CA/LA Smog

[thegenius46m]

A lot of misinformation here... for CA STAR you WILL NOT pass visual with ANY modifications done to the engine period if the smog tech is doing their job. Most are because the auditing process has gotten very tight the last few years. I have friends who are smog techs that have told and shown me the procedures. It is not worth a 25k fine and their license stripped to pass you for $40. If you find a guy who is lazy, great, but you simply got lucky no ifs ands or buts. My M3 when stock failed with a macht schnell intake BOOT and nothing else. I literally had to go home and swap it to pass.

I kinda stopped caring about this lately as my M3 no longer is registered in this state but it sounds like they are not enforcing the checksum on pre ~08ish cars. So that means you can pass with modified parameters (aka tune) and relocated cats in a spare section one and pass. So basically nothing has changed in the process for our cars to my understanding.

All you need to do is force the readiness (if missing emissions hardware) and complete the drive cycle for the monitors to set and you are good. I did this 5yrs ago for CSL and us software without cats and got the monitors set but never needed to actually use it as I had other avenues to pass each time.

Honestly for most people the easiest method will be a reflash to a stock tune and throw a set of cats in section one or someone can make one and rent it to others lol. If you have a pre-05 M3 with a csl airbox, get a spare dme (hp or non doesnt matter) and have the vin updated with stock software and rewire your maf and throw the stock manifold back on. Anything more you'll have to get creative as the name of this game has always been being one step ahead of these slimy fucks AKA CARB.

[Jimbo's M]

Honestly for most people the easiest method will be a reflash to a stock tune and throw a set of cats in section one or someone can make one and rent it to others lol. If you have a pre-05 M3 with a csl airbox, get a spare dme (hp or non doesnt matter) and have the vin updated with stock software and rewire your maf and throw the stock manifold back on. Anything more you'll have to get creative as the name of this game has always been being one step ahead of these slimy fucks AKA CARB.

Seems fleeing like everyone else would be a hellofalot easier than that...

[old///MFanatic]

A lot of misinformation here... for CA STAR you WILL NOT pass visual with ANY modifications done to the engine period if the smog tech is doing their job.

They can pass if it’s CARB exempt with an EO (Executive Order) number. The product will have a sticker on it with the EO number for the tech to lookup and pass visual.

[jet_dogg]

I'm gonna put a fake carb sticker on my csl airbox.

[SteelGreyM]

Question: can cali police pull you over just for smelling cat-less fumes?

[WestBankM4]

Question: can cali police pull you over just for smelling cat-less fumes?

I've seen CHP that are knowledgeable about cars and others that aren't, sort of luck of the draw. My buddy is running catless and the CHP officer that pulled us all over before the Bay Bridge got out and one at a time walked the line citing specific things. I got dinged on my M4 for the headlights being too low in congruence with the ground (not more than 54" and not less than 22"). I have M-Performance coil overs so raising it and fixing it was easy, my buddy without cats though, not so lucky. The Chippy actually got down on his hands and knees and inspected his car from underneath with a flashlight. When my buddy popped the hood it was game over, no cats visible top or bottom and he got a State Ref fine. Going to the state ref to pass is a lot more difficult, they're absolute sticklers.

[SteelGreyM]

I've seen CHP that are knowledgeable about cars and others that aren't, sort of luck of the draw. My buddy is running catless and the CHP officer that pulled us all over before the Bay Bridge got out and one at a time walked the line citing specific things. I got dinged on my M4 for the headlights being too low in congruence with the ground (not more than 54" and not less than 22"). I have M-Performance coil overs so raising it and fixing it was easy, my buddy without cats though, not so lucky. The Chippy actually got down on his hands and knees and inspected his car from underneath with a flashlight. When my buddy popped the hood it was game over, no cats visible top or bottom and he got a State Ref fine. Going to the state ref to pass is a lot more difficult, they're absolute sticklers.

Cali sounds like a nightmare

One of the few reasons I am happy to be in chicago. Can get away with anything out here

[jet_dogg]

Cali sounds like a nightmare

One of the few reasons I am happy to be in chicago. Can get away with anything out here

Including murder too, apparently.

[WestBankM4]

Including murder too, apparently.

Well I'm in Oakland so probably no different than Chi town

Sent from my Pixel 6 Pro using Tapatalk

[thegenius46m]

They can pass if it’s CARB exempt with an EO (Executive Order) number. The product will have a sticker on it with the EO number for the tech to lookup and pass visual.

Good luck getting one of those. I looked into copying a dinan one almost 10yrs ago and having it replicated. Even then you have other issues that are going to blow a red flag even with the sticker. Won't help much.

[old///MFanatic]

Good luck getting one of those. I looked into copying a dinan one almost 10yrs ago and having it replicated. Even then you have other issues that are going to blow a red flag even with the sticker. Won't help much.

You said, “A lot of misinformation here..for CA STAR you WILL NOT pass visual with ANY modifications done to the engine period”
I was just stating that’s incorrect for “ANY”. It can legally pass with an aftermarket part that’s been CARB Exempt (Approved). These parts will come with a sticker or badge when bought for CA. (I’ve sold some of these brands). And yes if you buy secondhand without the CARB sticker it’s a royal pita to get the brand to give you another.
Now trying to put another’s CARB Exempt or fake copy on a non-CARB approved part is very bad idea. Because as I stated earlier each brand part has their own EO number. The tech looks up that number and corresponding photo in their system and matches it to what it’s being used for. So a Dinan intake filter number isn’t going match a Turner CSL intake. When it’s fake the smog shop must flag it and car has to go next to the State Referee station. Where it can get some fines and won’t pass. More hassle than you began with.
So if it’s a legal mod with legal CARB EO sticker you’re set and pass visual. If illegal mod with fake CARB EO sticker you’re screwed. *unless shop is incompetent.

