Failed inspection.

[I Bleed Ford Blue]

Population density.

Our population is actually lower than Columbus so density is a no go. It's the terrain around the region. Also throw in the larger percentage of the population is at or near poverty level as they tend to drive older hoopties that grossly over pollute and should not be on the road.

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[FreePenguin]

Cleveland has the same topographical phenomenon as greater Los Angles. LA is the low point and is surrounded by mountains kinda like a bowl with one side cut out and when the Santa Ana winds come in off the pacific they trap the pollution in that bowl. Well Cleveland is the same way, the winds that come across the lake from Canada trap the pollution. So the 7 counties around Cleveland have to get our cars tested every 2 years and we are forced to buy a minimum of E 10 gas year round.

That is why we have to get tested and the 7 counties pester us, and it will never change.

Did not know this. Never been up there
Thanks for some educstion

 

[GregO]

Our population is actually lower than Columbus so density is a no go. It's the terrain around the region. Also throw in the larger percentage of the population is at or near poverty level as they tend to drive older hoopties that grossly over pollute and should not be on the road.

I didn't take the question to be limited to Ohio only. To your point as mentioned, topography matters.

 

[Ponyupnow]

Yes, cats are required in all 50 states, but there are certainly parts of the country where it is easy to run no cat setups and keep your car legally registered. There is no inspection required in the state of Florida to renew your tags. You are sent a renewal letter a month or so before your tag expires. The only requirement is that you write in your insurance policy number and attest that the policy is current. Now back in the late 90s earlier 2000s you had to go and get an emissions test done, but not anymore.

I mean, I guess if you consider the entire state of Florida as "rural" your statement is still true, but I bet people in Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville, Orlando would probably disagree with that.

Side note: I'm running cats on both my vehicles.

no problem with people going Lth, or catless, yup i admit is obnoxious when you drive and then they pull up next to you wanting to race, but if you get away with it, that's fine. I know for experience on my diesel truck....2400 dollars later for a cat and downpipe. Wasn't worth it.

 

[FreePenguin]

even though I am not a v8 guy, I always tell my mustang people who just got them "keep your stock exhaust up somewhere"

nope, all of them leave it at the exhaust shop, its only matter of time til every state, in so many years 100% emissions checking. I mean could be a long time away, but I do see it becoming a thing again.

societal shifting, more people are leaning towards greener, / stricter/ rules. even if you dont need to test your car, when you sell it. I read its illegal for a dealer to sell a car without cats/proper equipment.

I dont know if this applies to states without smog check though, I mean. if no smog check, then theres no certifications to get?

 

[I Bleed Ford Blue]

I have stainless power catted long tubes on my 17 and I had to get my first emissions test on it in 21. Here in Ohio all we have to do is pass the OBD 2 check and we are good. Anyway, I installed the LT's back in 18 and took the car to a local tuner and asked him to turn off the check engine light and rewrite the data table so the computer would think the stock cats were still there. Well my car passed with no issues so it can be done. I'm not positive the tuner actually did what I asked him to do or if he just turned off the the rear O2's. And to be fair, the car was tuned back in June of 18 and I put over 2K miles and unknown drive cycles before I had it tested in Nov of 20 and in Ohio we have self serve kiosks at the emission station where we just scan the vin and plug in and you either pass or fail. And like I said it passed.

EDIT if you fail the plug in test you can try the sniffer test, they put on the rollers and stick a probe up the tail pipe and if it puts out less pollutants than the state limits, you pass.

 

[OnThree]

Have your tuner turn on your O2's and run non foulers if you throw a cat efficiency code.

 

[Stang 19]

I lot of people say they live in no emissions territory.....truth is catalytic converters are required in all 50 states...that's a law...some counties, because of low population/rural area do not inspect so people get away with that and spread the rumor of "no emissions where I live" Arizona great example... phoenix/metro area you get inspected...if you lived in a rural area you just pay the plates. Some counties in California are the same as well...hard to believe but it's truth.

There are several counties in California that require you to only get an emissions test when you purchase the vehicle and never have to smog it again as long as you own it and don’t move out of the county in which it is registered those are far and few between with very sparse population . You and I live in populated areas that require an emissions test every other year after the initial eight year grandfather if it is a brand new vehicle .

 

[Stang 19]

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.

Yup... for California and the 13 other states that follow the California emissions law you are exactly 100% correct . There are zero aftermarket headers that will pass As well.

 

[Stang 19]

Yup. Lots of YouTube videos of guys with gas or diesel vehicles going to shops and removing the emissions set ups, and when you watch the videos and other vehicles there they all have Cali plates, and then look at the name of the shops and most are around Los Angeles/ metro areas, definitely those guys ruined stuff for everyone else ( i guess I should blame the aftermarket company (not us the enthusiast) for not investing enough in going through the carb process to certify their parts...which is expensive by the way. beware guys other states will follow CA. Lead and we'll i guess enough said. Keep your stock parts or something.

In addition to California there are 13 other states that follow the California emissions laws ... no headers allowed , no aftermarket cats unless it has an executive order number of which I do not know any exist , and a big mofo law that just went into affect last summer : no aftermarket tunes nada zilch zero unless it has a carb emissions exemption number again of which I know none are available except in conjunction with an aftermarket approved part such as with VMP .

 

[Cobra Jet]

First off to clarify for the OP - the "catback" reference doesn't always mean that the aftermarket "catback" comes with or has catalytic converters...

A catback can be the mid-pipe, intermediate pipe after the mid and mufflers. The midpipe on most S550's from the factory is the large rectangular "suitcase" which is the resonator. The catalytics would be located before it on the "downpiping" from the exhaust headers (or sometimes referred to as the exhaust manifolds). Most aftermarket catbacks delete the resonator, increase pipe diameters and have XYZ mufflers... If the catalytics are installed onto the LT headers - there wouldn't be a need for additional cats on the catback (ie: midpipe).

Your real problems is, LT headers usually do not come with CARB legal docs. Without a CARB legal doc for ANY part of an aftermarket exhaust setup, a State Emissions OR State Sponsored Emissions shop can fail the vehicle, period. If a shop is found to be passing non-CARB components, the shop can (and will) lose their emissions testing licenses, be fined big $$$ AND in worst case scenario, can be closed down. It's not a joke anymore and not as easy to pass at some facilities as it was 10-15 years ago. Shops don't want to run the risk of losing their livelihood (business), getting the fines and/or losing their emissions licenses.

I think you're going to have a hard time passing let alone convincing the shop operator that your LT headers are CARB legal, even with integrated cats.

 

[truckinguy92]

I live in NJ and thus I’d the exact reason I refuse to mod my car. Good luck getting it ironed out.

 

[Stang 19]

These days if you want mod the hassle free way you can mod but just make sure that you have an executive order number attached to the parts you plan to install . Most major super charger manufacturers now have an executive order number for every conceivable Mustang except maybe one or two so you can still make some serious power and have some serious fun .

 

[Stage_3]

These days if you want mod the hassle free way you can mod but just make sure that you have an executive order number attached to the parts you plan to install . Most major super charger manufacturers now have an executive order number for every conceivable Mustang except maybe one or two so you can still make some serious power and have some serious fun .

I have a feeling all states are eventually going to follow suit with this emissions stuff.
Just my opinion.

 

[2016S550]

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

You do not have to get an emission test in Hampton, he has the misfortune of living in N Va. You would be fine.

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