As you probably know, California Air Resources Board (CARB)is the strictest of the 50 states. I am not entirely sure of all of the differences for a non-California 91 GLi. I've purchased cars that were previously registered in other states. This process of acquiring CA license plates can sometimes prove frustrating.
But here are some suggestions: If you have AAA, they can greatly minimize your exposure to the California DMV. They would also be helpful in assisting you in what you would need to transfer the registration of your car to this state. You will eventually have to get a SMOG certificate in order to get insurance and registration in CA. Here are some tips: 1. Make sure your car is tuned and running well. A well tuned smooth running engine will pass the tailpipe test which is critical in CA. If your car has a lot of mileage, I would suggest using Synthetic oil prior to your inspection. It seems that Synthetic oil that passes thru worn seals and rings does not produce the amounts of carbon and other measureable pollutants that are present in conventional motor oils. This will increase your chances of passing the tailpipe test. In addition, I also use fuel injector/system cleaner at least a couple fillups before I take the test. 2. Select a very busy Smog certification station. I would go on the busiest day of the week (Usually Saturday) During these peak hours, the inspectors are less likely to spend time on the visual inspection and will often do a quick visual and the tailpipe test because of the long waiting list. You will be at an advantage if they are distracted and less focused. 3. I always have my wife take my car to the test. Since she is unfamiliar with the details of my engines, the inspectors are unable to ask any questions of her because she is truthfully unable to answer. They are less likely to ask questions about modifications, conditions, or history of a car driven by a female. (believe me, this works!) 4. Remove anything that is not OEM from under the hood. Anything that looks aftermarket will draw their attention and may motivate them to inspect more closely. However, If you have aftermarket parts that are CARB certified, bring the documentation that shows the CARB exemption #s. In many major cities, California smog inspections are performed on a Dyno while the car is under stress. The results are electronically transmitted to the DMV in Sacramento to minimize tampering and fraud. If you take the test and fail, They will know how many attempts you have made and how many times you have failed. If you are unable to pass, you may be assigned to a referree station. You want to avoid this scenerio if possible. The engineers at the referee stations will look up VIN #, engine codes, and chassis #s to verify the hardware in your car and will be more difficult to pass. They may require repairs before they allow you to pass. However, They do have the authority to issue excemptions if you've made a sincere effort to meet their standards. I've been able to successfully pass my smog inspections without intervention of a referree by following the above steps. This has proven successful on all my VWs including the ones which I've installed different engines/transmissions. I hope these suggestions work as well for you too. Good luck Les 90 Corrrado G60 TEC 2RS 85 Golf with Motronic controlled 2.0 16V 81 VW Truck 2.0l CIS 8V -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]]On Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: Sunday, February 16, 2003 2:17 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [a2-16v-list] non-california car to california Hey all, Job may require me to move to the Bay area. I currently drive a non-Cal 91 Jetta GLI. What must I do to drive this car and register in California. All original emission control equipment for a non-Cal car are on the car. All stories wanted.... Thanks, Greg _______________________________________________ a2-16v-list mailing list [email protected] http://mail.a2-16v.com/mailman/listinfo/a2-16v-list For list archives, see listinfo link above.
