Smog Blues
07-08-2003 | 01:07 AM
#1
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From: A suburb of Silicon Valley, CA
Smog Blues
Looking for some help.
Took the car in for the semi-anual smog test. Knowing all the modifications that have been done, I asked for a pre-test.
My car easily passed the functional test, passing well below the emissions limits. This done without the cat installed. I am thinking great, car is really fast, fuel curve is perfect, and I don't have to worry about the smog test. All is good......
Then we get to the visual. Grease monkey nails me for the MAF, and fails the test. I try to reason that all it does is measure air, and it is not like someone sticking a huge Holley carburetor on, that just is dumping out raw fuel. Monkey looks at the MAF and says "where is the Porsche label"? I tell him that it is a Ford part, because it is cheaper. Monkey says that it is not BAR approved. I respond that there are 500,000 Taurus's running around California with this very MAF, that state trooper doesn't seem to mind about. Monkey wants to see the BAR numbers. Seems that the geniuses at Speedforce Racing ground off the Ford emblem and numbers. Probably in an attempt to keep the Ford part a "secret". Monkey and I exchange words and the clown becomes a stone wall. So I leave, looking for another "more reasonable" shop.
This is where the fun begins. Shop #2 wants to pass the car, but says that monkey at shop #1 input the failed report to California DMV. If any shop tries to pass the car a HUGE red flag will be raised. I now have to repair the car WITH NO DOLLAR LIMITATION, and take it back to the Smog **** at station #1 for reinspection.
My car EXCEEDS the intent of the law, yet some a$$ clown has my car locked in the garage....where is the justice?.
So....I am looking for a pack rat racer or non racer, that is willing to part with a stock AFM, rubber boot, and air filter box for cheap.
Help get a 951 back on the road. I will be eternally grateful.
Took the car in for the semi-anual smog test. Knowing all the modifications that have been done, I asked for a pre-test.
My car easily passed the functional test, passing well below the emissions limits. This done without the cat installed. I am thinking great, car is really fast, fuel curve is perfect, and I don't have to worry about the smog test. All is good......
Then we get to the visual. Grease monkey nails me for the MAF, and fails the test. I try to reason that all it does is measure air, and it is not like someone sticking a huge Holley carburetor on, that just is dumping out raw fuel. Monkey looks at the MAF and says "where is the Porsche label"? I tell him that it is a Ford part, because it is cheaper. Monkey says that it is not BAR approved. I respond that there are 500,000 Taurus's running around California with this very MAF, that state trooper doesn't seem to mind about. Monkey wants to see the BAR numbers. Seems that the geniuses at Speedforce Racing ground off the Ford emblem and numbers. Probably in an attempt to keep the Ford part a "secret". Monkey and I exchange words and the clown becomes a stone wall. So I leave, looking for another "more reasonable" shop.
This is where the fun begins. Shop #2 wants to pass the car, but says that monkey at shop #1 input the failed report to California DMV. If any shop tries to pass the car a HUGE red flag will be raised. I now have to repair the car WITH NO DOLLAR LIMITATION, and take it back to the Smog **** at station #1 for reinspection.
My car EXCEEDS the intent of the law, yet some a$$ clown has my car locked in the garage....where is the justice?.
So....I am looking for a pack rat racer or non racer, that is willing to part with a stock AFM, rubber boot, and air filter box for cheap.
Help get a 951 back on the road. I will be eternally grateful.
07-08-2003 | 03:04 AM
#3
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 14,075
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From: Santa Barbara, CA
That's the SAME idiotic ordeal I had to go through when I tried getting my car smogged!!! Neanderthal running the smog-test didn't see that the paperwork was marked "pre-test" and entered everything into the computer. I failed miserably with my big turbo/MAF upgrade using APE-2 chips with a 4-knobbie adjuster. I was over twice the allowable HC emissions and got marked down as a 'gross-poluter'.
I turned down the boost, put the stock chips back in and adjusted my idle and mid-***** so that the car barely ran. Went to shop#1 to try the free re-test and the manager wouldn't even look at it because of the K&N filter.
Figured I'd be smart and go to shop#2. They pulled up the license-plate and DING-DING-DING-DING, alarms and flashing red-lights went off for blocks all around the shop! They said only the original shop could pass me.
So back to Shop#1 with the protruding-forehead cro-magnum manager. Tried to get him to look in the book under "Porsche 944 Turbo" to show him that this car didn't need a TAC-thermostatic air-cleaner. No go, wouldn't even pull out the book, said exposed K&N was a no-no.. ieeeEEEdiot!!!
