Honda Car Forum

I am told that there is a "LIST" of cars that are considered HIGH PROFILE
for being polluters in the Ca SMOG TEST and that these vehicles are culled
out and sent to special certified smog only shops to be checked ( not 100%
but more so than the low profile vehicles). I think this is true but do any
of you know which cars are on this list? I cannot get that information from
the CA DMV. Thanks wolf

In article <tFAWb.636$_3.12092@typhoon.sonic.net>,
"Wolfgang Bley" <wolfgang@sonic.net> wrote:

> I am told that there is a "LIST" of cars that are considered HIGH PROFILE
> for being polluters in the Ca SMOG TEST and that these vehicles are culled
> out and sent to special certified smog only shops to be checked ( not 100%
> but more so than the low profile vehicles). I think this is true but do any
> of you know which cars are on this list? I cannot get that information from
> the CA DMV. Thanks wolf
>
>

Probably mostly American cars from the late 90s. Their emissions
systems are convoluted and not very effective.

Personally, I'd like to see regions monitored, not cars. It doesn't
take an EPA expert to figure out that about 1 in 5 cars on Tully Road in
San Jose have no chance of passing smog. Gasoline smoke is coming out
the tailpipes. Someone in that area must be faking smog checks.

"Wolfgang Bley" <wolfgang@sonic.net> spake unto the masses in
news:tFAWb.636$_3.12092@typhoon.sonic.net:

> I am told that there is a "LIST" of cars that are considered HIGH
> PROFILE for being polluters in the Ca SMOG TEST and that these
> vehicles are culled out and sent to special certified smog only shops
> to be checked ( not 100% but more so than the low profile vehicles). I
> think this is true but do any of you know which cars are on this list?
> I cannot get that information from the CA DMV. Thanks wolf
>
>
>


They're called "gross polluters". They are selected by using the "High
Emitter Profile" (HEP) list.

This is the best I can find:
http://www.smogcheck.ca.gov/vehtests/pubtstqry.aspx
At least if you're interested in a car, you can check its history.
Gross polluters are partly chosen on their test history.

More info:
http://www.geocities.com/smogrfg/smog/smogcheck2.html
http://www.smogtestonly.us/testonly.htm
http://justsmog.com/faq.htm

Somewhat esoteric, but interesting:
http://enduse.lbl.gov/Projects/vehicles/appendix_J.pdf
It appears that the cheaper the car, the more likely it is to be a high
emitter. Whether this is due to more marginal design or poorer maintenance
("throwaway car") is not clear from the study.

--
TeGGeR®