Smog check time and DMV tells me I have to go to a Test Only station.
Supposedly they only send high emissions risk vehicles there, but sometimes they send regular cars too. Why did I get chosen? Was I the random 2%?
- 1997 civic ex
- 106k miles
- clean history
While i was there, there was a huge van, and another 6th gen Civic (LX).
High Emitter Profile - The majority of vehicles directed to Test-Only stations are selected by application of the High Emitter Profile (HEP), which identifies the vehicles most likely to fail their Smog Checks. The High Emitter Profile (HEP) uses data from several different sources. Some of it comes from the state Vehicle Identification Database (VID), which collects data from each Smog Check performed in California. The VID is used by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), BAR, and other government agencies. In addition, general vehicle data such as make, model-year, vehicle miles traveled, and engine size help define the HEP.
This information is used to determine which vehicles are most likely to fail their Smog Checks, especially at Gross Polluter levels--at least two times the emissions level allowed for a particular vehicle. No single factor identifies a vehicle for a Smog Check to be done at a Test-Only station. The data is weighted and vehicles selected using this computer profiling of vehicles most likely to fail their Smog Check. DCA/BAR has gradually increased the number of vehicles directed to Test-Only stations to meet the air quality improvement goals of the State Implementation Plan (SIP). The SIP is a blueprint outlining the methods California will use to meet federal air quality standards.
Two Percent Randomly Selected - As required by State law, two percent of the vehicles in the Enhanced Areas are also directed to Test-Only stations for their Smog Checks. These vehicles are selected randomly to evaluate the overall effectiveness of the Smog Check Program.
Anyways, so the guy pops the hood and sees my AEM CAI and gets this looks on his face and says, "oh, you have a modified intake". I point out the CARB EO sticker and he mumbles something about "yeah, but you have to look it up to see if it's still ok."
I got the feeling he didn't want to deal with it.
Anyways, my car passes, and only one parameter had one spike in the HC that got up to max allowed. But it still passed. I didn't have much time to really warm up the engine. The van was also ahead of me so I had to wait 20 minutes. Other than that, everything was clean.
I didn't mention the intake again, and neither did he.
And of course, this whole process sucked me of $70.