Your smog technician may very well be correct. To determine whether he or she is right, you'll need to check your Honda CR-V's underhood emissions label. If the vehicle is identified as conforming to 50-State (California) Emissions Certification, and it is currently equipped with a non-California CAT, then yes, the vehicle can not pass the smog check due to a "tamper". You'll need to install a California certified Catalytic Converter. If the emission label is missing, please contact your local Honda dealership. You'll need to provide them the vehicle's Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). They will be able to look up its emissions configuration.
If you find that your Honda CR-V is actually a 49-State certified emissions vehicle, it is possible the smog technician suspected that the CAT was recently replaced (in California). Since 2009, California has banned the sale and installation of non-CA approved catalytic converters. Should this be the case, please seek assistance from the State Smog Check Referee's office, or choose to visit another smog station. The state referee will inspect your Honda and determine whether or not it can pass the inspection with its installed 49-state emission Catalytic Converter. You may contact the referee's office by calling (800) 622-7733.
posted by SmogTips Support
