How Long Does It Take to Smog a Car? | Carmichael

How Long Does It Take to Smog a Car? – San Juan Auto Smog, Carmichael

For most cars, plan on about 30 minutes for the actual California Smog Check.

But there's something more important than saving five or ten minutes at the shop:

Make sure you haven't accidentally made your car unready for the inspection.

Key Takeaways

  • Plan on about 30 minutes for the actual California Smog Check.
  • Clearing trouble codes or disconnecting the battery right before a Smog Check can reset your readiness monitors.
  • San Juan Auto Smog offers a reduced-fee pre-inspection that checks trouble codes, readiness monitors and check-engine-light status.
  • Can't wait? Leave the car with us and come back later.

Table of Contents

Don't Reset Your Readiness Monitors

One common mistake is clearing trouble codes or disconnecting the battery immediately before getting a Smog Check.

That can reset the vehicle's readiness monitors.

Those monitors are self-tests your car performs on its emissions systems. After they've been reset, the vehicle needs to run them again under the appropriate driving conditions.

Recently Disconnected Your Battery?

If your battery was recently replaced or disconnected, California BAR recommends driving the vehicle to allow its readiness monitors to reset.

If you're unsure whether your vehicle is ready, San Juan Auto Smog offers a pre-inspection for a reduced fee.

We can check your OBD-II system for:

That can identify certain problems before the official inspection begins.

What If You Can't Wait?

Leave the car with us and come back later.

If you live or work near our shop, we may also be able to give you a ride to or from San Juan Auto Smog when staffing and our workload permit.

Learn about our Smog Check and pre-inspection services →

We're a short drive from Carmichael at 4701 San Juan Ave in Fair Oaks.

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