15 Aug 97 16:22, Puleeeeze Brer Alexander Bilan, Dooooon't trow 396 Malibu.. 
'79! in dat der Briar Patch!
 AB> Short of opening the hood as the tow-truck vultures drive by, how
 AB> will they know if you're missing an EGR valve or air pump?  What if
 AB> its one of those question mark years when some cars had a doohickey
 AB> and others of the same model didn't have the doohickey? =)
They have on record (in a computer) what your car should be emitting out of 
the tail pipe.  While they use a -sniffer- to read your emissions, they're 
looking up what it should be.  The sniffer is a infra-red detector of some 
kind that can tell (from 40-50 feet away) if your  exhaust pipe is emitting 
fresh air or hydrocarbon materials.  If they find it out of spec, they pull 
you over and ask to look under the hood.  You can refuse, at the expense of 
having them tow your vehicle.  It get's impounded and they get a court order 
to open the hood.  If they find smog devices removed, you've just forfeted 
your car.  Removal of a catalytic converter, for instance, is in violation of 
the US/EPA smog laws and is a $10,000 fine.  And, California will report the 
violation information over to the feds too.
If it's just dirty from high milage and low maintenence, you've just gotten a 
bill for the tow and impound, US and state violations of the smog laws and of 
course, now you also have to pay to get it repaired before they release it to 
you.
If you cooperate with them, they'll allow you to drive it and get it fixed, I 
think it has to be within 30 days...
... I glue all my bills together. It's a mail bonding ritual.
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