Failed inspection.

[Cobra2591]

I’m located in northern Virginia. Last summer I installed catted stainless power headers with Solo Mach thunder exhaust which is a cat back. I got the car tuned with HP. To my surprise yesterday I failed inspection. The inspector said I don’t have a catalytic convertor and my O2 sensor says not ready. In regards to the O2 sensor I’m assuming the tune turned it off? In regards to him saying I don’t have a catalytic convertor I’m guessing he doesn’t have much experience with aftermarket exhaust systems. I’m not biggest car guy so sorry if I sound stupid. But the fact I have a catted headers and a cat back exhaust I’m assuming he doesn’t know what he’s talking about ?

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[Zelek]

I’m located in northern Virginia. Last summer I installed catted stainless power headers with Solo Mach thunder exhaust which is a cat back. I got the car tuned with HP. To my surprise yesterday I failed inspection. The inspector said I don’t have a catalytic convertor and my O2 sensor says not ready. In regards to the O2 sensor I’m assuming the tune turned it off? In regards to him saying I don’t have a catalytic convertor I’m guessing he doesn’t have much experience with aftermarket exhaust systems. I’m not biggest car guy so sorry if I sound stupid. But the fact I have a catted headers and a cat back exhaust I’m assuming he doesn’t know what he’s talking about ?

Welcome to the inevitable problem everyone runs into. You need to check the readiness on your system with an OBDII checker or the Torque app with a bluetooth adapter on your phone. The cats on aftermarket headers are moved to a different spot further down than where they are stock. Also, the tunes don't change the voltage reading on the O2 sensors either and just leave them the same. What's essentially happening is your cat isn't getting warm enough for the test to run so therefore you will fail every time.

If you can, I would flash back to stock and run spacers on your rear O2's and drive for a bit. Check the readiness test after that and if it goes green, go get inspected. If you can't go back to the stock tune, you're screwed unless you have a tune that has the rear O2's completely turned off which would show up on the test as "Not Supported" instead of "Not Ready".

 

[Cobra2591]

Welcome to the inevitable problem everyone runs into. You need to check the readiness on your system with an OBDII checker or the Torque app with a bluetooth adapter on your phone. The cats on aftermarket headers are moved to a different spot further down than where they are stock. Also, the tunes don't change the voltage reading on the O2 sensors either and just leave them the same. What's essentially happening is your cat isn't getting warm enough for the test to run so therefore you will fail every time.

If you can, I would flash back to stock and run spacers on your rear O2's and drive for a bit. Check the readiness test after that and if it goes green, go get inspected. If you can't go back to the stock tune, you're screwed unless you have a tune that has the rear O2's completely turned off which would show up on the test as "Not Supported" instead of "Not Ready".

Thanks man I’ll give it a try. I enjoyed modding this car but this issue aggravated me big time.

 

[Zelek]

Thanks man I’ll give it a try. I enjoyed modding this car but this issue aggravated me big time.

Oh trust me, I know. I had an 18 manifold with lockouts, E85R tuned, headers, etc on my 17 GT. The only way I could pass is from a past tune with a JLT intake that had the rear O2's turned off which no one does anymore. That was my "It's time for inspection" tune. Had to just swap intakes every time that happened. My inspection report sheet was so jacked. Just a ton of "Not Supported" and everything says pass, lol.

With my Mach 1, as long as I can go back to a stock tune I'm not worried. I don't plan on changing my intake manifold.

 

[GregO]

The inspector said I don’t have a catalytic convertor

Did the inspector write up your failure report stating “No Catalytic Converters” ?
I’ll assume this is a state run facility ?

 

[Nawsad123]

Has anyone applied for a 'special' registration from the state indicating that their vehicle is a show car? When I lived in IL they had this option and the caveat was you could only drive it to and from a car show

 

[Cobra2591]

Did the inspector write up your failure report stating “No Catalytic Converters” ?
I’ll assume this is a state run facility ?

Yea it was a state run place at the local Exxon. For safety he writes “ missing catalytic converter” and emissions I got not ready for O2 sensor and Heat oxygen sensor.

 

[EFI]

Looks like you need to add some cats to pass the visual inspection, and get a proper tune that sets the readiness monitors to "Ready" so you can pass the OBD2 inspection.

 

[GregO]

Yea it was a state run place at the local Exxon. For safety he writes “ missing catalytic converter”

Yikes, so now you’re on record with the state not having Cats.
How do you get around that at next inspection ?

 

[XakwardX]

I’m in Hampton. This is the one thing keeping me from getting headers

 

[Ponyupnow]

I’m located in northern Virginia. Last summer I installed catted stainless power headers with Solo Mach thunder exhaust which is a cat back. I got the car tuned with HP. To my surprise yesterday I failed inspection. The inspector said I don’t have a catalytic convertor and my O2 sensor says not ready. In regards to the O2 sensor I’m assuming the tune turned it off? In regards to him saying I don’t have a catalytic convertor I’m guessing he doesn’t have much experience with aftermarket exhaust systems. I’m not biggest car guy so sorry if I sound stupid. But the fact I have a catted headers and a cat back exhaust I’m assuming he doesn’t know what he’s talking about ?

High flow cats not legal bud ..hope you saved your stock exhaust system.

 

[Cobra2591]

So guys excuse my ignorance because I’m not a car guy like that. I have catted headers from stainless power. And a solo Mach thunder catback exhaust. This is for 2017 mustang GT. So how is he saying I don’t have a catalytic converter ?

 

[Ponyupnow]

Yikes, so now you’re on record with the state not having Cats.
How do you get around that at next inspection ?

He never will. Once he is in the system other smog/inspection station will know that the previous shop put that....it's already in the system so if the second shop passes it and then he gets pulled over and gets a citation is gonna come around to the shop that passed it and they will get fined....had that happen with my dodge diesel....the bar referee will not play...trust me

 

[Cobra2591]

High flow cats not legal bud ..hope you saved your stock exhaust system.

I didn’t know that. I thought off road high performance headers without cats were illegal. Not catted headers.

 

[Zelek]

I didn’t know that. I thought off road high performance headers without cats were illegal. Not catted headers.

Are you absolutely sure they are catted headers? It's pretty visible from below the car as they sit pretty far down on the lead pipes. You can probably fight that one if they are there.

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