Has anyone installed one of the many aftermarket replacements and been hassled at smog check? Seems like once they get a little rust on them, no tech is going to go looking for numbers on everything. I could be wrong

Cali takes exhaust control very serious. Pay the extra money.

If i lived in the Republic of Kalifornia i would do one of 2 things.

Install the URD set and then swap back to the OEM at smog time

or

Just deal with the Carb approved setup since it is such a hassle to deal with the carb nazis. It can be kinda time consuming to swap.

Most people i know in Kali with modified exhaust systems always swap back to the OEM carb'd setup when smog comes around. The following day they pull the system and go back to their non-carb approved setup.

I'm not referring to headers or "modified" exhaust. These are the Dorman parts which are factory replacements, minus the CARB extortion fee.
As long as they don't look new, is the tech really going to look for numbers?

It isn't an extortion fee. Cali has the highest exhaust req in the nation die to also having some of the worst pollution from population size.

It isn't a scam. 49 state legal dont meet cali standards as in they don't meet cali standards. You can do whatever you want, but I always advise following the law.


Cali is cracking down and pushing harder enforcement. Anything from it being illegal for a dealer to sell a non conforming car to testing stations verifing conforming parts.

What will you do? Buy it, grind the numbers off...beat it up to get by it? All that hassle. If it is a money thing..buy a functioning used off a wreck at a yard or on carparts site.

So are you saying that it doesn't cost money for Dorman to gain CARB approval for a product designed to function as stock? If it didn't function as stock, the vehicle wouldn't pass smog. The number thing is just another tax, we have lots of them here.
I can see you live in TN, so maybe you don't know but CARB is one of the worst gov't agencies ever forced upon Californians. Have you see or used a CARB approved gas can? Have you heard of MTBE?

Actually, spent some time in Cali. I can tell you that 30 years ago, most major cities and large regions of Cali were suffocated by pollution, much of it from engine exhaust. I also know that fees paid into the program go to fund enforcement. So, things like this whereby people don't think their individual action has consequences just raise the cost of enforcement.

Also, emission costs for manufacturing whether Toyota or an aftermarket company is a cost of doing business. The argument that requiring companies to comply with emission controls is bad is ludicrous and if you like clean air.

Want to see what that place looks like? Try Beijing...you will see what not requiring companies to comply with emission controls looks like.


Again, your car, do what you want. You will here differing opinions, many on your side. .but when you post on this forum I will express my opinion. I believe that emission laws are great. I love clean air...the cleaner the better and iincreasing emission standards on engines, coal plants, manufacturors has played a huge part in that.

LA is still riddled with smog. A lot of positive things happened well in advance of CA going it a alone and deviating from Fed standards. I like clean air too but the bottom line is these guys don't know what they're doing at least half of the time, maybe more.

-MTBE did not make our water and air cleaner. Had opposite effect and will be in our water forever

-CARB approved gas cans did not help the environment by reducing gas spills. These cans spill at least 3X as much gas, maybe more.

-Summer restrictions on sporadic OHV activity, in remote regions of the state did not affect air quality. These vehicles don't see enough miles to make a difference.

-CARB numbers on an otherwise functionally identical part do not aid in cleaning up the air. One could argue that it might actually have the opposite effect as I'm less likely to fix my exhaust leak because the cost is 2X w/carb approved components. If I did update with new components, I'm sure my vehicle would run even cleaner than it already does.

If you want to turn your whole life over to gov't for 80% of your paycheck, have at it. Guess that's why your moniker is "DC runner", you probably make a living in public sector and love the gov't no matter how many faults.