Emissions test....FML

SCL PI GT · Aug 17, 2013

So...I went to have my emissions inspection done here in SLC and failed. Apparently they have new standards here that require a car to have equipment equivalent to what it had from the factory and the computer MUST monitor all emissions systems. My car failed for the following reasons:

1. I have a Magnaflow catted x-pipe which has two cats, but my car came factory with 6. =FAIL
2. Apparently when Modular Depot tuned my car, they programmed the computer to bypass the EGR and catalytic systems, ignoring them completely. =FAIL

Now the tuning shop here is quoting my 1,500-2,000 to make this car emissions legal.

FML

DeepList · Aug 17, 2013

Problem 1) Bite the bullet and put the cats back on. It shouldn't cost too much to have this done.
Problem 2) Get ahold of a tuner and turn the disabled functions back on in the computer.

Done.

Stanimal · Aug 17, 2013

find a stock catted midpipe and put it in, and have the tuner make you a stock tune for now. just did a catted midpipe and retune on a friends 97 so he could pass. took 5 hours start to finish to do it, including inspection time

97stanger · Aug 17, 2013

I just failed today for those exact reasons also. "cats, oxygen sensor, oxygen sensor hear, egr"

SCL PI GT · Aug 17, 2013

DeepList said:
Problem 1) Bite the bullet and put the cats back on. It shouldn't cost too much to have this done.
Problem 2) Get ahold of a tuner and turn the disabled functions back on in the computer.

Done.

Precisely what I'm doing. Unfortunately, I did not keep the original mid-pipe because I joined the military and didn't wanna drag it around with me. Also unfortunately, the local tuner is charging me $1500-$2000 for an SCT tuner, new cats or new mid-pipe, and labor/tuning time. I needed to tune it anyway for the elevation change but DAMN...didn't expect to pay THIS much for it. Maybe I can get them to run it on the dyno for no extra charge while it's in there. I'm interested in the power she make up here in SLC.

DeepList · Aug 17, 2013

For $1500 to $2000, they better be including this for free ---> :ky:

Stanimal · Aug 17, 2013

for that kind of money you could buy another car take what you need off it and sell the rest. jeez man

SCL PI GT · Aug 17, 2013

Yeah it sucks. I can't go back to stock tune because of my comp cams and this performance shop is pretty much the only good one in the area. And I can't find a salvage yard around with a 96-97 GT that still has the stock mid-pipe (they like to recycle cats for the precious metals inside). I also have to have the car legal buy the end of the month because it's still my DD. I think I'm SOL....

DeepList · Aug 17, 2013

SCL PI GT said:
Y I also have to have the car legal buy the end of the month because it's still my DD. I think I'm SOL....

Find a buddy with an exhaust that you can "barrow" for the inspection.

AutoBadges · Aug 18, 2013

Yeah don't go paying all that money. You would end up paying 1/3 of that if you research and find what you need.

Win · Aug 18, 2013

That guy is raping you bc he knows he is the only one in the area. Travel a little farther and go to someone else.... Find a Catted mid pipe on CL and use that. I honestly won't use the tuner I used bc I feel he took advantage of me. A local shop I just found out about got 46 more wheel hp outta my old 347 and said there wasn't even a chip in it. Which infuriates me!

cobraracer46 · Aug 19, 2013

With new direct replacement OBD II compliant direct replacement mustang cat H pipes going for around $900 minimum, The shop quote for new cats, tuner and labor seems reasonable. Good luck finding a used stock H pipe and a shop to install it. It's unlikely that most repair shops will mess with used cats since there are huge fines involved for installing used cats.

Shifty Powers · Aug 19, 2013

First off.. What is all this nonsense!!! with having to have the same amount of cats as stock. Must be some new policy

I have taken my car with highflow cats to state inspection station for the past few years and have passed. Gets a little annoying as you have to time it right. And they closed down the one near me.

So it will be interesting to see what happens this year..

