smog check

[PecoFC]

first time I have to smog my car and I am kinda worried. will my car pass with out a cat? also with other mods like fmic or anything like that? anyone know place to go ?

[cody]

http://local.google.com/maps?f=l&hl=...JJfwqwKRsaDaAw

Ask for Gay. She's Fred's wife. As long as you have no CEL, you'll pass.

[100_Percent_Juice]

COBB AP CEL clear FTW

[Kevin M]

Originally Posted by cody

http://local.google.com/maps?f=l&hl=...JJfwqwKRsaDaAw

Ask for Gay. She's Fred's wife. As long as you have no CEL, you'll pass.

ASSuming your car is OBD-II, Cody's right. It will technically fail without a cat, but they probably won't even notice.

[M3n2c3]

Since we're on the subject of smogging, I have a related question:

Will Borla unequal-length headers on an '05 RS result in a CEL? If so, are there any relatively simple workarounds?

[100_Percent_Juice]

PecoFC your icon looks like Sergeo(aka BOO)

[MPREZIV]

If you have an OBD2 car, ('96 or later) all the monitors are set, and there's no CEL, then it should pass. There's no visual inspection on OBD2 cars, so if there's no cat, but the car's computer doesn't know that (i.e. catless reflash) then you won't have a problem.

J, my Borlas cause the CEL to go on and off periodically, and I pretty much just smog it when it's OFF. No problem. I'm not sure how they affect the newer 2.5's, but it's not a huge deal with mine.

[zpeed]

It's depend what kind of code CEL throw out. I have a CEL on my Rodeo and it pass smog check with warning said fault sensor something.

[MPREZIV]

If it's got stored codes, but the CEL is not prompted on, then it's okay, but if the MIL is prompted ON by the ECU, the smog machine should FAIL the car.

[knucklesplitter]

MPREZIV knows what he's talking about here.

I know somebody... who has headers, FMIC, turbo, no cats, the whole works on an '04 STI, and it passed smog about a month ago, despite the smog guy checking out the car and asking about the deleted hood scoop and what was done to the engine (out of pure car-nut interest). It was the place at N. McCarran and I80 next to IHOP and Tire Plus. No CEL = pass!

[knucklesplitter]

Originally Posted by cody

Ask for ***. She's ****'s wife. As long as you have no CEL, you'll pass.

I don't know if I'd post this sort of thing about specific people on the internet. It could have legal or career ramifications for somebody. I debated even saying where I get passed.

[sperry]

Guys, even my WRX passed smog. OBD-II FTW. Just have 'em plug it in... if there's no CEL, you're going to be fine.

[MattR]

Originally Posted by knucklesplitter

MPREZIV knows what he's talking about here.

I know somebody... who has headers, FMIC, turbo, no cats, the whole works on an '04 STI, and it passed smog about a month ago, despite the smog guy checking out the car and asking about the deleted hood scoop and what was done to the engine (out of pure car-nut interest). It was the place at N. McCarran and I80 next to IHOP and Tire Plus. No CEL = pass!

Ditto, same place, same guy, no problems with my car there...

Also, Nevada Auto Diagnostics on Kietzke will pass anything.

[sperry]

Originally Posted by MattR

Ditto, same place, same guy, no problems with my car there...

Also, Nevada Auto Diagnostics on Kietzke will pass anything.

My SVX needs a sniffer test (OBD-I). I took it to Jiffy Lube 2 years ago and blew like 190 out of 230. I took it to Nevada Auto Diagnostics and blew 13/230 just a few weeks ago.

Either they're very "friendly" or their machine is on the fritz... or the SVX is magically 10 times cleaner than last year!

Now that I think about it... they have two machines... they told me to line up behind the "old" machine, then the guy said "that one doesn't work, I'll do it on the new one as soon as I'm done with this car" (there was an Outback on the new machine). But then some other dude walked up and smogged my car on the old machine anyway.

[Dean]

The Stealth had a similar issue. They key was to really let it warm up and actually get the cat hot before smogging it. If I drove it for a full half an hour or so beforehand, it passed with flying colors. If I just drove it the 2-3 miles from the house to the smog place it was way over...

The key to passing the sniff test is to have a fully warmed up car.

Heck, the guy I sold to had no problem passing CA smog with it warmed up, and it only has a single high flow cat compared to 3 restrictive ones stock...

[MPREZIV]

When you perform a smog test, you are supposed to make sure that the vehicle is at operating temperature, and that the cat has had sufficient time to light off. As a smog tech, it's YOUR responsibility to be sure that the vehicle is in the right condition for testing. Any smog tech that smogs your pre-OBD2 car (sniff test) without checking with you to see if it's sufficiently warmed up is ROBBING YOU!

[Dean]

Originally Posted by MPREZIV

Any smog tech that smogs your pre-OBD2 car (sniff test) without checking with you to see if it's sufficiently warmed up is ROBBING YOU!

I agree, but I think there are different stages of warm... I think there is water temp is OK, oil temp is Ok, cat is OK, and the final all engine internal components are heat stabilized and fully expanded and the cat is really working!!!

In the world of "Smog Express" 2 minute smogs, 15-20 per hour, they aren't going to wait until the last stage if you didn't bring it in that way.

[MPREZIV]

True, they're not gonna sit around and wait, but from a Nevada State Licensed Smog Inspection Technician, (ME!!!!) the smog inspection cert. class teaches you to ask the customer how far/long the vehicle's been driven before performing a test. If it's not sufficient for COMPLETE warm-up, you are supposed to advise the customer to go drive the car longer before testing.

[MattR]

My Sti "didn't pass" smog this morning It didn't fail or pass, it was just showing that it had recently been reset and the tests had not finished running so it throws a system error. The guy explained to me you "WERE" allowed 3 errors until recently, now you are allowed 1 system error. I had a Check engine light P 0420 that keeps coming back, and I cleared it before I headed up there...so I didn't drive it enough before testing.

Fortunately...He had one machine running the old rules which will pass a car with 3 errors, so he swapped it over, ran it again and it was allowed to pass. Really cool guy, it's who I always go see right by my house.

Anyway, moral of the story, I need to get these check engine lights fixed, hopefully Mike can come to Reno sometime in the next year. There's no use in going to the Bay because it seems like the problem is not visible down there. I don't know anyone else with access to Ecutek.

[van]

I'm starting to get worried, I've got smog coming up and the ej20g has a cel for parking switch. I'm sure I will pass the breather but I can't source a manual ecu to fix the cel due to my 5sp+auto ecu setup

[Dean]

Originally Posted by kidnappervan

I'm starting to get worried, I've got smog coming up and the ej20g has a cel for parking switch. I'm sure I will pass the breather but I can't source a manual ecu to fix the cel due to my 5sp+auto ecu setup

Used ECUs are out there. I had a stock spare for my WRX. Call Rancho Cordova or find somebody parting one on Nasioc.

[van]

I'm trying, I going to put a WTB thread on nasioc. Rancho Cordova doesn't have ej20g jdm ecus

[Kevin M]

Talk to Supermooose on RS25 Van. He always has the less common swaps available it seems.

[BOO]

Originally Posted by 100_Percent_Juice

PecoFC your icon looks like Sergeo(aka BOO)

WTF!!!!! And for your info. It's Sergio ..Freak

[PecoFC]

Originally Posted by MattR

Ditto, same place, same guy, no problems with my car there...

Also, Nevada Auto Diagnostics on Kietzke will pass anything.

i went there a while back and passed with no cats and headers. good thing for the cobb ap