or something. this probably would have worked out beter on a week day when we could have called howeel or a referee. I'm just ticked cause I wanted to take care of this today. I don't want to take a day off work to play foots with the smog guys.

 

[CJ7Taz]

Re: smog guy won\'t smog Howell kit

I started to post, then I saw your location. If it's 50 state legal, get Howell to send you copies of the certification.

 

[86CJ7]

Re: smog guy won\'t smog Howell kit

I think the pigs would rather see it just squeek by with the old carburator than see it pass with flying colors with the fuel injection.

I passed AZ emissions with my MegaSquirt. The results were 10 time cleaner than the best tuned carb.

 

[2887]

Re: smog guy won\'t smog Howell kit

I was under the impression that all the howell mpi, tpi and tbi injection kits were smog legal when used in conjuction with the stock connectors and catylic converters and the fume/vent canisters. I thought they even had a CARB number ot CAFE number on them??

 

[959]

Re: smog guy won\'t smog Howell kit

the two places I took it too, spent a total of 10 seconds looking at it. I pointed to the label with the card # on it.

the first place also spent five minets clowning me. boy was I stpid for doing that to my jeep. I told the biggest one of the 2 guys to %^&^* off!! they asked me to leave.

this is utimatly howell's fualt for not having a decent label or setting my expectations. I'll go to the refeere and it will pass but I hate spending my work time jumping threw stupid people's hoops.

but, I don't look forward to doing this every year.

 

[RRich]

Re: smog guy won\'t smog Howell kit

That's the problem with dealing with idiots. You need to find intelligent smog techs.
If it already has the CARB sticker it should be OK, as long as it's hooked up properly as approved. They are afraid you are an undercover vehicle.
The referee will probably just send you to someone that knows, rather than giving you the waiver. But if they do, then you'll be listed in the Sacramento computer as being approved - then next time it'll be an easy walk through.

 

[2887]

Re: smog guy won\'t smog Howell kit

so sounding totally stupid here, is a referee a "smarter" dumbass?? I take it the checkers at the smog station are two bit idiots and they send you to a referee who should have a little more knowledge??

I don't have emissions here so this is all kinda foreign.

Sounds like a typical beurecrats dream though, a chain of command so long they can justify just about anything, including all those salaries/hourly wages....

 

[959]

Re: smog guy won\'t smog Howell kit

govoner of "Calyfornia" pays $170K.

But, Konan is working for free. That makes him 170K times better then Grey davis.

 

[959]

Re: smog guy won\'t smog Howell kit

RRICH

In reply to:

as long as it's hooked up properly as approved

[/ QUOTE ]

I think that they are really telling me that they are not qualified to verify that everything is hooked up as approved.

I called about 3 shops in the area and they all told me to go to the "green sticker" test only shop. green sticker ,they gave me the number of the ref.

I'm going to complain to Howell on Monday, and see if they have advice.

as an X smog guy, how long does it take to get an appointment with a ref?

 

[RRich]

Re: smog guy won\'t smog Howell kit

I've been out of a few years, but I think you can get an appointment pretty fast.
Take your documentation for the Howell with you, they may want to see it to see how it's supposed to be.
Most of the referees are decent folks, try to get one that loves Jeeps.
Take the phone number of Howell with you too.
The problem with the local smog stations is they aren't familiar with that much custom stuff, the penalty for them is fines and possible jail if they approve it when it shouldn't be, so you can understand where they are coming from.
Technically speaking, they should make an effort to check it, even call the BAR for advice, but they would rather just deal with stock vehicles.
If the referee takes it, he'll make sure it hooked up properly as the Howell was type approved, then test for actual emissions. If it flies, he'll issue a special approval number and sticker - then next time all the test tech does is enter the number, and his computer will tell him what to check and verify. As long as yuou don't modify that, it'll fly easy.
Once upon a time ANYTHING not original could not be approved at all in Calif - hot rod associations, car clubs, even the ASC lobbied and begged for some leeway. It was a tough fight, but we won the small battle.
Some other states do it more realistically - at least on the surface. They don't care how it's hooked up, - just test the actual emissions. But in reality almost any vehicle without any controls can be tuned for low emissions enough to pass, but they don't stay that way.
Devices are akin to putting a diaper on a horse - not needed all the time - but -- when it is, it really is!
Good luck. If you have more trouble I can ask a friend how to do it - he's working as a smog tech now, but was an inspector with the BAR - knows the ropes real well (and loopholes.)

