New Gen 1 Owner 1993 RT/10! Smog

makarov76

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Hello, Just bought my dream car from when I was 16! A 1993 RT/10. About to go get it smogged in Costa Mesa, CA.
Anyone have experience - should I add CRC Engine Cleaner ("guaranteed to pass!") before I go? Do I need a mechanic to do a tune-up before I bring it in? Seems to be driving fine, but I haven't taken it to shop yet for anything.

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TexasViper35

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When was the last time that it passed an emissions test? That should either give you confidence or concern(s). California is tough!

You might want to talk to a few shops that do the testing to see if they will work with you by allowing you several tests in order to pass, just in case that 1st try doesn’t work out and you need to correct something.

The only thing that I’ve seen time and again is a bad or failing battery causing issues with the car not being able to store all of the required codes. If they aren’t stored it will fail the test. So make sure that you have a strong battery and that you have driven the car for at least 30 minutes sometime in the week, including getting on the highway and dropping it in to 6th gear for a few minutes; no need to break the speed limit to do this, but there is a code that you can set by hitting 6th gear for a few miles.

Good luck!
 

dicky

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Old gas will cause you fail, it got me last time, so I simply drove a tank through it and it passed no problem. If it’s stock and nothing wrong, you probably won’t have a problem.
 

wagenman23

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Congrats on living the dream! I am trying to get there as well. I have a smog question as well and thought this might be a good thread for it. I’m in CA, car is in FL and cats have been removed. Obviously that won’t pass here. How much do those cost and to be put back on? Should I avoid this one?
 

rich marino

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Hello, Just bought my dream car from when I was 16! A 1993 RT/10. About to go get it smogged in Costa Mesa, CA.
Anyone have experience - should I add CRC Engine Cleaner ("guaranteed to pass!") before I go? Do I need a mechanic to do a tune-up before I bring it in? Seems to be driving fine, but I haven't taken it to shop yet for anything.

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Fresh gas, run injection cleaner through and yes make sure battery is charged. There is a great smog testing location in El Cajon gives you multiple tries. My Viper always passes but sometimes my SS doesn't. Also try and find a dealer that has a certified Viper Tech. Good luck.
 

dicky

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Congrats on living the dream! I am trying to get there as well. I have a smog question as well and thought this might be a good thread for it. I’m in CA, car is in FL and cats have been removed. Obviously that won’t pass here. How much do those cost and to be put back on? Should I avoid this one?
I had the same situation when I bought my 94. I just put some aftermarket high flow cats on and passed no problem. The high flows are better for keeping the heat down. I know this isn’t the “legal” way to do this but with the side covers on it's pretty hard for them to see.
 

jayriddle

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I replaced the stock accordion-style intake tubes on my '94 with the "smooth tubes" and they wouldn't pass me because they did not have a "CARB ID" on them.

My solution was to move out of California.
 

wagenman23

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To make my post more constructive: it was going to be about $4-$5k with some potential headaches/legwork. Sounded like it could be done and not too crazy, but being that the car was out of state and had a couple other quirks, ultimately went out of my budget and I didn’t want the potential hassle.
 

Viper Swag

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Hello, Just bought my dream car from when I was 16! A 1993 RT/10. About to go get it smogged in Costa Mesa, CA.
Anyone have experience - should I add CRC Engine Cleaner ("guaranteed to pass!") before I go? Do I need a mechanic to do a tune-up before I bring it in? Seems to be driving fine, but I haven't taken it to shop yet for anything.

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Hello sir I live in CA as well. What I do before a smog is simply remove and replace the following:

Spark Plugs and wires
Air filter

And Change Oil and filter
Lastly make sure you get those cats nice and hot. Let it idle a while waiting for yoir smog. This procedure has always worked for me. Let me know of you need to discuss in detail.

With that you should pas with no problem.
Hope it helps
 

fxchevyshop

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Old gas will cause you fail, it got me last time, so I simply drove a tank through it and it passed no problem. If it’s stock and nothing wrong, you probably won’t have a problem
Fresh gas, no mods should be fine
I have 93 all original 57kmiles
Passed every time.
 
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