One thing I never researched before buying my first diesel, what are the smog laws, if it varies by state I'm in Cali so only old timer Cali diesel owners need reply.

How often?

How much?

Special shops?

Do you get a 5yr grace if purchased new like a gasser?

 

I'm way up here in the real Northern Cali we only have smog checks at transfer of ownership, but ...
When I bought my 99 this summer (my first also,) it did not need a smog check.
I bought it from the Dodge dealer, and (who is) the only smog check station in this town ... they said as of now, diesels in Kali do not need smog checks, DMV never asked for anything but proof of insurance.

Just to be sure you might want to check with your local dearler or DMV.
Pretty sure you don't need any smog checks.

 

Thank you, real NorCal? I don't think anyone North of Fresno would want to be associated with SoCal, Berkeley/SF excluded of course.

 

Diesels in Kali do NOT smogs, only the gas engines.

 

I remember one time I was at a bar that was located next to a smog check place, and I decided to smoke out right in front of the sign, and have my buddy take a picture. Boy did we laugh whenever I brought that up. Wish I could find the picture but I think it may be lost in the archives.

 

Lol - you got that right ... although, and no offense ment, some of us up here at top of the state, don't even consider ourselves as belonging to the rest of Kali

 

CA doesn't have any smog laws or checks for diesels.....yet. And I stress the "yet" because I'm sure with the new emission laws and the ew 6.7 CTD and all the other "clean" diesels out, they'll start. However, you can get inspected, and you'd better have a cat on there, or you'll be shelling out some $$$ for another one.

 

No smog needed for diesels. Bought mine earlier this year and didn't have to smog it either. However! I got a 5 in. straight pipe exhaust kit and when I called up a local muffler shop to ask how much they'd charge to install it, the guy told me he won't as soon as he found out it was a straight pipe. He said they're going to start smogging for diesels and I better put a cat on there. But I don't think they'll smog the old diesels, probably only the new ones. Tell you the truth, I'm kinda iffy about installing a straight pipe myself. I have thought about getting a cat but do they even sell cats for 5 in.?

 

Hey buddy, if you got the pipe i know a shop that will do it cheap. It is far from you but they did mine no questions asked, all the while the guy doing it kept saying "yeah this things going to sound awesome when im done". Sure enough he installed my straight pipe, fixed my tailpipe that had a leak, and threw in a chrome downswept tip, all for $80 installed.

Just gotta find the right place

As for smog laws, I really doubt they are going to make everyone start smogging older diesels. This would make people like me be without a truck, because there is no way my truck (dubbed as gross polluter by local gas station attendant, name caught on with my non-diesel friends) could pass a smog test.

Isnt there something on classics though, where if a car in CA is 20 years or older, it is smog exempt? By production date, my truck will be there in about 3 years...

 

Oh actually what I meant was that I'm iffy about installing an exhaust with no cat, living in CA 'n all. I was planning on tackling the install myself over break when I had some free time, but hey if you know of a shop that'll do it for cheap, I'd be down. Where is it? How much you think he'd charge just for the install?

 

By what I paid, if you just want the pipe done, I am pretty sure it would be a good enough price that it would be worth it for you to drive all the way to San Juan Capistrano (where the shop is). I cant give prices, but by how much he charged for mine (he had to measure, cut, and then make the pipe fit, then weld) I couldnt guess it being more than $50.

Oh, and my exhaust has no cat. Came like that .

 

I like the (K)alifornia, I'd like to nominate Ameri(k)a as an option also.

 

No smog check on my truck in AZ. It is a 2002. The 02 did not have a CAT, just a resenator, that come off with the 4" exhaust.

 

The cutoff year for gas cars and trucks is 1975 and older are exempt.

 

i am in western ny and it changed this year. the last two years- my inspection cost me 10 bucks for a safety inspection. where gasoline vehicles had an emission and safety inspection and cost 21 bucks. this year it cost me 21 bucks- because they hooked up to my obd port to run a diagonistics check-the way it was explained to me. the tech says any diesel truck 04 and newer gets this now (safety/emssions)- where 03 and older still only gets the safety inspection