How do you smog a REX in California?

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WoodlandHills

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Joined
Sep 15, 2014
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751
Location
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I am taking my ICE car in for smog testing today and that got me to thinking how one would start the REX to get it tested. With no driver control over the extender, is there a service port to allow a tech to start and run the extender engine? For that matter, how would a tech be able to diagnose REX problems without such a capability?

If there is, I wonder if that might be a backdoor to hack the REX system to enable full control as in the ROW.
 
I would imagine the test would just involve checking the readiness bits from the OBD2 interface.

In Texas, the only cars that get tailpipe tests are pre-1995 cars without OBD2.
 
WoodlandHills said:
I am taking my ICE car in for smog testing today and that got me to thinking how one would start the REX to get it tested. With no driver control over the extender, is there a service port to allow a tech to start and run the extender engine? For that matter, how would a tech be able to diagnose REX problems without such a capability?
It's a little convoluted, but it works. From 10.1 of the W20 Engine Technical Training document:

Screen_Shot_2014_09_29_at_3_01_01_PM.png
 
The test mode that Ultraturtle posted does indeed work. It's used by the dealers to test the REx during service visits. Here is a video I made a few months ago of my car in REx test mode:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arD_Cq_f6Fw
 
The smog tech informed me that just like in Texas, California only checks the OBD systems and does not sniff the tailpipe. And it's been that way since 2000: I should get out of the air conditioned waiting room once in a while and watch the process...... Anyway, my original post is moot.
 
I would expect it to be smog-exempt because it's engine displaces under 50 cubic inches. (650cc = 39.6cu in)

I had a Fiat 850 which had a 819cc engine & when they were stil requiring smog tests for 74-older, I was exempt. However, models with 903cc engines were not. I'm trying to pull up the current DMV docs that show this, but I know it was the case in the 90's.
 
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