97stanger · Aug 19, 2013

Maybe it has to do with location of the cats and o2 sensors? Do you have longtubes? I feel that that's the problem

SCL PI GT · Aug 19, 2013

Yeah they've changed the test here in SLC. No longer just a sniffer. They hook up a computer to your ECU and check to make sure it's monitoring all the emissions systems and they check the bottom of the hood for the sticker with a little code that actually tells them the number of cats the car should have. If it doesn't match, you fail. And I have noticed that factory ford mid-pipes are going for about $1,200 online. I'll have to find one at a pull and pay salvage yard or something. Can't find them anywhere. The local tuner here said they have them laying around and told me they'd call me with prices but I'm betting they'll take advantage of the situation and charge me in insane price. I can have 4 cats welded into my x-pipe but it's about $85 per cat and then the muffler shops wanna charge $100 per cat to weld them in.

So today I found out I can get an emissions waiver for one year as long as I spend at least $450 working on the issues. For now I've ordered a tuner from americanmuscle and the dealership is gonna flash my ECU to stock so it'll monitor the systems, then I'll have the tuner ready to re-tune for the mods. It'll suck to have to settle for a mail-order tune with my cams, but after seeing the way MD tuned it, I'm not sure it'll be worse. They really suck. I can't believe they programmed the car to bypass all those systems. Luckily they are only Comp 262's and can technically run on the stock tune. This will give me a year to figure out the catalytic converter issue. KEEP YOUR STOCK MID-PIPES PEOPLE!

SCL PI GT · Aug 19, 2013

97stanger said:
Maybe it has to do with location of the cats and o2 sensors? Do you have longtubes? I feel that that's the problem

Nope no LT's and with these new regs I'll never have them. It sucks because that's about 25 more hp I could make. It's dumb because the 2 cats I have on the x-pipe do the work just as efficiently as the 6 little crappy ones on the stock pipe. I'll have to go with shorties. I'm also thinking about getting an old giant diesel and pump as much pollution into the air as I can just out of spite.

cobraracer46 · Aug 20, 2013

SCL PI GT said:
Nope no LT's and with these new regs I'll never have them. It sucks because that's about 25 more hp I could make. the stock pipe. I'll have to go with shorties. \

There is No way that long tube headers are worth 25HP on a MOD motor mustang. Long tube headers don't really make more power than shorty headers either. Guess what? "high flow" cats or even a straight pipe adds practically zero HP.

For those of you who think Off road H pipes or high flow H pipes add power. Post up a back to back dyno run comparing a factory h pipe against a high flow or straight pipe. Dont post a "headers, mid pipe and cat back" or a "mid pipe and tune" or a "mid pipe and pulley" dyno run, just a back to back factory H pipe vs "high flow", straight pipe dyno run.

Shifty Powers · Aug 20, 2013

^ Do you have a stock back to back dyno to prove it? Or to prove it doesnt give you 25 HP? Because 25 to the flywheel is realistic. Hence why full bolt on cobras get right around 300rwhp....
So Are you talking wheels? Flywheel? Or at all?
You say mod motors. Are you talking all mod motors or just our sn95 cobra motors? 2vs as well? What about Gt500s? Next your going to tell me LTs, or an O/R midpipe on a GT500 doesnt give any power... Care to try to prove me wrong there? What about the new 5.0?
Because all these cars are running mod motors.... And there has been proof.

We all know that getting rid of ALL of the stock cats doesnt give us a huge power boost. But it will free up some exhaust flow. Killing some TQ and freeing up some HP. Did anyone say it is a lot? No. I know its not. You cant feel it. It may be 2-5. But it does it. More or less everyone does it for the sound and for when they do LTs. Adding LTs, again does help free up some HP on these cars. More power than shorty headers. Which are a better flowing stock manifold.

But overall. You are saying. Just dont do anything to a car right? Because it is all pointless?

And while I have personally seen the benefits of these parts on newer cars. I am not sure I can share the dyno graphs. As they are not my personal ones. But I will see what I can do.

Shifty Powers · Aug 20, 2013

97stanger said:
Maybe it has to do with location of the cats and o2 sensors? Do you have longtubes? I feel that that's the problem

As of now, no I do not. And you might be right. Last 2 times ive had it done they plugged into my obd2. they might be seeing the different length in o2 signal for the LTs, and by that knowing as well there are not as many o2s.. Not sure if they are that sophisticated or not. But its possible. Maybe your buddy could give you some details on that?