California BAR test

[benji]

Has anyone here ever had to get their car BAR inspected in CA? It's just a more rigorous smog test, right?

I'm going to take a DOHC F22B swapped 94 Accord in and I'm kinda worried.

Can anyone tell me anything about it?

[4GAccordH22]

It's basically the same smog test as you would get anywhere else.

Usually, they will do a more thorough visual check to make sure all aftermarket parts are CARB legal. As long as you have all applicable smog equipment for the vehicle AND the motor and it passes the sniffer test, you should be golden.

The DOHC F22B may be an issue as it was never installed on a USDM vehicle, but they may call the H23 a USDM "equivalent". Let us know how it goes!

[bmxicansd]

It's basically the same smog test as you would get anywhere else.

Usually, they will do a more thorough visual check to make sure all aftermarket parts are CARB legal. As long as you have all applicable smog equipment for the vehicle AND the motor and it passes the sniffer test, you should be golden.

The DOHC F22B may be an issue as it was never installed on a USDM vehicle, but they may call the H23 a USDM "equivalent". Let us know how it goes!

he pretty much summed it up.
good luck..

[benji]

So, it failed. My sister (her car) took it in cause I had to work, and she doesn't know very much about cars. She said that at some point the guy spent a bunch of time researching the engine cause she couldn't answer any of the questions he asked, and then said that it wouldn't fly cause it wasn't offered in the US.

So, three questions:

1. Is the reason it was denied recorded in the system, or just that it still needs to be certified?

2. Would it be worth me taking it to a different referee and saying it was out of a 94/95 prelude SI (H23A) and see if they go for it? (This is dependent on number 1, because if it's recorded that it wasn't passed because the engine wasn't offered then it is already f'd). Is there an equivalency rule I can use?

3. Has anyone here done this swap in California? How did you get passed?

[s-Lowcb7]

thats crazy...they can just tell you to go F yourself over the inspection...we dont even have smog test up here..thankfully
ya i hope they dont record that shit and you get the all clear next inspection. Good Luck man

[benji]

thats crazy...they can just tell you to go F yourself over the inspection...we dont even have smog test up here..thankfully
ya i hope they dont record that shit and you get the all clear next inspection. Good Luck man

The thing that pisses me off is it passed the smog portion with flying colors. My sister said the ref said that it performed significantly better than the stock engine. If it passes, why the hell does it matter where it came from?

[RJBleick]

Yea, thats bs , i personally would try takein it to a diffrent ref. Whats the worst that can happen? They would say no too? I say give it another shot.

[s-Lowcb7]

The thing that pisses me off is it passed the smog portion with flying colors. My sister said the ref said that it performed significantly better than the stock engine. If it passes, why the hell does it matter where it came from?

ya that is bs..i mean if the engine was stolen i could see the problem but woopdy doo its not from here OMG!!
so does this restrict you from driving your whip around? or whats the big deal?

[benji]

ya that is bs..i mean if the engine was stolen i could see the problem but woopdy doo its not from here OMG!!
so does this restrict you from driving your whip around? or whats the big deal?

It's my sister's car, and it needs to be registered. It can't be registered without a smog, and the place we took it to get it smogged wouldn't touch it and marked that it needed to be BAR Inspected. I don't think any place will touch it until it gets a BAR sticker, so I'm pretty sure even finding a place to give me a hot smog is out of the question. We have until the end of this month on a trip permit to figure something out.

Anyone have any more info for me?

[s-Lowcb7]

ahh ic...u cant register it... now i understand, i would just go there(i dont know where..do they do the test at the dmv?)and i would just say look, i bought the car like this(i dont know if u did but i would say it anyways)..wtf do i have to do so i can register this car so i can drive the bitch, otherwise its a lost cause. and thats what i would do, fight it!! but then again i dont know the rules and regulations down there(if u cant tell). and whats a BAR inspection? is that diffrent from the smog test?

[benji]

ahh ic...u cant register it... now i understand, i would just go there(i dont know where..do they do the test at the dmv?)and i would just say look, i bought the car like this(i dont know if u did but i would say it anyways)..wtf do i have to do so i can register this car so i can drive the bitch, otherwise its a lost cause. and thats what i would do, fight it!! but then again i dont know the rules and regulations down there(if u cant tell). and whats a BAR inspection? is that diffrent from the smog test?

BAR inspections are performed by Referees, and they are most easily found at community colleges in the state. You mainly have to have your car BAR'd if 1. You are a gross polluter, 2. If you have a swapped engine that is nonstandard, or 3. A smog person says you do.

In CA, there are three types of smog stations: Test Only, where they will only test the car, Test and Repair (certified to repair any smog related issues), and Referee Stations, where they certify swaps and check other cars that have failed regular smog tests.

Right now, the only way I could register it is to swap a F22B1/B2 back in (which I don't have, the original motor was knocking like a bitch and when we looked the cam bearing surfaces were tore up) and get it BAR'd again, so that's not happening any time soon, hence my asking if anyone has ever had to do this before.

[wed3k]

if it doesnt say h23, its not a h23.
bar'in a motor is a pain int he ass. pay someone to not open your hood when you smog.

[s-Lowcb7]

thanks for the info, it helps me understand and visualize the whole situation, and sorry i im not of any help i know you asked for people whove done it before im just tryin to cram so knowledge in my brain

[TheNextAZN]

problem now is that since he's been to a Bar ref. it's recorded that his motor is swapped.. therefore if he even does pass smog he's still passing with a illegal motor right? .. that's an issue Kurobei is having? Shitty thing is that if you hadn't got to BAR .. and went to regular smog .. or atleast the one I goto here in Milpitas, u would have just taken the sniffer and if you pass the sniffer (as you stated u did) u would of got ur certificate. So, I'm kinda lost on what u gotta do.

I can hope that the BAR ref didn't record anything.. and just ran tests. Therefore u can find urself a nice test only place who won't care about visual inspections. OOOR if you can find a BAR ref that will record ur car as a 2.2 Honda.. ur good.. cus my BAR sticker says "1994 2.2L Honda" ( mind u i got a '94 JDM h22)

[benji]

problem now is that since he's been to a Bar ref. it's recorded that his motor is swapped.. therefore if he even does pass smog he's still passing with a illegal motor right? .. that's an issue Kurobei is having? Shitty thing is that if you hadn't got to BAR .. and went to regular smog .. or atleast the one I goto here in Milpitas, u would have just taken the sniffer and if you pass the sniffer (as you stated u did) u would of got ur certificate. So, I'm kinda lost on what u gotta do.

I can hope that the BAR ref didn't record anything.. and just ran tests. Therefore u can find urself a nice test only place who won't care about visual inspections. OOOR if you can find a BAR ref that will record ur car as a 2.2 Honda.. ur good.. cus my BAR sticker says "1994 2.2L Honda" ( mind u i got a '94 JDM h22)

We did try to get it straight smogged at first, using a don't ask don't tell kinda thinking. The guys wouldn't touch cause they apparently knew about the motor.