While driving around in So Calif couple weeks (city of Torrance, to be precise), parked by side of a 4-lane boulevard were a Calif Highway patrol car, a couple of unmarked vans & enclosed trailers, and what seemed to be a small, towable wheel dyno. The whole area was separated from the street's traffic flow with orange cones.
It looked suspiciously like a random, enforced, roadside smog-check setup.
There were no vehicles being tested, at the time.
I thought the roadside checks were eliminated years ago, as the test equipment became complex. But it appears these guys now even had a dyno! (plus a CHP officer to provide "persuasion").
What gives? Are roadside checks returning? Will FBI agents drag us away in handcuffs if the catalytic converter isn't performing, or if we're running leaded gas?!
It looked suspiciously like a random, enforced, roadside smog-check setup.
There were no vehicles being tested, at the time.
I thought the roadside checks were eliminated years ago, as the test equipment became complex. But it appears these guys now even had a dyno! (plus a CHP officer to provide "persuasion").
What gives? Are roadside checks returning? Will FBI agents drag us away in handcuffs if the catalytic converter isn't performing, or if we're running leaded gas?!