Question for people living in smog testing states and running a csl airbox

[cbean]

"This car is a lot easier to make stock than an Evo."

"Wait so just to clarify - - so even if all stock hardware is used, and all factory emissions equipment are intact and in "ready" state, a "tuned" ECU will automatically fail?!"


First, I am a certified idiot, please confirm thru second and third sources of reference

My buddies EVO I am referencing is very modified ( cams, exhaust, weird EVO mivec tuning ) and his problems compound exponentially if he ends up going to the referee. His idea was to hope for the best, get it smogged, which he has done before thru "a guy". Those "guys" are no longer practicing creative outcomes.

The only real problem with getting called to the referee moths later, after passing, is the ref will go thru your car with a fine tooth comb.

He has been researching with as many EVO experienced tuners specifically in So Cal, and done read up a bunch on this . . . my info is thru him.

"As of 2020 they are cross-referencing internal ECU identifiers " . . . this has been the NEW hiccup in all of this, and Cali is really dialed in OEM ECU information. If your mods are CARB legal ( or really not noticeable ) you are fine, but it is the ECU information that needs to completely match, and apparently just flashing back to stock does not satisfy those identifiers. At least in the EVO world, and many folks are now going to the dealership to have them reflash to stock.

I do not know if the same exist for BMW, but I am happy not having to find out.

California is a nightmare.

On the upside, mine is a 2005, five more years and I no longer need to smog it

And at some point, that whole smog industry is gonna disappear with everyone going electric, and Cali prohibiting the sale of fossil fuel cars

Sorry for the rambling.

[skristedja]

On the upside, mine is a 2005, five more years and I no longer need to smog it

Wait, what? Last I checked, only cars made before 1976 are smog exempt in CA.

I'd be curious to know what "ECU identifiers" they are looking at. From their website:

The OBD data retrieved from the vehicle does not match what is expected for that vehicle. Plugging into an incorrect vehicle to perform the OBD inspection, or a tampered OBD system, can cause this failure. This failure may require re-inspection at a State Referee facility.

https://www.bar.ca.gov/Consumer/On-Board_Diagnostic_Systems.aspx

This is also interesting, its a list of cars that are considered "vehicles of interest" and the established protocols for testing.

https://www.bar.ca.gov/Industry/Industry_Resources/On-Board_Diagnostic_Test_Reference.aspx#table-4-ois-vehicles-of-interest

[skristedja]

Interesting. I think what cbean is referring to is the "Permanent Diagnostic Trouble Code Standards"



I think the e46 may be exempt from this as it is in the 2000-2009 period...

cbean, what year is your friend's evo?

[Tbonem3]

That would be glorious

[cbean]

"Wait, what? Last I checked, only cars made before 1976 are smog exempt in CA."

My bubble is bursting

The Evo is a 2006

[siamkazi]

Interesting. I think what cbean is referring to is the "Permanent Diagnostic Trouble Code Standards"



I think the e46 may be exempt from this as it is in the 2000-2009 period...

cbean, what year is your friend's evo?

What a plot twist, please be true.

[cbean]

This might be interesting bathroom reading.

It's like TAX LAW . . . I don't understand either

[2004LSB]

Mine passed 4 months ago (with an Epic Motorsports tune) with the stock airbox, euro headers & cats, with stock internals and knock on wood I haven't received anything in the mail other than my new tags shortly after the test. Hopefully its just Table 3b that's shown above that applies, or if the smog tech sees some glaring errors (as pointed out above "Plugging into an incorrect vehicle to perform the OBD inspection, or a tampered OBD system (I'm assuming running any kind of simulators in place of deleted emission control devices, etc.), can cause this failure.") that will raise red flags?

I looked over that Smog Check Reference Guide cbean provided and noticed some interesting information on Table 1, page 4:

• it looks like they MAY put our cars on the rolling dyno to do the sniffer test only if "there's a problematic OBD-II system" (under superscript 5, which states the following: "In the future, BAR may identify some vehicles that have GVWR of 14,000 and less or that have problematic OBD II systems that may require the BAR-97 test").

also cbean, sorry...I think regardless of how old are cars will get, they will not be exempt from smog checks.

