byronl

Ok guys here's the story, I got a notice in the mail for a smog check being due so i went out to get one. Well the first smog check I didn't do anything to the car prior to the smog, i just drove it around town and kept the rpms at around 3-4 rpms then got it smogged. I failed the smog and the smog guy told me to get new spark plugs and a new cat and it should pass.

First smog test report


I went to a muffler shop and had them install a new cat for me and i installed new ngk spark plugs on the car, i even installed a new pcv valve and cleaned out my air filter. I went back to the place today to have it smogged, feeling very nervous. But I failed again, this time i failed even worse to gross polluter. The smog test guy was really confused, he didn't know what to tell me other than to take it to a shop to have it analyzed and repaired. He had no idea why it got worse and so did i. Prior to the smog test I drove around town at about the same 3-4 rpms like i did in the first test.

Second smog test report


My mods include dc sporst 4-1 header, new high flow cat, tsudo piping catback with apexi worldsport 2 muffler, and an aem short ram intake with a clean filter.

What do u guys think is the problem?

SkyeC

go oem exhaust manifold.

-Gary-

The exhaust manifold should have nothing to do with it. I'd find an ebay cat or a cat off of someone in the forum's car.

db8gsr_teg

throw in a stock intake, stock header and a stock exhaust then it should be fine. I wouldnt smog my car with those aftermarket parts even if it is CARB legal.

byronl

so if i put on my stock manifold i should be able to pass with flying colors?

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by scuzz &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The exhaust manifold should have nothing to do with it. I'd find an ebay cat or a cat off of someone in the forum's car.</TD></TR></TABLE>

isn't an ebay cat just a test pipe therefore instant failure.

i have a brand new high flow cat, my friend got one for his crx same one as i got and passed with extremely low figures.

the jdmchop

listen get a oem cat not no hi-flo cheapo

a free flowing exhaust helps wen it comes to testing

makes sure your timing is good

and beat the **** out of it before you get it tested dont baby it

Paxil4x4

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by db8gsr_teg &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">throw in a stock intake, stock header and a stock exhaust then it should be fine. I wouldnt smog my car with those aftermarket parts even if it is CARB legal. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Why he passed the visual?

And those parts are not super extreme anyways

Marauder

Why would you drive around town with 3000-4000 rpm revs only??? Cats work better with heat, don't hold back on the revs!

I would say the cat the muffler shop sold you is a peice of $hit! NO should not go up like that with a NEW cat. They screwed you IMHO. Buy a used OEM cat off of someone here and I bet it'll run a lot cleaner.

Paxil4x4

seafoam it

Marauder

What I find really weird, after looking at that, is how much cleaner it runs at 25mph than at 15mph. That's some huge difference there!

JDM JUICE

go to another smog place. put back the old cat. and fix your timing

db8gsr_teg

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by packthis &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Why he passed the visual?

And those parts are not super extreme anyways</TD></TR></TABLE>
Cause all those parts are CARB exempt and it will pass visual. But sometimes they make you fail and sometime they make you pass. Its simple like that

the jdmchop

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by db8gsr_teg &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Cause all those parts are CARB exempt and it will pass visual. But sometimes they make you fail and sometime they make you pass. Its simple like that </TD></TR></TABLE>

if anything the intake and free flowing exhaust will aid the engine and possible lean it out a bit , aftermarket intake and exhaust will not hurt the emmisions performance of a vehicle at all.

and whom ever said throw the stock mani and exhuast on and it will pass abovious doesnt now anything

the readings indicate there is a big problem, most likly the cat is not up to par, timing might be off, has nothing to do with his header or intake

EvilPinkEye

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jdmchop &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

if anything the intake and free flowing exhaust will aid the engine and possible lean it out a bit , aftermarket intake and exhaust will not hurt the emmisions performance of a vehicle at all.

and whom ever said throw the stock mani and exhuast on and it will pass abovious doesnt now anything

the readings indicate there is a big problem, most likly the cat is not up to par, timing might be off, has nothing to do with his header or intake </TD></TR></TABLE>

i feel dumb even asking,
but if there's after market headers and crap out there that dont have a carb legal crap on them, then why i read else where that they do make a difference when time for smog comes...

in other words, these parts dont don't effect smog????
anyone every pass with the usual I/H/E..i know i never did

Spade

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by EvilPinkEye &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i feel dumb even asking,
but if there's after market headers and crap out there that dont have a carb legal crap on them, then why i read else where that they do make a difference when time for smog comes...

in other words, these parts dont don't effect smog????
anyone every pass with the usual I/H/E..i know i never did </TD></TR></TABLE>

They could potentially effect smog, however 99% of them don't. The reason some of them don't have the CARB EO#s is because of the application fee. It's something like $5,000 a EO# and for some companies, being legal in 49 of the 50 states leaves a large enough market to not care.


How large is this new cat? Seems like the 15mph is too slow to keep it hot.

byronl

thx for all ur replies guys, i think ur right about me going at 3-4 rpms. Because I took I took it to my dad's friends mechanic and without telling me, he took the car for a drive, went to a smog test only and came back and it passed with flying colors! Lemme show u guys the results. I asked him what he did but he just smiled at me and said 'mickey mouse' iono what that means but i kinda have a guess haha.

here's the final smog results

Ghetto Civic HX

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by byronl &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">thx for all ur replies guys, i think ur right about me going at 3-4 rpms. Because I took I took it to my dad's friends mechanic and without telling me, he took the car for a drive, went to a smog test only and came back and it passed with flying colors! Lemme show u guys the results. I asked him what he did but he just smiled at me and said 'mickey mouse' iono what that means but i kinda have a guess haha.

here's the final smog results
</TD></TR></TABLE>

That sounds like you got a smog "hookup"

byronl

for future reference, i found out why my readings were all weird. It wasn't because of my cat, it was because of my o2 sensor. I had used a bosch o2 sensor and that's why i failed, it was new too. I just bought a new oem denso o2 sensor and passed again with flying colors.

RoadconeTuning

it wasnt "too new" it was broken.

instructor74

Seeing all that I am glad I live in a state were there is visual and a gas cap check. maybe some year they will get around to sniffer testing the tail pipe. but buy then my car will be outside the test range

Metalluthier

SEAFOAM


Winger - Winger (1988) - 03 - Seventeen.mp3 [64Kbps] (04:05)

VTcivicHB

I like how on the second sheet instead saying "Fail" it says "Gross Polluter"

Froth

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by VTcivicHB &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I like how on the second sheet instead saying "Fail" it says "Gross Polluter"</TD></TR></TABLE>
Yeah, I chuckled a little to myself when I read that.