Final resort was to take it to one of those official State of California referee inspection stations about 90-minutes away in SLO. Now THEY pulled out the book and went through each and every single point. They even used dental mirrors to check around the welds on my cat to make sure I didn't install a straight-pipe inside the casing. They even pulled off the fender-liner to check on my evaporative canister! Needless to say, I passed all the visual and emissions tests, but I was sweating bricks the whole time.
I think two tricks helped me. First I re-used the stock AFM wiring to hook up my MAF sensor. So the stock wiring went straight into the MAF sensor's connector like it was designed that way. And after the initial install, I painted everything semi-gloss black so that the MAF kit matched the stock plastic belt-covers and intercooler pipes. Add a couple weeks of driving around with dust and grime and it all looks stock! Some pictures of the installation here (pre-painting): <a href="http://members.rennlist.com/951_racerx/MAF4_install.html" target="_blank">RacerX MAF install</a>
I turned down the boost, put the stock chips back in and adjusted my idle and mid-***** so that the car barely ran. Went to shop#1 to try the free re-test and the manager wouldn't even look at it because of the K&N filter.
Figured I'd be smart and go to shop#2. They pulled up the license-plate and DING-DING-DING-DING, alarms and flashing red-lights went off for blocks all around the shop! They said only the original shop could pass me.
So back to Shop#1 with the protruding-forehead cro-magnum manager. Tried to get him to look in the book under "Porsche 944 Turbo" to show him that this car didn't need a TAC-thermostatic air-cleaner. No go, wouldn't even pull out the book, said exposed K&N was a no-no.. ieeeEEEdiot!!!
Final resort was to take it to one of those official State of California referee inspection stations about 90-minutes away in SLO. Now THEY pulled out the book and went through each and every single point. They even used dental mirrors to check around the welds on my cat to make sure I didn't install a straight-pipe inside the casing. They even pulled off the fender-liner to check on my evaporative canister! Needless to say, I passed all the visual and emissions tests, but I was sweating bricks the whole time.
I think two tricks helped me. First I re-used the stock AFM wiring to hook up my MAF sensor. So the stock wiring went straight into the MAF sensor's connector like it was designed that way. And after the initial install, I painted everything semi-gloss black so that the MAF kit matched the stock plastic belt-covers and intercooler pipes. Add a couple weeks of driving around with dust and grime and it all looks stock! Some pictures of the installation here (pre-painting): <a href="http://members.rennlist.com/951_racerx/MAF4_install.html" target="_blank">RacerX MAF install</a>
07-08-2003 | 03:12 AM
#4
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,805
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From: Seattle, WA
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by Bill:
<strong>So....I am looking for a pack rat racer or non racer, that is willing to part with a stock AFM, rubber boot, and air filter box for cheap.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Oh man Bill, sorry I was so convincing in encouraging you to sell me your air filter box. Too bad I ended up throwing away my slightly disintegrated box in your trash can. Hopefully someone local can loan you the parts for a few days.
I'd ship the parts down to you if I didn't need them for my daily driver 951.
Good luck!
<strong>So....I am looking for a pack rat racer or non racer, that is willing to part with a stock AFM, rubber boot, and air filter box for cheap.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Oh man Bill, sorry I was so convincing in encouraging you to sell me your air filter box. Too bad I ended up throwing away my slightly disintegrated box in your trash can. Hopefully someone local can loan you the parts for a few days.
I'd ship the parts down to you if I didn't need them for my daily driver 951.
Good luck!
07-08-2003 | 03:38 AM
#6
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 2,015
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From: Long Island, New York
what happens if a cop pulls you over and your car isnt inspected?
i would probably risk anything short of having the car impounded and say screw the system at that point.
move out of california or find a long lost cousin in the next state over and register the car at their address
or you could always find all the stock parts and after they finally pass you, on your way out, pick up your cell phone in front of the monkey and pretend to ask a friend to come over and help you "take the cat out of your car again now that inspection is over"
down with the man!
i would probably risk anything short of having the car impounded and say screw the system at that point.
move out of california or find a long lost cousin in the next state over and register the car at their address
or you could always find all the stock parts and after they finally pass you, on your way out, pick up your cell phone in front of the monkey and pretend to ask a friend to come over and help you "take the cat out of your car again now that inspection is over"
down with the man!
