Didn't get any responses on engine swap board so...

So I was wondering if anyone knows the crime/punishment for being caught with a car that doesn't smog. I mean if you pay someone to smog you so it's all good, but then you get caught, and you and the smog shop would get in trouble.

What would be the punishment for me?
The fine?
Is it a fellony?
Any jail time?
Car impounded?
I live in California.

Uh.. this is all for informational purposes only. I'm asking because a friend, yeah, is thinking about putting in a crate engine to his car, and my friend is thinking of paying someone off to smog it.

 

For the rest of the country it's more focused on a monetary fine and/or loss of registration until it passes.

However, for The Peoples' Republic of Kalifornia they probably send you to a "Re-education Camp" for brainwashing, after which you'll come out believing guns cause crime and radar-equipped-ticket-issuing cameras are required for public safety.

 

all you have to do is have the smog guy scan your registration card and hook up another car to be tested, no one will be able to tell it wasnt your car unless someone tells

 

Yeah, that's the easy part. I'm just worried about what would happen if I get pulled over and the cop asks me to pop my hood or tries to get me to test the smog while he's there or something like that. I'd be really afraid to pop my hood.. I mean my friend would... yeah. That's why I'm asking if I'd go to jail/have a felony, or pay a huge fine.

 

There is no way it could be a felony to not have an emissions legal car. I could see maybe a fine or something, but definately not a felony or ANY jail time. "What are you in for?" "Murder, how about you?" "Oh me? my car didn't pass emissions"

 

i know here in texas, i think the only thing that a Cop would check, is to see if he can SEE your cat.. thats only if ur exhaust is really loud and he notices that you don't have a cat while checking to see if u have a muffler.

 

last I heard, its $5000 fine and if you snitch on the smog test shop that helped you pass smog, they get stuck with half your fine.

 

unless you have open headers or have black smog coming out of your exhaust, blinding other drivers, there is no way that a cop is going to make you open your hood and show his your engine.

 

HEHE, yeah, thats the texas bacon for you! I just got pulled over on sunday because I was "going 46 in a 30" I know there is NO WAY I even came close to 40! I was accelerating from a stoplight and the cop saw a teenager in a 78 T/A and thought he'd screw with me. He was pointing south at a red light and I was pointing east. He had his windows up and by the time he got behind me, I was already turning onto another street, down to about 10 mph. He just wanted to screw with me, told me to slow it down a little, I said cool, and was very polite with him, then he left without even giving me a warning.

cale

sorry to get off topic, had to get that off my chest

 

i dont think they would be too hard on you but the shop that passed it will get f%&@ed over big time if it gets traced back to them. Ive never had one of my cars passed legally, all under the table and ive never been asked to pop the hood. Just as long as your not too conspicuous (no excessive smoke/noise), youll be fine.

P.S. I belive its somewhere in the neighborhood of $50,000 plus fine for the shop!

 

I'm gonna have a big block stinger hood, which makes it look like my car is possibly "suped" up. So I'm kind of worried that a cop that sees me, hears how loud the car might be, or pulls me over, will want to look under the hood.

Also, I did a search on passing smog, and I found a post from someone that said that tampering with smog equipment in CA is a federal offense, and a $10,000 fine. What do you guys think/know?

Thanks for all the responses so far...

 

im gonna be putting a cowl induction hood on my car, and i dont expect to be pulled over by any cop wanting to see my engine, unless he is a big car guy and wants to look for his own enjoyment. If cops pulled cars over because they were too loud, then all i would see driving around Vallejo is cops inspecting rice rockets.

 

hey i live in california too... and i have a GMC TYPHOON that is not smog legal by any means.. i too had some one fix my smog..

last year i was pulled over by those check points where they have a whole smog check point on the street... i failed... they asked me why i failed.. and i just told them i made changes to the car after i smoged it ...( and played as if i was a complete idiot about emissions) they just issued a "fix it" ticket..

on a side note.. no cop will pull you over and check the engine.. half the cops in CA dont know what the hell to look for anyways.. they only know to look for NOS lines.. a cop cant possibly know what parts on the car are supposed to be there or not..

in fact i have to take my thirdgen in on friday and have some one fix the smog check too...

the other guy is right.. no one is going to know unless your car is pushing out big black smoke, or some lil whiney *** tells on you.

 

Smog check point? What the hell is that?
Like a chassis dyno on the street, where they grab unsuspecting drivers and make them RE-pass emissions?
Sounds like something George Orwell would've written about, if he was a car-guy.

 

yep thats exactly what they have.... they do it once a month.. in a different city in orange county. usually its not on a main street.. normally its on a large residential road. sucks doesnt it??
thing is they cant prove when you made any modifications on emissions.. so the only thing they can do is issue a fix it ticket, and its a bitch.. you have to not only retest emissions.. but have some one from the state actually check the engine bay. now that sucks!!!!

 

They check the car by VIN too here. So that may not work.

 

how about this...move from CA and u wont have to worry. done

 

ROFL!!!!!