Smog check resources
Vehicle Maintenance
Gross Polluter: What It Means and How to Fix It
A gross polluter is a car whose initial smog test came in at roughly twice the legal limit. The label sticks to the vehicle record. Here is what it costs you.
Vehicle Maintenance
The Check Engine Light and Your Smog Check
An illuminated check engine light fails a California smog check automatically, no matter how clean the exhaust is. Here is why, and what to do about it.
Vehicle Maintenance
Why Did My Car Fail? The 7 Most Common Smog Check Failures
From a lit check engine light to a $2,000 catalytic converter, here are the seven failures that send California cars home with a red slip, and what each costs.