Edit: New question further down the page

i have done some searching around on this specific question, however i only found this:

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by dantastic &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">by the book, the motor has to be the same year, or newer than the car. HOWEVER, the ref cannot directly determine the year of the motor. the ref goes by the OBD generation more or less. so if you swap, you'd be fine with an OBD2 motor (with all the USDM smog equipment) and a 99+ ecu.</TD></TR></TABLE>

so my problem is, i have a 97 LS and i just bought a 96 b18c1. this quote above is the closest i get to finding out if i can bar this older motor in my car. Are there any loopholes that any of you are positive on, that i can get the 96 motor bar'ed in my 97, or am i just S.O.L.?


Modified by Aznspeedracer at 8:34 AM 12/15/2005

 

you should be fine (as per that quote), they are both OBD2 motors.. You CA's worry too much.

 

heh, i hope so. but does anyone know how the BAR guys check the year? i read that they either check the Vin or the stamp under the engine code. Or are most lenient and just check if the OBD matches?

 

call and ask! you dont have to call the specific place you're going to.

 

true...i'll do that.

 

when i went to the state ref in alameda, didn't really check what year my engine was. my car's a 92, so he just put the motor down as a 92 (it's a 93). some refs are more strict than others though.
still trying to get BAR'd...

 

oh ok, yeah maybe my research should be better focused on finding a more lenient/laid back ref station. B/c i just called the information center, and they said that yes infact, the motor does need to be the same year or newer, no exceptions. I asked if they check the VIN# or engine stamp and he said twice, they check the "serial number" whichever one that is....can anyone recommend a Ref station in SoCal that doesn't really pay attention to the year?

 

from my short experience, i wouldn't go to the ELA one. They seem pretty strict. I had swapped dashes and forgot to swap VINs. Wouldn't test me because of that...even though I had visited a ref up north with the same dash.

here's an old thread with reviews of some stations in it:
https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=815454

 

Thanks for that link.

 

Ok, so new question. I called the REF information line again, and asked them if i fail the BAR test for having an older motor than my car, then do i need to bring my car back in and prove to them that the motor was changed out? He said yes i do need to bring it back in. This is the kind of thing i am hoping to avoid, as it is a pain in the *** to swap motors, and it would suck to try to bar it but fail and have to take it out just b/c they know that i have an illegal swap now.

I read the REF station reviews, Southwestern College seems like they might be a good place. But should i risk it and try to bar it or just screw trying to make it legal?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Aznspeedracer &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Ok, so new question. I called the REF information line again, and asked them if i fail the BAR test for having an older motor than my car</TD></TR></TABLE>

you are dumb for doing that. did they ask you for your information before they answered your question?

just make sure the OBD's are the same and don't worry so much.

Avoid going to the Fremont ref.

 

yeah im dumb. LOL. of course i didn't give them any of my information. they dont even have the right to ask for my information in a situation like that. i just called for information. And I'm in socal, so i'll be choosing from the socal Ref stations. And i've stated that the OBD's are the same already, so thanks for your help!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Aznspeedracer &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> they dont even have the right to ask for my information in a situation like that. i just called for information. </TD></TR></TABLE>

thats odd, because whenever I called the toll free number to ask questions, they won't answer any unless I give them info. I said fu[IMG][/IMG]ck that.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by B20B. Cruz &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">thats odd, because whenever I called the toll free number to ask questions, they won't answer any unless I give them info. I said fu[IMG][/IMG]ck that.</TD></TR></TABLE>

yeah thats what i woulda said too, and hung up, if they had asked me for my personal info. but i called them 3 different times asking different questions about BARing and they didn't ask for any of my personal info.

 

Is it really necessary to get a BAR for a swap? What would be the consequences for not?