California BAR smog referee woes

[e30s52]

It was him who said that. I thought the same thing jean.

[jahnaboi]

Grib - Congrats!





Didn't you say you had a friend who can smog your car so you would have to BAR it? Or was it someone else...

Always riding whoever you could ride.

I did say I had a friend who could skip visuals on smog. But I never said that it wouldn't be great to have a fully legal swap. Just hearing someone get through without a total abomination is an enough motivation to do it myself... eventually.

I'd think you'd have better things to do like completing your cleanly swap.

[grib]

I did say I had a friend who could skip visuals on smog. But I never said that it wouldn't be great to have a fully legal swap. Just hearing someone get through without a total abomination is an enough motivation to do it myself... eventually.

I'd think you'd have better things to do like completing your cleanly swap.

Although I eventually got my sticker, I don't want to give the impression that this wasn't one of the most painful and pointless exercises of my adult life. All said and done I will have spent almost $2,000 (not including my own labor) just on the "compliance" issues that didn't add any reliability and probably cost me horsepower. It was a mistake to ever take my car to a BAR referee. (YMMV, it sounds like others have had better experiences.)

If you look at the max allowable numbers in the smog sheets I posted earlier in the thread, you'll see that a 1995 M3 has more restrictive smog numbers than my "stock" 1987 numbers. If you're swapping from a M20 (both 6 cyl engines) and you have someone who might not notice the difference in engines, a car which would pass "swapped 95" emissions standards would also pass "stock" e30 emissions standards.

Just food for thought. ;)

[Ruffian]

Tough story man. Glad it came together for you though. I too live in a county that is very lenient on smog requirements. We have to smog at the time of purchase, but after that never again. Great if you're going to be keeping a car for the rest of your life, but if it was to be sold again, then it would be "Hello Bar".

[Jeeper88]

I just joined this site- wish I had found it before this morning. I'm not even a BMW guy, I dropped a chevy engine in a jeep. Here's another bit of advice: don't go to San Jose/Evergreen, I'm the second guy with the exact same results from the engine swap. I made the mistake of leaving my EO numbers/stickers at home and the guy was too lazy to look them up. The EVAP /fuel vent is going to be a big problem - can't get there from here - everything has to be on the fuel tank as per donor for the evergreen guy, but he could not tell me HOW this was ever done or if it had ever succeeded.

They changed the rules, now I go to regular smog shop and the smog shop who certifies me is on the hook if they approve my changes. Not like a government agency to pass the buck, is it?

[Jean]

Wtf is it about the fuel tank stuff again?

That seems retarded.

[surebimmer]

Anyone got there motor swap signed off in Cali after April this year 2009? I just call to set a appointment and they said the state no longer does the smog. They will give me my sticker next Wednesday and then i have to go to a test only and get the smog cert.

[Jean]

Wow what? I just spoke with them last week and they didn't say anything about that. Are you saying they are only doing visual now?

[Uber E30]

Wow what? I just spoke with them last week and they didn't say anything about that. Are you saying they are only doing visual now?

That would be hot shit

[apexhead]

Thats true. Bar does an inspection and requests a smog cert from an independent shop.

[LowR3V'in]

lol California is so poor they can't do smogs.

[hugh jass]

test only stations do visual inspections, too

[stormspike]

Damn I love Texas then

I went to get my new inspection after the S52 transplant last year and even in Dallas where they check pipe, the station just did a visual inspection since the car was too old for the ODBII check. I was worried that I would have to drive a few counties over and get her inspected there. Just $14.50 and he put the sticker on :)

I am running all OEM cats, etc, but I hate the test that they do now. I miss my station in west texas where you just pulled up, honked the horn and made sure the blinkers worked and a sticker was yours. took more time to hand the cash over.

[Uber E30]

Thats true. Bar does an inspection and requests a smog cert from an independent shop.

Yeeeep, just got off the phone with them. its only visual now... WOOOT

[White Nightmare]

Yeeeep, just got off the phone with them. its only visual now... WOOOT

This is good news for us.

It does make less sense because the state would get cash when performing the smog test which they won't be getting anymore. But it is better for us because lots of smog stations are pretty lenient.

-Chris