[thegenius46m]

You said, “A lot of misinformation here..for CA STAR you WILL NOT pass visual with ANY modifications done to the engine period”
I was just stating that’s incorrect for “ANY”. It can legally pass with an aftermarket part that’s been CARB Exempt (Approved). These parts will come with a sticker or badge when bought for CA. (I’ve sold some of these brands). And yes if you buy secondhand without the CARB sticker it’s a royal pita to get the brand to give you another.
Now trying to put another’s CARB Exempt or fake copy on a non-CARB approved part is very bad idea. Because as I stated earlier each brand part has their own EO number. The tech looks up that number and corresponding photo in their system and matches it to what it’s being used for. So a Dinan intake filter number isn’t going match a Turner CSL intake. When it’s fake the smog shop must flag it and car has to go next to the State Referee station. Where it can get some fines and won’t pass. More hassle than you began with.
So if it’s a legal mod with legal CARB EO sticker you’re set and pass visual. If illegal mod with fake CARB EO sticker you’re screwed. *unless shop is incompetent.

Sure, but good luck finding that so-called guy to look the other way. It’s just not worth the risk anymore imho. You have a higher chance of getting caught and sent to BAR just to save a few bucks. And believe me, I know a lot of inside stuff that I can’t disclose on here for obvious reasons. My shop’s next door neighbor is a smog tech of 20yrs and a car enthusiast and tells us literally everything. We even tested an e46 at his shop right when the new rules went into place.

But for anyone reading this, the only options I would personally recommend:

1) Swap everything back to stock including header heatshields and have cats installed in a spare section 1. Majority of smog techs don’t know or care where the cats are on this car at least because they have no way to see them visually. Maybe 1% of guys know to look from the wheel well up to see them so if you get caught just pull the “no idea man. Bought it that way.” Most cases you won’t even be bothered.

2) pay a guy a lot of money to look the other way and don’t cheap out. The cheaper the guy, the high chance of him fucking up and sending you straight to BAR. Happened to a friend on here actually. You’ve been warned. The name of the game is constantly vet and verify if you don’t want to lose your ass.

[alexmkv91]

First post. I have an ‘04 M3 that’s been sitting in the garage unregistered for a while now. I installed headers a couple years ago and completely overlooked how strict CA emissions are, and never bothered to switch back to OEM or try anything else. So I’m thinking of finding a couple cats to weld into a spare section 1.

Can anyone recommend some cats that will fit side by side and are CARB legal? All I can find online are Magnaflow which appear to be quite large, not sure they’ll fit.

Assuming I do go this route, would I need to add o2 bungs to the section 1 for post o2 sensors?

Getting the itch lately to drive the car more. If I have to go back to stock headers I will but I’d prefer not to!

[old///MFanatic]

Sure, but good luck finding that so-called guy to look the other way. It’s just not worth the risk anymore imho. You have a higher chance of getting caught and sent to BAR just to save a few bucks. And believe me, I know a lot of inside stuff that I can’t disclose on here for obvious reasons. My shop’s next door neighbor is a smog tech of 20yrs and a car enthusiast and tells us literally everything. We even tested an e46 at his shop right when the new rules went into place.

Think you misunderstood me. I fully agree it’s not worth the risk and they are suppose to and do in fact check. If you read I had already mentioned many of the things you did earlier and reason. 👍🏻

What I was just pointing out is that CARB Exempt aftermarket products are the exception to parts allowed/fail and that do in fact pass. Off the top of my head an example would be the DINAN air box and filter which are CARB approved and would still pass. To alleviate any headaches just make sure one has the CARB EO number or sticker available so they can look up and complete test just like it was all stock.

[ra2fanatic]

Well, having gone through this whole ordeal myself, I am soooo glad I did not sell my Dinan flashed ECU and intake where are CARB legal. I have a separate HP CSL ECU that went along with my headers and Evolve CSL airbox so swapping the headers and airbox back to stock and getting smogged was the route to go. ECU's have to be submitted so they can turn a blind eye, but if the ECU values don't check, they you fail.

Before I reverted back to stock, I went to this place out in Rialto, saw a bunch of other questionable cars pass, I'm sitting there thinking "I've gotta pass this with flying colors". Lo and behold, 3+ hrs later, the guy calls me into his office and says, "We've got 2 lines of error codes in your ECU data and we need clean values on those 2 lines before we can submit to the DMV, we can gamble and submit now, but it's 50/50 chance you can get flagged. I'll give you a call in a couple of days and we'll get you squared away".

3 weeks pass, and guy either made up some bs or never picked up his call. I didn't want to continue to waste my time heading out to Rialto to pester this guy and if he says it's not done, nothing I could do about it. So gave up on that and reverted to stock.

The law that passed this year isn't the same as it was a couple of years ago, more at stake at a shop than just a visual and a √

Find a stock ECU or at least flash to stock and you should be able to pass if you can find a sketchy place that'll do the deeds for you still.