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07-08-2003 | 12:52 PM
#8
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 1,598
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From: San Jose, CA
Oh man. I feel for you. Not trying to rub it in, but I just passed my 951 with open K&N. I had to go to 3 shops, but the last one finally passed me. Funny thing is that I didn't even have the cat to wastegate tube plugged in, so half my exhaust was shooting out the cat. The first two shops I talked to wouldn't touch it, but the 3rd one hooked it right up. I will say that I won't hand them any paperwork(like VIN) until I know they're going to pass me though.
07-08-2003 | 02:04 PM
#10
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 884
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From: El Paso TX.
had the same problem last smog test, the idiot input my info in the computer and the rest of the shops in town won't even touch it, so i decided to go to anaheim and it passed with flying colors.
all this guy here in barstow did was stick a tube down the exhaust and ran it, no visual inpection at all. i took it for 6 retests just to get my money's worth befre hand and then went to anaheim. safe to say i won't go back there anymore.
mine is a daily driver, don't know where gilroy ca is but if it's close to anheim, i may be bown there this weekend and i can park the car at my moms and let u use my stock set up for the test
all this guy here in barstow did was stick a tube down the exhaust and ran it, no visual inpection at all. i took it for 6 retests just to get my money's worth befre hand and then went to anaheim. safe to say i won't go back there anymore.
mine is a daily driver, don't know where gilroy ca is but if it's close to anheim, i may be bown there this weekend and i can park the car at my moms and let u use my stock set up for the test
07-08-2003 | 02:05 PM
#11
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Oct 2001
Posts: 1,805
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From: Seattle, WA
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by Mike S:
<strong>I will say that I won't hand them any paperwork(like VIN) until I know they're going to pass me though.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Make sure you remove all the VIN numbers from the various places on the car as well.
<strong>I will say that I won't hand them any paperwork(like VIN) until I know they're going to pass me though.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Make sure you remove all the VIN numbers from the various places on the car as well.
07-08-2003 | 02:34 PM
#12
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From: socal
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">Originally posted by smkn951:
<strong>don't know where gilroy ca is but if it's close to anheim, i may be bown there this weekend and i can park the car at my moms and let u use my stock set up for the test</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">it's not even close
<strong>don't know where gilroy ca is but if it's close to anheim, i may be bown there this weekend and i can park the car at my moms and let u use my stock set up for the test</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Helvetica">it's not even close
07-08-2003 | 04:54 PM
#13
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From: A suburb of Silicon Valley, CA
rhesus - The station is not supposed to enter a pre-test into the system. I figure Monkey wanted to get even for me arguing him into a corner that he could not get out of.
Steve - Don't worry about it.
Dare - The shop is in Gilroy. Just a gas station that does smogs.
Dan Gallagher - I don't think State Trooper is concerned with smog check, but he will nail me for the past due regristration that I can't get till Smog **** passes me. I do have family in Las Vegas....hmmm how does that work?
Ken - I will call.
Mike S - Smart move. If I only had the same foresight. I gave a$$ clown my paperwork and then I was sunk.....Next time I will be Mike S smart.
Danno - I may take you up on it if I can't hook up with ken first.
smkn951 - Thanks for the offer. Gilroy is 8 hours north of Anaheim. And being a Giants fan, I don't want to add Ralley Monkey to my grease monkey problem.
Steve - So I have been concidering making some VIN cover plates. You know, get my vin laser cut onto some plates, then put them onto a stock 951 for the test. Work in progress.....Or have Danno's buddies, Guido and Silvio visit monkey.
Steve - Don't worry about it.
Dare - The shop is in Gilroy. Just a gas station that does smogs.
Dan Gallagher - I don't think State Trooper is concerned with smog check, but he will nail me for the past due regristration that I can't get till Smog **** passes me. I do have family in Las Vegas....hmmm how does that work?
Ken - I will call.
Mike S - Smart move. If I only had the same foresight. I gave a$$ clown my paperwork and then I was sunk.....Next time I will be Mike S smart.
Danno - I may take you up on it if I can't hook up with ken first.
smkn951 - Thanks for the offer. Gilroy is 8 hours north of Anaheim. And being a Giants fan, I don't want to add Ralley Monkey to my grease monkey problem.
Steve - So I have been concidering making some VIN cover plates. You know, get my vin laser cut onto some plates, then put them onto a stock 951 for the test. Work in progress.....Or have Danno's buddies, Guido and Silvio visit monkey.
