DMV registration on my 2007 Prius is due for renewal and, for the first time, it requires SMOG Certification. ugh. Evidently, this is DMV policy as of April 2015. According to this DMV FAQ, the new testing procedure for hybrid vehicles consists of a visual inspection and OBD scan. Tailpipe emissions testing is NOT required. More info here about the SMOG test station needing a newer "BAR-OIS" OBD scan software in order to be compatible with hybrid vehicles. The older "BAR-97" equipment is not compliant. I'm not excited about any of this.
It is somewhat funny that the first question / answer in the FAQ mentions the motivation for implementing smog checks is to find long-term deterioration - yet a tailpipe test is not performed. Hence the smog test is basically to confirm no warning lights are on, and maybe to make sure the owner did not have a cheap aftermarket catalytic converter installed.
Thank goodness they have smog inspections and don't have safety inspections. A missing catalytic converter is so much worse than brake lights that don't work.
yup, a friend had to spend a couple grand at the dealer for an OEM cat to smog on his 2006 prius last month. The CEL light had been on for 30K miles but he thought it didn't matter until the new smog rules for hybrids came into place...
They seem totally related to me because if the friend was not facing the need to pass a smog emissions test, he would continue to ignore the CEL for another 30K miles or more, thus adding more unneeded pollution to the marginal CA air quality.
I see your point. That smog testing provides control and monitoring of vehicle emissions. In my mind, it's unfortunate that enforcement is needed. CEL lights exist to tell you that something is wrong, don't just ignore it.
I guess it finally wore out, he had 199K when he replaced it but said it still looked like new I mean the prius is PZEV, I'm sure it was still polluting way less than the majority of cars even with the CEL and the cat was just bellow an arbitrary threshold. If you are looking for someone to blame find a TDI owner
resurrecting this thread as i tried to get a smog check yesterday but my car DLC was preventing a connection with the OBDII testing tool. just now tried getting any error codes off my OBDII bluetooth scanner but even that couldn't maintain a connection. have an appt tomorrow with an auto electric repair shop to diagnose & repair, but just wondering if anyone ever had any issues with their DLC port & connecting OBDII devices...
Just posting an update, as I’m about to help a friend with his gen2. My successful experience several years ago was this... Let the car run on low oil, ie half of the threshold Changed the cylinder 1 spark plug Cleaned the throttle plate Cleaned the MAF sensor Poured some 99 cent fuel additive Filled up Drove THE **** out of the car 1200+ miles CEL and monitors turned off Passed smog I had let the 05 Prius with 180k sit, in the cold, for too long as we had a big snowstorm and I had to drive the 4x4. Yes, we do get snow in California. The next winter, same code came back under the same conditions. But, smog is every two years. So, I didn’t do jack shit. The code cleared on its’ own. I was commuting 800 miles a week. This is what I’ll stress about my experience with an 05 Prius. The Prius likes to be driven!!!!
