Hi,
I'm going to be gettin a Drag III kit for my 99-00 Si. I live in California. I know it does not pass visual inspection, but it does pass the tailpipe test. My question is this...down the street from my house, there is a smog check place that says "Test Only" does that mean they ONLY do the tailpipe test? or do they do visual also? does California require a visual inspection every so many years to re-new my registration? Also, is there anyone out there that has a Drag kit and has been smogged in California? Thanks for any help.

 

the test only stations do visual inspections too..arent they more strict too? you'll either have to take off the kit for smog... or find a hookup

 

yea even if you pass the sniffer you want pass the visual...so ask around and look for a hook-up..

 

I don't know too much about the smog rules, but I understand that having the external wastegate that many turbo Hondas use is a big no-no (dumping exhaust gases right into the atmosphere). Others have commented that a normal catalytic converter won't work properly (meaning it won't remove lots of the bad stuff from engine exhaust) simply because the exhaust gases aren't hot enough when they pass through the cat..... Others have commented that blow of valvues and intercoolers are bad news too, but it was never clear to me why. Just do a search on "turbo smog" with the archived content; there's a few threads you might find useful.