"I don't understand why I have to get a smog, my car has never failed"

…Until now. This is a common question I get all the time. "Why do I need a smog check, modern vehicles come with all the equipment" or "new cars don't make smog". The truth may be that most late model cars make very little amounts of smog that contribute to the smog problems. But just like anything else on your car just like brake pads and tires, devices that reduce smog forming emissions simply wear out over time. EGR valves will stop opening, catalytic converters break down or become covered in hydrocarbons. But in most cases that could cause an increase in emissions will not cause any significant drivability issues, so they go unrepaired. That is why we have smog inspection requirements.

Not only that, but there are still the modern day hot rod drivers who will remove some smog devices in the hopes of gaining a few extra horse power. So we look for modifications and missing smog equipment. Many aftermarket parts as well require a California Air Resource Board (C.A.R.B.) executive order number to be legal for use in California. We look for such modifications and verify that they have a C.A.R.B. number. Such devices include air intakes, headers, throttle body spacers, PCV oil collectors, MAF sensors and any other device that modifies emissions in any way either directly to a particular device or to the fuel management or computer systems etc. A complete listing can be found at the C.A.R.B. website

Another thing I hear from customers is "It's just another scam for California to get a buck out of us". But at the same time I hear these same people tell me that the reason they moved to Palm Desert, was to get away from the smog...which is getting better as a result of the cleaner vehicles of today, and the efforts of the smog program at forcing the repair or retirement of gross polluting vehicles. But it is not just a California mandate, the smog program is the states direct compliance to Federal mandates requiring the state to clean it's air. So be mad at the state all you want, because it has to answer to a higher power too, unless of course you want dirtier air and less of our federal tax dollars coming in to maintain the streets and highways?