Failed inspection.

[tdstuart]

OP: You need to figure out what the inspectors actually check for and what they care about. Look up the laws and ask people. Personally I would call and ask if I could talk to an inspector, explain that an inspector wrote that I had missing cats and say that the car just has small cats and ask what you should do. Don’t say the car is modified. This should hopefully lead the inspector to tell you what they look for and what to tell them next time you go in. Maybe make up some shit like you got the exhaust coated for rust protection, so it doesn’t look factory. Mention your car didn’t have the O2s ready but you did some research and think that was just because the car was in the shop for a while.

After you get some info you can have a plan of action.

Talk to your tuner, and google the ford O2 readiness procedure. You may need to drive over 100 miles after a retune for O2 sensors to ready.

My car had 47lb injectors, a ported 2018 intake, and cat back exhaust. I went to emissions and failed the first time then past the second. I did work on my car and needed to drive more for the O2 sensors to ready. After I did I passed. I did emissions before I installed my headers so I could go catless.

My tuner did make a special tune to help pass but I didn’t need it. The special tune probably didn’t disable and emissions systems just tried to optimize the engine to run so the O2 sensors were happy.

If all else fails talk to some other high end car owners and maybe find a station that will look the other way.

And if you aren’t sure if you have catted headers or not send a picture under the car and I’ll tell you.

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[Cobra2591]

OP: You need to figure out what the inspectors actually check for and what they care about. Look up the laws and ask people. Personally I would call and ask if I could talk to an inspector, explain that an inspector wrote that I had missing cats and say that the car just has small cats and ask what you should do. Don’t say the car is modified. This should hopefully lead the inspector to tell you what they look for and what to tell them next time you go in. Maybe make up some shit like you got the exhaust coated for rust protection, so it doesn’t look factory. Mention your car didn’t have the O2s ready but you did some research and think that was just because the car was in the shop for a while.

After you get some info you can have a plan of action.

Talk to your tuner, and google the ford O2 readiness procedure. You may need to drive over 100 miles after a retune for O2 sensors to ready.

My car had 47lb injectors, a ported 2018 intake, and cat back exhaust. I went to emissions and failed the first time then past the second. I did work on my car and needed to drive more for the O2 sensors to ready. After I did I passed. I did emissions before I installed my headers so I could go catless.

My tuner did make a special tune to help pass but I didn’t need it. The special tune probably didn’t disable and emissions systems just tried to optimize the engine to run so the O2 sensors were happy.

If all else fails talk to some other high end car owners and maybe find a station that will look the other way.

And if you aren’t sure if you have catted headers or not send a picture under the car and I’ll tell you.

Thanks man. Definitely will keep what you said in mind.

 

[btcarmd]

https://vsp.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Motor-Vehicle-Safety-Inspection-Manual-2021.pdf
Go to this state police link and read pages 103-105.
check engine light and monitor readiness is not part of va state inspection. That would need to pass for va emission test but is not part of state safety inspection. State inspectors only need to make sure all emission equipment is installed and "appears" to be in working order. There is a blurb on page 105 that says aftermarket cats need an id plate on them. As long as an OE specked cat is on your car it will pass va state inspection. Doesn't matter if it has any guts left inside the cat shell as long as it appears it is there. The OP indicated he lives in northern va so if that is the case he will have to pass emission testing as well. In that case he will need to make sure cats are functioning and O2 monitor will run and pass. If you truly have certified aftermarket cats on your car I would contact the state police and dispute the rejection. It used to be easy to just go to another inspector that new what they were doing and get the problem resolved. Now everything is electronic and for one inspector to change what another inspector did without explanation can set red flags. If your dispute is legit getting the state trooper involved will eliminate the flag.

 

[NJMike]

I'm surprised he physically checked for cats. In my experiences with VA inspections, they just hooked up to the OBDII port and confirmed everything was normal. I passed with out cats by just having a spacer on the O2 sensor. Not on my Mustang tho.

A friend has a tuned s550 and had to get LUND to make a special tune for inspections. He just loads that one, drives around for a while then get his checked.

This worked for me...Had a similar set up as the OP - Stainless Works with cats. Contacted my tuner (Lund) for an emission tune. It was provided and required to drive about 100 miles to get the O2 sensors to respond appropriately. Passed the inspection, had to reload the original tune but I had the handheld with the various tunes on it in my possession

 

[Late Starter]

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 ?

Your car received both a VA safety inspection and a separate emission inspection. The former is overseen by the state police, and the latter by the Department of Environmental Quality. The Rejection From Testing form has the top cut off in the photo, so I can’t tell if the inspector reported missing cats on that form. Used to be that catted headers would pass the visual emission inspection if you can provide a CARB Executive Order number for that product. It’s been six years since I worked for the State so their emission inspection procedure may have changed a bit. Long story short, you’ve got uphill battle to get your car on the road with the current equipment. You may want to call the number at the bottom of your emissions report and ask for the duty officer.

