New Smog Check Procedure?

[Brentbba]

Took my daughters 2005 Scion Xa in for a smog check today. All they did was plug it in to a computer and rev'd the engine a few times. Guy did do a cursory inspection in the engine bay and checked to see that the cats were there. That was it. Lady running the counter said it was new as of March. No more dyno, tail pipe sniffer, etc for newer cars...'05 and newer I think she said. Older cars still have to be dyno'd with old test...I'd imagine because of no diagnostic port??

Are they just reading what the engine diagnostics recording and relying on that for a smog test these days?

Anyone (Paul) know?

 

[Rallyroo]

I heard a few things about the new procedure for the newer cars when I took my 80 for early this year. I asked the smog guy what was up with the new computer and new equipment that I had not seen before and what they were going to get used for. I have to take in another car for smog soon, so I'll inquire more about the new procedures.

 

[Rallyroo]

Just took in my other car for smog.

-New procedures called BAR-OIS is for 2000+ model year vehicles
-Plug into OBD
-Test takes approximately 5 min
-No sniffer (80 needs this)
-No gas cap test (80 needs this)
-No EGR functional test (80 needs this)

BAR-OIS testing procedure started March 9, 2015
https://www.bar.ca.gov/pdf/Notice_of_Statewide_OIS_Implementation.pdf

I was in and out in 5 min.

To test my 80 which has to use the old procedures (BAR-97) costs me an extra 25%.

 

[Brentbba]

Interesting - knew the 80's still needed the old sniffer, gas cap and tank leakdown test. Little place I went was offering up $20 off for the new test from their posted pricing. Sounds like their won't be a bunch of use for the 2wd dyno test as those cars age out either.

 

[Dragos80]

Newer cars have a lot of sensors everywhere. If the engine runs out of spec there will be fault codes in the ECU.
During the smog test their computer looks for those faults and the "readiness" state of all the sensors.
It becomes harder to trick the smog test computer this way.