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Who needs a smog check in the State of California?
The California Smog Check Program requires vehicles that were manufactured in 1976 or later to participate in the biennial smog check program in participating counties. If you live in one of the following California counties, you need a smog inspection when you renew your Department of Motor Vehicles vehicle registration: Alameda, Butte, Colusa, Contra Costa, Fresno, Glenn, Kern, Kings, Los Angeles, Madera, Marin, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Orange, Sacramento, San Benito, San Francisco, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Solano, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Tulare, Ventura, Yolo, or Yuba.
How to prepare for your smog check inspection
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Taking your gasoline or diesel vehicles into a station for a smog check can be time consuming. To ensure you’ll pass on the first try, be sure to complete the following in advance:
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1. Clear your check engine light: Before you go in for your smog inspection, make sure your vehicle does not have its check engine light on. An illuminated check engine light is one of the few things that will cause an automatic failure of your smog check.
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2. Drive the vehicle at highway speeds: It’s recommended that before you head in for your inspection, you drive the vehicle for at least 20 minutes. This will ensure that your vehicle is properly warmed up so the dynamometer can measure your vehicle’s torque.
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3. Change the oil if it needs to be changed: If you’re approaching your next oil change milestone, it’s important to change the oil before your smog test. If the oil in your vehicle is too low or contaminated, it may cause an automatic failure.
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4. Make sure your vehicle is tuned up: If something in your vehicle is not running properly, the inspector is more likely to fail your vehicle’s smog inspection. Before you take your vehicle in for a smog check, make sure it’s been tuned up recently so that you save both time and money.
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5. Get a pre-inspection: Most smog check stations perform pre-inspections to provide you an opportunity to correct anything with your vehicle that could cause an automatic failure.