Hey guys. New to the forum and actually a WRX owner but found this thread and wanted to contribute. I'm in the process of selling my car, and the buyer already has a loan secured on my vehicle, but no money has changed hands as the bank needs the smog check to cut the check. Buyer is patient and willing to wait until I can get it smogged, but I need to get this done in a week. Read on, this is interesting!!! =)
I have an e85 WRX with injector swap, catless, Tomei headers, EBCS, AEM CAI, Dom 1.5XTR turbo and lots of other parts on a Cobb AP tune. Going back to stock would be a painful opion, not one I'd want to do even once every 2 years. Going back to stock not really an option since I have a puck style South Bend clutch in there rated at 550lb ft. Costs too great to revert to stock even if I found a buyer for all the parts. Would pretty much be a wash with the labor to revert, buy a stock clutch & install, and discount the price as a result of not having all the mods (most of which are only 6k miles old.
So moving on...found a "friendly" smog shop for $150 that will pass the visual for me, and he pre-checked my car for "readiness monitors" and the "secondary air pump" is the only thing keeping me from passing (as all monitors must be active). I have both pieces off the car from the air pump system, but plugged both into their respective connectors (and wrapped them in a towel right next to my battery as he recommended and ran a 1" hose between the ports so when the pump comes on on cold start, it can activate the check valve on the other piece that also has an electrical connection. The air won't actually be going into the motor since the system isn't actually hooked up, but the ECU thinks it is.
So, I got the pump to turn on on a cold start, but forgot to plug in the part with the check valve. Smog tech pre-checked again and still showed that the secondary air pump system wasn't "ready." Have since plugged it in, but can't get the air pump to come on now. Reflashed the ECU and it still won't come on on cold start. Thinking I may have possibly tugged out a wire from a connector on the air pump system or something, or I dunno. The smog tech initially said I needed to take the car to the tuner and have hime enable the secondary air pump AND set it to "ready." Tuner said you can't do that via the AP, and that he would have to make a bullshit, rough Open Source tune as a work-around.
I really wish I could get the tuner and the friendly smog tech who is willing to overlook the visual to talk , and be a witness to their convo as I think there might be a solution, and I may be really close to figuring it out. Or I may be wasting my time and theirs. I've already had the smog tech pre-check it like 3 timesand called my tuner 3 times, and I feel if I go back one more time or call my tuner (even if I get the air pump to turn on) that I still may not have the system working as my tuner disabled the air pump code, but he told me that he didn't need to re-activate it for smog, just plug it in? But, this shit is REALLY stressing me out. I work 2 jobs and have little time for this with a wife and 2 kids as well. Tuner isn't a smog expert, smog guy isn't a tuner...so they both can be right about what they know, but not know evertything, so ultimately, it still may not work.
Long story longer, I have another even "friendlier" guy who for a fee of $350 can pass the car by just giving him the paperwork and I have to wait a few days (dunno how that works, but he must know someone?), and was referred to me by my tuner who I have known for a few years, and who is also my friend, so I trust his referral. I really don't want to spend that much, but I'm selling the car, and would prefer to drop $350 vs blowing a motor or tranny, and having major expenditures later or, just prefer not to keep paying for reg, insurance, depreciation, etc for a car I don't drive.
Currently, I have the car registered in a smog exempt part of the state at a relative's house who are 69 and 73 years old and have no plans to move, so I'm chill if I keep the car for prob at least a decade or so.
Wife is peeved I modded the car so much, I barely rive it, need to keep a clean driving record for my job, so i really don't want to keep it, but also don't need the money from selling it either. Really funky situation. We have an EV and a hybrid as our other cars, I'm older, and don't NEED a fast car anymore. The WRX just sits and I drive it once a week for a few mins just to keep it fresh and the battery charged.
Anyway, your thoughts/questions are welcome. =)
