TheSamba.com :: View topic - Subaru swap California referee inspection

Sat Feb 29, 2020 10:06 am

richardlbennett wrote: Hi all,

The new California laws mean I need to skip the smog station and go directly to the referee for inspection. I'm ready to make the appointment with the referee in So-Cal with my Kennedy conversion and am looking for a little help in what to expect. Anyone been there in the last 9 months here who can help me?

Thanks,
Rich

This has been the law in California for a long time but does not apply to you if you have a Kennedy conversion because of State of California AIR RESOURCES BOARD EXECUTIVE ORDER D—428—3. Kennedy should have given you a phenolic label for the back of your license plate for the smog shop to read. Check this out from the CARB signed into law April, 2014. I can't find anywhere that Executive Order has been overturned or superceeded.

https://ww3.arb.ca.gov/msprog/aftermkt/devices/eo/d-428-3.pdf

Sat Feb 29, 2020 10:40 am

The exact Executive Order number depends on when the conversion was done to a specific van. As Catalytic requirements evolved, updates were needed to the E.O.

Kennedy got the first CARB approval for Vanagon with Subaru 2.2 engine back in 1997.

https://arb.parts/Executive-Order/D-428

Mark

Sat Feb 29, 2020 10:40 am

That was how it worked. A lot of things have changed.

Sat Feb 29, 2020 10:47 am

crazyvwvanman wrote: The exact Executive Order number depends on when the conversion was done to a specific van. As Catalytic requirements evolved, updates were needed to the E.O.

Kennedy got the first CARB approval for Vanagon with Subaru 2.2 engine back in 1997.

https://arb.parts/Executive-Order/D-428

Mark

Yes. The Kennedy phenolic label has to match the installed catalytic converter. I bought a new catalytic converter from Kennedy several years ago and they sent me the updated phenolic label to match the converter. If the OP has a kennedy conversion he should be good to go at any smog shop. No need to go to referee.

Sat Feb 29, 2020 10:54 am

richardlbennett wrote: That was how it worked. A lot of things have changed.

What has changed? Has the executive order been overturned? Do you have a complete Kennedy kit with the phenolic label?

Sat Feb 29, 2020 11:01 am

If anything has changed I would think that Kennedy would know about it. I willl give them a call Monday morning and post here.

Tue Mar 03, 2020 12:05 pm

I spoke with Kennedy this morning and the OP is 100% correct. The law changed in California 2018 and is not available to the public on any website.. According to Kennedy, if you follow all the rules in their executive order you should have no problem getting the sticker from a referee. Smog shops are just now starting to enforce the new ruling especially in Northern California. Hopefully people will post their good or bad experiences with the referee here. This really bites because I would have gone with a 2.5 in the first place had I known I had to deal with a referee.

Tue Mar 03, 2020 3:36 pm

Thanks for picking up the phone and vaccinating this thread against internet viruses.

Tue Mar 03, 2020 4:46 pm

2wdvanagon wrote: .. According to Kennedy, if you follow all the rules in their executive order you should have no problem getting the sticker from a referee.

Whomever you spoke to at Kennedy is telling you the truth, if you don't live in Northern California. Perhaps they believed you live in So-Cal?

I cannot recommend going to the referee as there is a problem with the EO that Kennedy is aware of which seems to be about 9 months old. I had been trying to determine if Kennedy was correct that this is just a Nor-Cal issue, but there is no proof.

Tue Mar 03, 2020 7:05 pm

richardlbennett wrote:
Whomever you spoke to at Kennedy is telling you the truth, if you don't live in Northern California. Perhaps they believed you live in So-Cal?

I cannot recommend going to the referee as there is a problem with the EO that Kennedy is aware of which seems to be about 9 months old. I had been trying to determine if Kennedy was correct that this is just a Nor-Cal issue, but there is no proof.

Yeah, they did say that this is a NorCal issue and I did tell them I'm in NorCal. What is the problem with the EO that Kennedy is aware of?

Tue Mar 03, 2020 7:14 pm

Abscate wrote: Thanks for picking up the phone and vaccinating this thread against internet viruses.

This CA smog issue is going to have a negative effect on a lot of people. If you have nothing positive to contribute then please piss off.

Tue Mar 03, 2020 10:27 pm

2wdvanagon wrote: Abscate wrote: Thanks for picking up the phone and vaccinating this thread against internet viruses.

This CA smog issue is going to have a negative effect on a lot of people. If you have nothing positive to contribute then please piss off.

Um, I read that as a positive and thankful note suggesting that gathering facts via a phone call was helpful in a thread full of bad memories and conjecture. But maybe my inglish aint so good.

[quote="2wdvanagon"] Abscate wrote: Thanks for picking up the phone and vaccinating this thread against internet viruses.

As for this, all I can say is that it's probably a placebo that didn't take.

Tue Mar 03, 2020 10:37 pm

Abscate wrote: Thanks for picking up the phone and vaccinating this thread against internet viruses.

Uh...yeah. He was being humorous (and positive) about heading off a troll assault, but clearly - it didn't work...

Wed Mar 04, 2020 3:19 am

Intended positively and profoundly. A phone call to the source , followed by internet documentation , eliminates pages of speculation.

Misunderstanding someone isnt troll behavior. No offense intended or taken on my part.

Wed Mar 04, 2020 6:36 am

Abs has a wry delivery which is sometimes misunderstood.

Wed Mar 04, 2020 9:22 am

2wdvanagon wrote: Yeah, they did say that this is a NorCal issue and I did tell them I'm in NorCal. What is the problem with the EO that Kennedy is aware of?

The manager of one of the four districts in the state wants Kennedy to rewrite it. Unfortunately it looks like there is no approved language.

Wed Mar 04, 2020 4:08 pm

Abscate wrote: Intended positively and profoundly. A phone call to the source , followed by internet documentation , eliminates pages of speculation.

Misunderstanding someone isnt troll behavior. No offense intended or taken on my part.

I do apologize. I completely misunderstood. :oops:

Wed Mar 04, 2020 4:31 pm

2wdvanagon wrote: Abscate wrote: Intended positively and profoundly. A phone call to the source , followed by internet documentation , eliminates pages of speculation.

Misunderstanding someone isnt troll behavior. No offense intended or taken on my part.

I do apologize. I completely misunderstood. :oops:

Not at all. I have a in ObPhuscateDness degree.

Wed Mar 04, 2020 10:38 pm

2wdvanagon wrote: Abscate wrote:

Misunderstanding someone isnt troll behavior. No offense intended or taken on my part.

I do apologize. I completely misunderstood. :oops:

Hmmm, is this still the internets? Y'all are being civil (not that I know much about that).

Thu Mar 05, 2020 6:58 am

You can’t angry at anyone who asks you to “please piss off”

Totally civilized. I’ll slip back to the Bay Forum, insult skills, and get my daily fix of snark.