identifying new vehicle problems quickly

3 Things To Know About The Smog Check Program In The State Of California

29 October 2017 by Kathryn Harris

If you own a vehicle in the state of California, you need to understand how the smog check program works. As a vehicle owner, you more than likely need to have your vehicle checked at a smog check station.

#1 The Smog Check Program Helps Reduce Pollution

The entire idea behind the smog check program is to help reduce pollution. Many states, including California, have air quality and emission goals that they try to meet each year. One way of meeting these air quality goals is by monitoring and ensuring that all vehicles driven within the state meet certain emission standards. It takes a holistic approach that includes the efforts of individual citizens as well as businesses to reduce pollution.

#2 Most Vehicles Require A Smog Check

Most vehicles are required to get a smog check every other year once they reach a certain age. For the first six years that a new vehicle is on the road, do not require a smog test. Basically, the state assumes that during this six-year period of time, new vehicles should continue to meet manufacture smog test standards.

After your vehicle has been on the road for six years, you will then need to start getting a smog check. This is true for all gasoline powered, alternative fuel and hybrid vehicles.

If you are driving a motorcycle or a vehicle that depends entirely upon electrical power, you are exempt from needed to participate in the smog-check program.

Additionally, if you are driving a classic car that was manufactured before 1976, you don't need to participate in the smog check program. Or if you are driving around an older diesel-powered vehicle that was made before 1998, you don't have to participate in the smog check program either.

#3 Smog Test Program Is Easier On Older Vehicles

The smog test program is designed to be easier on older vehicles. For example, if you are driving a vehicle from 1980, the state of California does not expect you to meet the same emission standards as a vehicle manufactured in 2010.

Smog check standards are adjusted based on the make and model, as well as the age, of your particular vehicle. Smog checks are designed to make sure that your vehicle isn't emitting more pollution than it should be based on when it was made; they are not designed to force you to perform upgrades on your car that would make it meet the emission standards of a brand new vehicle. To learn more, visit a website like http://www.lakesideradiatorandautorepair.com. 

Share

Search