 

[1269]

Re: smog guy won\'t smog howell kit

I had a similar problem this year with mine and it has the Mopar MPFI kit. First place was going to fail me because they didn't know the kit. So, I take it to the Jeep dealer. they were going to fail me because it didn'thave the vacuum hose routing sticker on it. I told them I bought the kit from them and it did not come with that sticker. Their own parts deparmment even told them that the kits don't always come with it. The CARB stick that it did have is supposed to direct them to look at the 1994 wrangler tech book. I had to go back another day when their smog tech who has done them before could do it. He had no problem, but they made me buy a gas cap from them since the locking after market one I had would fail me. How can that be when I bought the cap in CA from Kragen? Freaking idiots! I'm calling Mopar to complain about the sticker. I spent $1,500 on that kit so that it WOULD pass smog!

 

[959]

Re: smog guy won\'t smog Howell kit

I got an appointment today with the referee. they were very friendly. I get to see the ref next monday. the guy that was making the reservation guessed that I had a EFI kit on my jeep before I told him.

he said that they should smog the kit but the guys don't want to take the risk for my $70. but....

the ref will smog it and it is only $30 +$8 for the cert.

plus they are nice guys. it is $40 cheaper at the ref. I could have the smog techs call the CARB guys, which would have coached them through it, but the ref is cheaper.

I'll go to the ref every year if it is cheaper.

 

[027]

Re: smog guy won\'t smog howell kit

In reply to:

How can that be when I bought the cap in CA from Kragen?

[/ QUOTE ]

Just because its sold doesn't mean its legal. There are tons of aftermarket stuff sold for vehicles that is legal every where except Cal.

LOL Just imagine how bare the shelves would be in the auto parts store if they only sold Cal. legal equipment

Speed Buggy gasp,, choke,, you have to pay $70.00 to get a smog check in Cal.

I though we were bad in Az having to pay $30.00

 

[RRich]

Re: smog guy won\'t smog howell kit

That is interesting about the caps - I've seen that problem occur over and over. The locking gas caps don't fit tight enough. In fact, some are so loose they will let water get in during rain or washings.
Other items that may affect smog adversely, like manifolds etc need a CARB approval or have to be sold as "off road only."

Somehow somebody at Stant has paid the crooked politicians to let it slide. Sure would be nice to expose that and run those political crooks out of town - after castrating them.

 

[1269]

Re: smog guy won\'t smog howell kit

I actually had to pay $100 plus an extra $20 for the gas cap. I wish I had know the ref was only gonna charge $40, I would have gone there. Everywhere else around here is $80. We are just so concerned here about our air quality. Of course we are still using MTBE in our gas which is poisoning all of the ground water now. Gotta love the greenies.

 

[RRich]

Re: smog guy won\'t smog howell kit

Interesting - until recently, downtown Frisco didn't have the dyno type smog test - it was exempt.
But Vacaville CA, a small town with a prison had the dyno test.

The excuse was population count, the crooked politicians thought the prisoners in Vacaville had cars! Without counting the prisoners, Vacaville had far less people than San Francisco for sure.

It couldn't have anything to do with who was sleeping with who, was it?

 

[Guest]

Re: smog guy won\'t smog howell kit

Thats funny because I just spent $600 to get my jeep fixed up to pass smog and when it passed the guy at the smog only place told me to go down to the jeep dealership and see about getting a fuel injection kit that replaces the carb in the 87 because it helps to make it run cleaner and he said that it was perfectly leagal as far as smogging it goes.

 

[knifeboy2]

Re: smog guy won\'t smog howell kit

You have to pay to have your emissions checked? Thats crazy.