Camel8

Warning to anyone driving in and around north orange county today...

On Malvern ave between Beach and Euclid st @ Dale st in Buena park there is a spot smog check station...

So if any of you for whatever reason have to drive around that area, avoid malvern (which turns into chapman) at all costs!

Especially if you have no cat's/engine modifications.

dozer

iTrader: (3)

WOW...thats like around the corner from my house

Jedi54

iTrader: (7)

camel: did you get stopped?
these stupid smog stations **** me off; waste of my god damn tax dollars!!!

Camel8

No, it was right next to the turn in for my neighborhood so i went in a different way. I rode down on my bike to see what the hell was going on, and sure enough they had blocked one lane off and were pulling people in randomly, or not so randomly....

At least it keeps a CHP officer off the freeway..

ILoveFI

What is the legality of a cop pulling you over and putting your car on the smog dyno? I mean, can they do whatever the hell they want even if you have other stuff to do that day?

Also, is it MANDATORY?

Jedi54

iTrader: (7)

yes, mandatory
perfectly legal
you have no choice


welcome to living in a Communist State

ILoveFI

Thats it, I'm installing a kill switch on my cars.

GTConversion

Granted I don't live in CA, but I don't see how forcing you to go on a smog dyno is legal. I'd be really interested to see what they charged someone who refused to do so with. I bet the best they could do would be obstructing, maybe public nuisance.

In the case of a DUI checkpoint, for example, you've already committed a criminal offense that allows them to arrest and tow. Driving a vehicle which doesn't meet smog requirements isn't even a misdemeanor, as far as I know.

Jedi54

iTrader: (7)

you guys have to keep in mind that California has the strictest emissions laws in the COUNTRY.

similar to a DUI stop, you have committed an offense by being intoxicated and then getting in your car.
Here you have broken a federal emissions law (if you don't have your stock cat) and knowingly are driving around.

crude comparison but you get the idea.
I belive if you refuse, they can tow your car and have the inspection done at a state facility. (I'd have to look into that)

GTConversion

Again, though, it's an equipment violation that the driver could not even be aware of. I'd think it should follow the car (like parking tickets), not the driver (like DUI) - meaning it could hardly be a harsh penalty for refusing it. Perhaps similar to not stopping at a weigh station in a commercial vehicle.

I live in a county in CO that just revoked emissions requirements entirely. Don't even need to do an emission check.. ever. Mmm mountain air..

Then again, I have everything stock, including the cat.

Jedi54

iTrader: (7)

most of the cars they stop for these smog checks are modified cars that they believe might not pass emissions.

modified implies that the owner is aware that changes have been made to the vehicle.

That's their line of thinking, believe me: I do not agree with this bullship law but I can see what the lawmakers were thinking when they wrote it.

mzrx

I wonder if you could use the analysis from this inspection provided you pass smog to renew your registration? This could be a blessing in disguise to those that want a free smog check, provide the car is still stock but looked modded.

Davey's RX-8

iTrader: (1)

DUI checkpoints aren't the same, and some state courts have ruled them an unconstitutional search and seizure. Some state courts have limited how, where, and when they can be implented. Here in SD county, the U-T had a story of one implemented in East County a few months back. A couple of arrests but by far what caught my eye was the fact it was used to nail people for all sorts of fix-it ticket violations.

bruce_van

The smog check points is total BS! We freakin' have to smog our cars every 2 years as it is. That isn't invasive enough?

GTConversion

I bought my car in CA and they wanted me to smog it just to leave the state with the title. **** that, I just drove out of state with his title and transfered it when I was back in CO.