Numerous threads abound on the Interwebs how difficult and annoying it is to get CARB stickers for first and second gen superchargers for our 20+ year old 4runners. Also, how inconsistent some of the CA Smog test procedures are and what some shops require.
For those of you outside of California or are unfamiliar with the CA smog process, California Air Resource Board (CARB) requires all aftermarket add-ons to be tested and approved for CA emissions. An executive order declares parts are legal. Aftermarket parts manufacturers will provide a sticker to be placed inside your engine compartment identifying the executive order parts fall under. Smog techs will look up the executive order and verify your aftermarket parts are covered as part of the Smog inspection process.
Executive Order for 5VZ-FE TRD superchargers covers several vehicles and both first and second gen S/C's. More on this later.
Penalties for Smog shops is quite high for incorrectly passing vehicles. Penalty is $3,000 and suspension of license for 1-year, so many shops do not want to risk being out of compliance and would rather refer you to a Smog Referee (
read more here) than put their shop at risk. Recently, Smog shops have been much stricter needing to see a sticker. Bringing in the executive order alone just doesn't work anymore - at least in the handful of shops I went to in Sacramento.
Requesting a replacement sticker from Toyota is becoming more and more difficult. I've seen mixed results from other threads where dealerships were able to source replacement stickers while others weren't. I called my local dealership and was informed that TRD no longer supplies stickers and I should reference the executive order (Ha! Thanks...). Parts numbers may have been updated and the parts associate at the dealership might have been looking for the wrong part number or had bad info. Who knows?
Backed into an administrative corner (and not wanting to go through the annoyance of finding a Smog Ref), I decided to create my own CARB stickers. Here were the source files I created:
Photoshop:
Dropbox - TRD Sticker.psd - Simplify your life
PDF:
Dropbox - TRD Sticker.pdf - Simplify your life
Actual sticker size / dimensions are 2.375" x 2.375" with rounded corners and are an exact replica of the original TRD stickers referencing executive order D-425-13. I had stickers printed on vinyl decal material. Sticker easily passed visual inspection by smog tech.
Note: yeah, it really bugs me I didn't put the sticker on straight arrrrgh.
TRD has issued various stickers over the years referencing different executive orders and coming in multiple color combinations (some white on black, others black on white). I chose to replicate the
D-425-13 sticker because that was the last sticker Toyota used prior to updating parts numbers for their first and second gen superchargers. I brought in my TRD installation instructions with original parts numbers in case the tech wanted to match up part numbers to what was on my 4runner. Also, it references a later executive order that includes verbiage for a 7th injector and ECU which was not referenced in
D-425-4. I had the URD 7th injector kit installed (not CA legal) and was hoping it would pass a visual inspection since it aligned with what the executive order read (it did).
9/10/2019 Update: I was away this summer and was not tending my inbox like a responsible member should. I had quite a few requests for stickers pending. Please PM me or respond to this thread by 9/20/2019 if you are interested in a sticker. I will make another run to the printers if demand is there.
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