Wang Lung Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 In speaking to Teds senior legislative staff member Mary Nichols was discussed. He felt that as long as the program was defined as a green program where each vehicle would be evaluated on its own and assuming that the vehicle passed the one and only sniff test that Mary Nichols would not be anything but a bump in the road. Also you have to understand that if such a law existed? Ms. Nichols would have no choice but to implement the amendment or law in its entirety. What concerns me and most people like myself who would love to see this change made is the passive nature of the people in the Sport Compact Community. I am and have always felt that we all have to jump into the fight if we are to prevail on any issue. These type of issues need the relentless and on-going support of the entire Sport Compact community. As you are all aware, you might as well keep your vehicle stock if you live in California. Because under the prevailing CARB/Star laws you have little choice. So I would expect that all Performance oriented Sport Compact vehicle owners in the State of California to stand up and let your legislators know you expect that they would support those folks who have converted their vehicles to Green vehicles to be granted special exemptions. If you do not support this effort than you can kiss any future hope of being able to modify your vehicle and drive it on the streets of California. Because the noose is tightening folks and your the target! Are you new to California? Mary Nichols is the most powerful person in America on environmental issues. If she is against it, Jerry Brown will veto. On second thought, if she is against it, it won't even see the light of day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ezra1234 Posted November 10, 2015 Share Posted November 10, 2015 No, I have lived here for my entire life and own one of the largest companies in the Sacramento area and deal with legislative issues both state and federal everyday. I certainly know who Mary Nichols is and I also know Brown will sign this type of amendment, or a new law if the argument can be presented in a way that looks like a win for him. Besides this may not get to the legislature until 2017 in which case Jerry will be termed out. However, I am learning that many in the Sport Compact community have a tendency to just go along with whatever legislation goes their way and they instead try to find a way around an issue or the Star program (in California's case) rather than attempting to become creative and developing a solution that at least allows those people who have gone through the process to make their vehicles clean and green, which I think you can agree is a new approach? There are always some in a crowd who are always cynical about this or any type of legislation. However, you might want to get behind this legislation if and when it develops and step-up and support anything that could, or will benefit the Sport Compact community before you are forced by an ever evolving law that forces you and the rest of us to continue to drive a boring, stock vehicles on the roads of California! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
legacy360 Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 Reading through this thread makes me cringe. There's the potential I will end up moving down to the central valley next summer, and to hear all this crap about sniff tests and visual inspections... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hadvw Posted December 14, 2015 Share Posted December 14, 2015 Actually, for anything recent, sniff tests are gone. Last test was: 1) check OBD codes, if clean, 2) do visual, if pass, all done. For both '05 LGT and '08 Grand Caravan.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jongrom Posted December 26, 2015 Share Posted December 26, 2015 Has anyone welded stock heat shields on aftermarket DP? Curious if this might help w visual, as long as DP is catted obviously... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedgsx98 Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 (edited) 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. =) Edited January 8, 2016 by Speedgsx98 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kzr750r1 Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 Sell it out of state seems to be your only option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhitter Posted January 8, 2016 Share Posted January 8, 2016 Pay the $350 and get it "smogged" I think you have already spent more than that in your own time. My OBXT build Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedgsx98 Posted January 9, 2016 Share Posted January 9, 2016 Haha! Good advice. Got the secondary air pump to turn on this morn and will try one last time tomorrow for enabled & ready indication on the "pre-test." After that, I will spend the $350. Believe it or not, I like the game! LIke, beating the system. Also, it will help you all out knowing what is and isn't possible. =) Found yet another guy through my work who has a contact to do it without the car also for $350. Lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex0856 Posted January 10, 2016 Share Posted January 10, 2016 Has anyone welded stock heat shields on aftermarket DP? Curious if this might help w visual, as long as DP is catted obviously... Wondering this too. You don't have to weld the stock heat shield to get it on, there's just a portion you cut off and otherwise you can bolt it on with the factory heatshield bracket that attaches to the upper DP bolts. Maybe next time I'll try it for shits and giggles. Although, my TBE makes it pretty obvious it's not stock. I got the stock DP put on today (shoutout to Rebourne for hooking me up). It sounds noticeably tamer...I don't like it. Smog check tomorrow. Silly question for you all but CA's DMV website isn't very helpful - do I need to get a California license to register my car here? Not really interested in paying for it right now. I'd like to hold on to my WA license for a bit to save some cash. