smog fail - modified/tampered - question
 

I had a smog check done today and failed for the first time in the 12 years I've owned the car. it failed visual only because the smog tech recognized my accel intake and rare arizona speed & marine siamesed intake runners. The rest of the motor below the intake is stock and I passed the sniffer just fine. The tech talked to me after the test and really liked the car, he's a big fan of 2nd and 3rd gens and also circle track races. He basically knew exactly what he was looking at.

Here's my question: now that the car failed due to tamper/modified, is my car somehow flagged? I want to just take it to another shop, and get a tech who isn't a super-knowledgeable fan of F-bodies; and then it will pass just fine like it always has before. But is the car somehow flagged where the tech will see that I am "smog shop shopping" or that it failed for tamper/modified, and thus they will be more careful and really scrutinize my car?

Re: smog fail - modified/tampered - question
 

Not related to your question, but California must have some real crappy laws. If it passes smog, what difference should a different intake manifold make?

Re: smog fail - modified/tampered - question
 

That's just the rules of the state. If it's not certified (doesn't have a state-issued Exemption Order number) then it's not allowed, period.

The lower manifold does have an EO number (I'll have to find the sticker), but being that the runners are hand crafted by AS&M, there never was any certification done (too low production to justify the expensive tests for just California).

Re: smog fail - modified/tampered - question
 

Since 2013 the EO has to be on the part.In other words, NO MORE STICKERS!
Sucks, but that's California for ya.

More than likely the car is flagged & another tech will see it on his screen when he puts the vin in.

Re: smog fail - modified/tampered - question
 

I know I get grief every time I get my car smog check because of my S.L.P. headers. They look for the CA codes on the headers and then they get pissed off when I tell them the sticker is affixed under the hood and that's how I bought the headers over 15 years ago.

Re: smog fail - modified/tampered - question
 

It won't be flagged, I had a guy do that to me and I went somewhere else, no problem.

Re: smog fail - modified/tampered - question
 

It will show in the system as failing, wait a few days and take it somewhere else

Re: smog fail - modified/tampered - question
 

You're assuming it's about the emissions. It's not. It's about the money. They do everything they can to get older cars off the road so you buy new and pay more sales tax and higher annual fees.

Re: smog fail - modified/tampered - question
 

What I'd like to know is, if it failed visual and he knew he would fail it anyway, why did he bother to sniff test it? Was he looking for a "tip" (I'll just forget I saw that...)? Slow day? My feeling is that you'll be fine taking it somewhere else and getting it through. I doubt that Sacramento would go to the expense to track re-smogs.

Re: smog fail - modified/tampered - question
 

My experience ended up being the same as Dyno Don.

Took it elsewhere to a guy whom I assume was not a Camaro enthusiast. Passed with no issues whatsoever.

Re: smog fail - modified/tampered - question
 

Knowing the sniffer test is good to go is helpful information.

Telling you one item needs replaced and sending you home would be a complete waste of your time if you came back a second time and they then told you a second item needed replaced. Running it through the test makes sense.