[EthanolTurbo]

"This car is a lot easier to make stock than an Evo."

"Wait so just to clarify - - so even if all stock hardware is used, and all factory emissions equipment are intact and in "ready" state, a "tuned" ECU will automatically fail?!"


First, I am a certified idiot, please confirm thru second and third sources of reference

My buddies EVO I am referencing is very modified ( cams, exhaust, weird EVO mivec tuning ) and his problems compound exponentially if he ends up going to the referee. His idea was to hope for the best, get it smogged, which he has done before thru "a guy". Those "guys" are no longer practicing creative outcomes.

The only real problem with getting called to the referee moths later, after passing, is the ref will go thru your car with a fine tooth comb.

He has been researching with as many EVO experienced tuners specifically in So Cal, and done read up a bunch on this . . . my info is thru him.

"As of 2020 they are cross-referencing internal ECU identifiers " . . . this has been the NEW hiccup in all of this, and Cali is really dialed in OEM ECU information. If your mods are CARB legal ( or really not noticeable ) you are fine, but it is the ECU information that needs to completely match, and apparently just flashing back to stock does not satisfy those identifiers. At least in the EVO world, and many folks are now going to the dealership to have them reflash to stock.

I do not know if the same exist for BMW, but I am happy not having to find out.

California is a nightmare.

On the upside, mine is a 2005, five more years and I no longer need to smog it

And at some point, that whole smog industry is gonna disappear with everyone going electric, and Cali prohibiting the sale of fossil fuel cars

Sorry for the rambling.

Your friend is going through the typical Evo pain. The best thing to do is put stock cams back and everything else stock, smog it and go back to modified. That is honestly the easiest way.

[EthanolTurbo]

Interesting. I think what cbean is referring to is the "Permanent Diagnostic Trouble Code Standards"



I think the e46 may be exempt from this as it is in the 2000-2009 period...

cbean, what year is your friend's evo?

I don't believe this is relevant as it has nothing to do with the CVN identifiers in the ECU ROM.

[old///MFanatic]

I live in north OC and every time my E46s been smog tested they look under the hood and do full visual inspection. Shop has to or if CA has a “spotter” they can be fined and even lose their testing license. Shop won’t risk it. And like another member, I have to bring my Bentley Manual to show them my cats are in the exhaust manifold or they think my Ar20 resonator is a cat cut out. I also return stock intake to replace my GruppeM intake.
My AA tune always passes. As for them checking tune in future, maybe only for smog equipment shut off like cats or CEL shutoff.
Our cars will NOT be exempt from smog test because of age.

[mrgizmo04]

I don't have a csl box, but I have an eventuri, full supersprint, Paul's tune, e85, no fan/shroud, no beauty cover, no cabin filter housing, etc. I have smog coming up in Dec. I'm planning on swapping headers and section 1 to stock, put rear o2 back on, swap stock tune, that's it. I can update what happens. If they send me to the ref, oh well, not the first time I'll be going . Will just take a few more hours to take a couple of the things off (e85) and put the fan/shrouds/etc on. Theoretically if it's not impacting smog, they should not care, but I'm sure they can argue no fan/shroud is not running the car at optimal temp, impacting emissions, etc.

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[Xmetal]

I don't have a csl box, but I have an eventuri, full supersprint, Paul's tune, e85, no fan/shroud, no beauty cover, no cabin filter housing, etc. I have smog coming up in Dec. I'm planning on swapping headers and section 1 to stock, put rear o2 back on, swap stock tune, that's it. I can update what happens. If they send me to the ref, oh well, not the first time I'll be going . Will just take a few more hours to take a couple of the things off (e85) and put the fan/shrouds/etc on. Theoretically if it's not impacting smog, they should not care, but I'm sure they can argue no fan/shroud is not running the car at optimal temp, impacting emissions, etc.

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You should also consider putting your stock air box back on or you will fail visual.

[mrgizmo04]

You should also consider putting your stock air box back on or you will fail visual.

Yes, I forgot to add that I will swap stock airbox from eventuri. Thanks for reminder.

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[Tbonem3]

When I tested last year, I only put the headers, sap, airbox & tune back to stock. Did not put back any shrouds/fan. Didn't even put the strut bar on