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Any California folks having problems passing smog with a tune?
- Banned
- #2
New? You haven't been allowed to have a "tuned" vehicle in CA since, forever.
lieu910
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #3
That's not correct. This new law was adopted in July 2021, and smog stations now check the ECU for any non OEM tune with exception to any that carry a CARB approval.
https://www.bar.ca.gov/modified-software
Resetting the discussion to the original question asked to see if members in Ca. with aftermarket tunes have smogged since this was adopted. Did you pass, if so how?
https://www.bar.ca.gov/modified-software
Resetting the discussion to the original question asked to see if members in Ca. with aftermarket tunes have smogged since this was adopted. Did you pass, if so how?
lieu910
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #4
That's not correct. This new law was adopted in July 2021, and smog stations now check the ECU for any non OEM tune with exception to any that carry a CARB approval.
https://www.bar.ca.gov/modified-software
Resetting the discussion to the original question asked to see if members in Ca. with aftermarket tunes have smogged since this was adopted. Did you pass, if so how?
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GrabberBargeCaptain
Well-Known Member
Yea, you will not pass smog, so that’s a problem. You’ll need to flash to stock before your smog check. You don’t want to get reffed.
- Banned
- #8
Sorry it's been that way forever, anything without a carb eo # was a no go in cali.
illadvised
Well-Known Member
I have a few different tunes and a garage full of parts that I swap around for going fast and for smog. I have a carb compliant 2200SL paxton kit, and it comes with a tuning device and a carb compliant tune.
When I put the paxton parts on the car with their tune, it passes smog just fine as long as my readines monitors are green (so I have to swap parts and drive for a day or two to pass). Once I pass smog, I swap intake manifold back, injectors back and the tune back to my usual setup and I can run that for another 2 years till next smog check.
You'll need to buy a carb compliant tune, or go back to a stock tune. What parts do you have that is stopping you from a carb compliant tune?
When I put the paxton parts on the car with their tune, it passes smog just fine as long as my readines monitors are green (so I have to swap parts and drive for a day or two to pass). Once I pass smog, I swap intake manifold back, injectors back and the tune back to my usual setup and I can run that for another 2 years till next smog check.
You'll need to buy a carb compliant tune, or go back to a stock tune. What parts do you have that is stopping you from a carb compliant tune?
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illadvised
Well-Known Member
Yeah I am pretty sure catback is perfectly fine to pass smog so you'll be fine to do that. Every time you reset check engine lights, pull the battery or change the tune your smog readiness monitors will reset, so check that with your tuning device or an obd2 reader before going to a smog place.
Next time you tune, feel free to swap on more go fast parts. 2 years is a long time
PaddyPrix
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It is.
So there's no issue with anything done before the MAF, which samples the rate of the incoming air to choose how much fuel to use, and anything done after the post-cat o2 sensor, which working with the pre-cat o2 sensor knows what the engine spit out, and what the cat did or didn't burn off. With that "sealed" system, a manufacturer has to certify they can pass emissions for 7 years, which is why you're smog test free for that time. If you choose to run dumps, well, you aren't violating the EPA Clean Air Act, but you may have a time passing a sound test, likely just as you would if you installed a catback, or drive around town with your active exhaust set to track mode.
Superchargers can generally pass because they're handing you the tune and not changing too many of the stock components, and there's a decent fee and process to get the CARB-EO certification, and since the tuner kits leave out the tune(r), the manufacturer has no way to certify that you will stay in compliance, so they place that CYA disclaimer.
Dave2013M3
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I did with my 2013 E92 M3 in 2020. My tune allowed all codes to go green when I put the primary cats in. All readiness codes green. Took it to smog it, they detected the aftermarket software. I had to return it to stock. No biggy I had the handheld device and uploaded stock software, did the drive cycle got the codes to go green. Issue was they told me they could have forced me to go to a referee.
This is why I went with the FP Power kit.
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