CA wants diesels dead sadly

windtrader · February 07, 2019, 06:34:07 PM

The reason for posting was primarily to keep prospective buyers of a potentially black hole if buying a used old bus in CA. The details of the regulations are quite complex so it is critical if someone is thinking about converting an older 2 stroke or even early '95 4 strokes to really know what pitfalls may lay ahead.

Much of this is a CA specific concern as I know some of these buses were sold out of state to avoid the legal mess here.

Anyone who has a bus that is already converted and registered as an RV in CA is home free.

Fill 'er up and go take a drive. lol

Dave5Cs · February 08, 2019, 07:32:16 AM

Like RJ said there ya go overthinking again!...

At least California isn't trying to make Magic Mushrooms legal like Arizona and Oregon, LOL Won't they be fun to deal with on the road...

luvrbus · February 08, 2019, 07:54:30 AM

LOL I think the wacky weed one can buy at 7/11 in CA is more of a danger than mushrooms we get so much heat and sunlight in AZ I never saw a mushroom growing in the Valley

Van · February 08, 2019, 09:08:19 AM

Quote from: luvrbus on February 08, 2019, 07:54:30 AM
LOL I think the wacky weed one can buy at 7/11 in CA is more of a danger than mushrooms

Especially that "SOUR DIESEL" Man that will put a hurtin on ya!
https://youtu.be/D8aQ04dyRAM

TomC · February 08, 2019, 09:18:48 AM

If a bus or truck company has replaced their old equipment with new equipment with the help of a government grant, they by the wording of the grant have to destroy the engine that the government paid to replace. When I was working at L.A. Freightliner, I took several trucks with perfectly good pre 2007 Series 60's to the junk yard to be scrapped.
Still if you have an Diesel RV in California, you're exempt from smog laws, period. Strange though, if you have a gasoline powered anything, you're also exempt-even though a non smog controlled gasoline engine will put out way more emissions than a Diesel. Good Luck, TomC

Geoff · February 08, 2019, 10:53:50 AM

I thought all vehicle gasoline engines in CA had to be smogged back to the year 1976.

windtrader · February 08, 2019, 11:59:32 AM

@Dave/RJ - Where is the switch to turn off firing of brain cells, my rotor? At least in CA, one can find relief in stuff like Sour Diesel - trust me, staying sane in this state requires plenty of pills or pot. lol

@Tom - Your position on how that aspect of the law works makes 100% sense. Not long ago, Geoff pointed out some nice buses being sold off by a local Bay Area intra-county transit agency and there were restrictions on their disposition. In that case, engines remained operational but there were strings attached.

In this case, the school bus was likely public funded so got the death sentence. It would be interesting to know if the same rule applies to 3rd party bus charter companies that contract with school districts for bus service.

Yeah, I'm bored as hell and freezing here, it almost got to freezing this week. Time to get the bus on the road for sure. lol

Geoff · February 08, 2019, 12:34:03 PM

Yes, the MCI D buses that went for $8k each at auction. I have bought CARB non-compliant at that auction, and you have to have a bill of lading "proving" they will not be driven in CA.

luvrbus · February 08, 2019, 04:35:28 PM

I don't care oneway or the other but do understand what Don is saying,I have had to repair old buses where the CA troppers other police agencies have issued owners the repair tickets sure the older 2 strokes are smog exempt but if you have a smoking engine and a cop is having a bad day he can ticket you or tow you they do it to automobiles too and they don't care which state you are from.FWIW 2 strokes in RV's are not smog exempt in certain counties in AZ we just have 13 counties in Az

Dave5Cs · February 08, 2019, 05:04:38 PM

We don't have troopers here. Highway Patrol, LOL and finally something that is not made up. Yes they will pull you over if you are smoking to much and in California these days that can be easy to spot because they are driving to slow and laughing, LOL

Geoff · February 08, 2019, 05:17:07 PM

There has been an "excessive exhaust smoke" violation in the California vehicle code for as long as I can remember, and that is going back into the 1950's. It is wide open to interpretation.

chessie4905 · February 09, 2019, 04:58:31 AM

Excessive exhaust smoke...I wonder how the Mack trucks dealt with it? They used to smoke way worse than Detroit's ever did.

luvrbus · February 09, 2019, 07:24:24 AM

Quote from: chessie4905 on February 09, 2019, 04:58:31 AM
Excessive exhaust smoke...I wonder how the Mack trucks dealt with it? They used to smoke way worse than Detroit's ever did.

Cat's did too and CA would pull you in to do a test lol and they wouldn't smoke with CA flash test with no load

bigred · February 09, 2019, 04:39:33 PM

Quote from: chessie4905 on February 09, 2019, 04:58:31 AM
Excessive exhaust smoke...I wonder how the Mack trucks dealt with it? They used to smoke way worse than Detroit's ever did.

Worked for a company years ago that ran old retired Roadway LJ'S Smokingest things I ever seen ! One that we had would smoke so bad every time you "grabbed" another gear it would be three minutes before you could see the tractor again but you could not destroy those things!!

Dave5Cs · February 09, 2019, 06:20:33 PM

Quote from: luvrbus on February 08, 2019, 07:54:30 AM
LOL I think the wacky weed one can buy at 7/11 in CA is more of a danger than mushrooms we get so much heat and sunlight in AZ I never saw a mushroom growing in the Valley

Clifford, LOL they don't sell weed here in 7-11's funny guy And wrong on mushrooms. These are grown in Cow poop and make people nutcakes. Been around for years and now some states are trying to make them legal and not Cali, Ha ha ha