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Shocker: California to Start Checking for ECU Tunes During Smog.

anotero

Autocross Champion
Location
Hither and thither
Car(s)
Mk7 GTI
Not at all worried about this. APR's got a CARB-certified stage 1 flash available, and even out of the box, my GTI is an unbelievably fun car. I have a friend who felt this would be the end of racecars, I thoroughly disagree. I find that there's a ton of value added from non-emissions-related items, like suspension, brakes, and tires.

With that said, we should really be going after private jets, cruise ships, etc. Create a system in which the dirtier the item in question, the heavier it's penalized. Want to roll coal? Sure thing bud, but it'll hit in the wallet hard.

I'm no hippie, but I agree that air quality is important, and that improving public transportation options (and telecommuting) is a step in the right direction. I travel for work quite a bit, but there's a large number of things I do that can be handled from the comfort of my home.
The ironic thing is that California is full of coal rollers, more than I've seen anywhere else. Yet the state is insistent on going after people in the semisport car niche.

+1 on telecommuting
 

zucchinies

Go Kart Champion
Location
San Diego
Car(s)
2020 A3
Not at all worried about this. APR's got a CARB-certified stage 1 flash available, and even out of the box, my GTI is an unbelievably fun car. I have a friend who felt this would be the end of racecars, I thoroughly disagree. I find that there's a ton of value added from non-emissions-related items, like suspension, brakes, and tires.
Sounds like this would benefit larger tuning companies that can bankroll these certifications vs smaller tuning companies that will just have to lose out on California customers. Kinda sucks because I don't care if APR is CARB certified, I'll never get APR software and would rather support smaller tuners like Ed. I really don't see the point of this. Logically, this doesn't really add anything for the driver or California itself. I like living here, but the politics are definitely wonky.
*edit* after thinking about it, money is the motivator. These certifications are expensive, and if companies want to sell in California (who wouldn't we're a big market) they have to be certified. Ultimately the cost will trickle down to us.
 
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GreatFallsofGreen

Ready to race!
Location
SoCal
Car(s)
GFG 7.5, 6MT
Not at all worried about this. APR's got a CARB-certified stage 1 flash available, and even out of the box, my GTI is an unbelievably fun car. I have a friend who felt this would be the end of racecars, I thoroughly disagree. I find that there's a ton of value added from non-emissions-related items, like suspension, brakes, and tires.

With that said, we should really be going after private jets, cruise ships, etc. Create a system in which the dirtier the item in question, the heavier it's penalized. Want to roll coal? Sure thing bud, but it'll hit in the wallet hard.

I'm no hippie, but I agree that air quality is important, and that improving public transportation options (and telecommuting) is a step in the right direction. I travel for work quite a bit, but there's a large number of things I do that can be handled from the comfort of my home.
There’s no question that the “one size fits all” logic of governance and the legal system is often a hindrance to progress and justice. Concentrated power and authority typically falls into the “bad info in/bad info out” troupe of decision-making. Mix this with bureaucracy, miscommunication, and misinformation and you get morally correct but confusing and misleading policy that moralizes harmless individual choice. As we see here. Good intent, faulty execution.

But yeah I’m totally content with my “dead end” APR tune knowing that they were already CARB-certified. And yeah you’re right, there’s so much more value in brakes, chassis and suspension, especially with great mountain roads in SoCal.

IDK about this “little guy narrative”, but as a Alabama native in SoCal I’m supporting my home state and local San Diegans 😂
 

nosmirk

Go Kart Champion
Location
SoCal
Car(s)
7.5 DSG
Sounds like this would benefit larger tuning companies that can bankroll these certifications vs smaller tuning companies that will just have to lose out on California customers. Kinda sucks because I don't care if APR is CARB certified, I'll never get APR software and would rather support smaller tuners like Ed. I really don't see the point of this. Logically, this doesn't really add anything for the driver or California itself. I like living here, but the politics are definitely wonky.
*edit* after thinking about it, money is the motivator. These certifications are expensive, and if companies want to sell in California (who wouldn't we're a big market) they have to be certified. Ultimately the cost will trickle down to us.
Money? Do you seriously think this is about money?
How many tuners are there right now that are active across all brands.. 100? 1000? They are the ones paying the fees, not residents. We already have smog checks, so there isn't any additional income there. CA won't get any additional income from this, except maybe a fraction from sales tax.

Without going political, CA will get abandoned just like the "drop safe" handgun list. My guess is they'll do the same as the drop safe handgun list. Initial compliance check to certifiy and then a relitively low yearly retention fee. So APR will be good for this engine type, as soon as there is a new engine/ECU code, they'll have to recertify for the new engine and pay a yearly for that one as well. Cobb already stopped selling to CA residents, I'd assume they heard something from the grapevine.
 

nosmirk

Go Kart Champion
Location
SoCal
Car(s)
7.5 DSG
Massive, bunker fuel burning container ships arriving at the Port of Los Angeles daily.

That's totally cool tho. 😐
Already in the crosshairs. 40% of ships run on shorepower or aux generators which have scrubbers installed (similar to ones on cruise ships). Truck have to be certified clean idle. My friend's wife works for PoLB so we hear a lot of interesting tidbits concerning potential lawsuits and difficulties enforcing rules with foreign registeries. And trust me when I say that residents in the neighborhood surrounding the complex have been fed up w/ the pollution for years now.
 

EXEA189

Ready to race!
Location
Rocky Mountains
I'm surprised emissions testing is even still a thing considering how advanced engine management systems are today.
I don't think it's about how advanced engine systems are today, but more about air quality. Here in Colorado, we have days when air quality monitors detect high levels of ozone and they issue alerts like we did today. So we have emissions testing...
 

EXEA189

Ready to race!
Location
Rocky Mountains
The coal rollers are largely responsible for this.
Pickups and SUVs are defined as “light-duty vehicles.” Since, as defined, these vehicles aren’t meant to carry humans, they’re subject to less stringent safety regulations that help ensure they can perform their farm and hauling duties. They’re also permitted to pollute more. It's how the manufacturers and/or owners get around the rules and regs having to do with gas consumption, safety and tailpipe emissions.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/car-design/a33490594/suv-chins-dodge-regulations/
 

anotero

Autocross Champion
Location
Hither and thither
Car(s)
Mk7 GTI
Pickups and SUVs are defined as “light-duty vehicles.” Since, as defined, these vehicles aren’t meant to carry humans, they’re subject to less stringent safety regulations that help ensure they can perform their farm and hauling duties. They’re also permitted to pollute more. It's how the manufacturers and/or owners get around the rules and regs having to do with gas consumption, safety and tailpipe emissions.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/car-design/a33490594/suv-chins-dodge-regulations/
Isn't a Gelentwagen an SUV? Just imagined it performing farm duties.
 

Ace92028

Go Kart Newbie
Location
San Diego
I heard from coworkers that they are going to not allow any deviation from stock to pass smog. This included changing the exhaust system, ecu, air intake, etc. CARB approval will no longer pass visual inspection.
 

Chogokin

Autocross Champion
Location
So Cal
Car(s)
GTI Sport | Audi A3
As long as the exhaust is a cat back...it should be ok. Anything pre cat is fair game.

CARB would be losing a lot of money if they were to void those certifications. It's pretty expensive to get CARB certification.
 
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