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhitter Posted January 13, 2016 Share Posted January 13, 2016 Alex dud you flash back to the stock tune? My OBXT build Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex0856 Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 I actually can't remember. I began etuning my car with Cryo when the motor went. When HMS rebuilt it they just took whatever map was on the car and turned down the boost and added a rev limiter. What I can't remember is if I flashed it back to stock or not before I parked it in April. I'm pretty sure it was on a stock tune. But I'm not positive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alex0856 Posted January 15, 2016 Share Posted January 15, 2016 http://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/5402951247.html Let's all go in on this and smog ourselves Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wpmarky Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 Just passed smog while stage 2 with cobb cated downpipe still on. OEM tmic and CBE were put on the car. I also put the stock heatshield over my Cobb dp to make it look more stock. If someone needs the location, pm me directly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhitter Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 Stock turbo heatshield? My OBXT build Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelvrick Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 Just passed smog while stage 2 with cobb cated downpipe still on. OEM tmic and CBE were put on the car. I also put the stock heatshield over my Cobb dp to make it look more stock. If someone needs the location, pm me directly. I heard someone say they passed on a cobb downpipe as it met some requirement of the cat being so far away. More like the stock downpipe compared to how a lot of the other versions have the cat right off the turbo. My Outback Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhitter Posted January 28, 2016 Share Posted January 28, 2016 Confused by that, because the stock downpipe has two cats. one right off the turbo and one under the car. I wonder if the tech just saw a cat and assumed 2? My OBXT build Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wpmarky Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 Yep stock turbo heatshield over where the oem cat is supposed to be, then the other cat is lower. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnusonsubie Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 So I'm making a set of TGV deletes with the rods slimmed down to not affect flow as much and still have the motors and sensors attached. Thought on these for passing smog. I'm not worried about it for my car but should I just machine out the rod if they wouldn't work? 2005 Vader Wagon Material Tests on Ringland Failure Piston I should have held off and purchased a wagon instead of the spec.B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebourne Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 So I'm making a set of TGV deletes with the rods slimmed down to not affect flow as much and still have the motors and sensors attached. Thought on these for passing smog. I'm not worried about it for my car but should I just machine out the rod if they wouldn't work? I'm curious if tgv deletes get through visual smog frequently. They should be non impacting to the smog numbers, if they measured. pic thread build thread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnusonsubie Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 I'm curious if tgv deletes get through visual smog frequently. They should be non impacting to the smog numbers, if they measured. They throw a code if they aren't attached and have the code cleared by the a tune. 2005 Vader Wagon Material Tests on Ringland Failure Piston I should have held off and purchased a wagon instead of the spec.B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kzr750r1 Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 Your fine. Your not going to throw a code with the system still connected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnusonsubie Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 Your fine. Your not going to throw a code with the system still connected. That's my thought. Ive got JDM deletes in right now. Modified my USDM TGV's to be deletes with the bar still in thinking I can sell them to someone that wants deletes but doesn't want to worry about passing smog. 2005 Vader Wagon Material Tests on Ringland Failure Piston I should have held off and purchased a wagon instead of the spec.B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rebourne Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 Your fine. Your not going to throw a code with the system still connected. So your saying deletes are fine, if you leave the motors still connected and tucked away? pic thread build thread Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kzr750r1 Posted February 4, 2016 Share Posted February 4, 2016 Just remember the two elements. 1 no codes. 2 visual. Tucking away would not be CARB approved. Leaving connected who is to say the butterfly is not connected any longer. Tech isn't going to tear into your car that far to see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now