 

[Desmodeous]

Oh how sad I am after reading this post. I'm down here in the Heart of ole Dixie thanking my stars that I don't have to report to the Geheime Staatspolizei some arbitrary CO2 figure in order to legally travel to put bread on my family's table. @#$%!

 

[Cobra2591]

https://vsp.virginia.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Motor-Vehicle-Safety-Inspection-Manual-2021.pdf
Go to this state police link and read pages 103-105.
check engine light and monitor readiness is not part of va state inspection. That would need to pass for va emission test but is not part of state safety inspection. State inspectors only need to make sure all emission equipment is installed and "appears" to be in working order. There is a blurb on page 105 that says aftermarket cats need an id plate on them. As long as an OE specked cat is on your car it will pass va state inspection. Doesn't matter if it has any guts left inside the cat shell as long as it appears it is there. The OP indicated he lives in northern va so if that is the case he will have to pass emission testing as well. In that case he will need to make sure cats are functioning and O2 monitor will run and pass. If you truly have certified aftermarket cats on your car I would contact the state police and dispute the rejection. It used to be easy to just go to another inspector that new what they were doing and get the problem resolved. Now everything is electronic and for one inspector to change what another inspector did without explanation can set red flags. If your dispute is legit getting the state trooper involved will eliminate the flag.

I was thinking about getting VA State Police involved since I’m a little ticked the inspector couldn’t tell I had catts on there.

 

[GregO]

I was thinking about getting VA State Police involved since I’m a little ticked the inspector couldn’t tell I had catts on there.

I know you didn’t ask me but I’d be flying under the radar on this one. Let your shop handle it and hopefully the inspector only hand wrote “No Cats” on your inspection form.
With the current EPA Brownshirts crackdown on catalytic converters and the OEM location of the cats it’s a good idea to let sleeping dogs lie….

 

[Dave2013M3]

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

This...

With all do respect to the OP, did you not do your homework before you went down this road with the headers and no cats?

I found these on Fleabay...

2015-2017 Mustang GT headers and cats

 

[Dave2013M3]

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.

Even if there are cats there, its against Federal law to remove a working emissions device. For the OP once they did the inspection and you had a not ready for the cats thats why they probably looked under the car. If you had an aftermarket cat and you were able to get the readiness to go green this may not have been an issue. I am not aware of Virginia law. I live in Cali, they do look under the car and those better be OEM cats or with a CARB EO# and have to be an OEM replacement.

 

[Atlas1]

I know you didn’t ask me but I’d be flying under the radar on this one. Let your shop handle it and hopefully the inspector only hand wrote “No Cats” on your inspection form.
With the current EPA Brownshirts crackdown on catalytic converters and the OEM location of the cats it’s a good idea to let sleeping dogs lie….

x100000
never invite the man into your life.

OP you mentioned that your tuner will take care of this for you? Sounds like you got an easy solution to something that could have been a much bigger nightmare

 

[bankyf]

OP - I own a VA Safety and Emissions inspection station. While I cannot pass your car if it does not meet requirements, I would be glad to offer advice as to what you need to do to pass if you would like to message me.

 

[Cobra2591]

This...

With all do respect to the OP, did you not do your homework before you went down this road with the headers and no cats?

I found these on Fleabay...

2015-2017 Mustang GT headers and cats

I thought I did. At the time I was under the impression that as long as I got catted headers, catback exhaust, and made sure my system wasn’t crazy loud that I would be ok in the state of Virginia. It appears I was mistaken.

 

[GregO]

I thought I did. At the time I was under the impression that as long as I got catted headers, catback exhaust, and made sure my system wasn’t crazy loud that I would be ok in the state of Virginia. It appears I was mistaken.

Had you arrived at the testing facility with all monitors Ready you would've been down the road thinking of other things to post on the M6G forum boards.
You did the right thing by installing a system with Cats and choosing not to poison the air, after all Cats are really about CO and NOx toxins, CO2 tailpipe levels are trivial by comparison.
All you need to do is let your shop activate all monitors Ready and let them retest at the facility of their choice.

 

[Zelek]

Even if there are cats there, its against Federal law to remove a working emissions device. For the OP once they did the inspection and you had a not ready for the cats thats why they probably looked under the car. If you had an aftermarket cat and you were able to get the readiness to go green this may not have been an issue. I am not aware of Virginia law. I live in Cali, they do look under the car and those better be OEM cats or with a CARB EO# and have to be an OEM replacement.

Yeah, well California sucks and everyone knows that. Any car enthusiast would not live in that hell hole of a state. 99% of people are not going to look under the car here in Texas even if you go not ready. Most techs don't know where the stock location is for a Mustang anyway. If you do have someone doing that, time to find a new place to go to or a new state to live in.

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