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California Engine Change vs Engine Replacement

If a vehicle comes in for a smog check with a newer engine installed does it get smog checked as the engine year or the chassis year? And which emission specs does the car need to follow; the new engine year which is installed or the model year of the car (year the chassis was built)? Thank you many times. Ashot.

Answer:

You will follow 1999 engine specs and ensure all the emission components required of that 1999 engine are present. Also make sure that you are not dealing with an "engine change" as opposed to an "engine replacement". If dealing with an "engine change" you'll need to direct the customer to a referee station, unless they have already had a previous smog test done by a referee, and a blue emission label is affixed to the car. An engine change is the installation of an engine in a vehicle that is different from the one originally installed. A Referee smog inspection is required for all vehicles that have had an engine change. An engine replacement is the replacement of a vehicle’s engine with the same engine size or an engine offered by the manufacturer for the same year, make and model of said vehicle. This is considered an "engine replacement" and does not require a Referee station smog inspection. posted by SmogTips Support

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