NoVa Emmissions - Opinions Needed
 

Hey everyone,

I am finally hoping to become a more active participant in the NoVa/DC/MD events and threads here on the forum. I have been working on my Z for a while now, and am wrapping up getting the kinks worked out of my GTM TT kit. I figured I would post my question in this section since you guys are all residents of the NoVa/DC/MD area.

Onto the question:
I am awaiting delivery of my 3" F.I. TDX exhaust, and am wondering if I should opt to add cats to it (an option Tony currently is offering). The gas smell is pretty strong right now, but doesn't bother me too much. My dilemma is this: I can opt to forgo the cats, and get a custom tune (the cats cost 3/4 of the price of a tune), which should hopefully reduce the smell slightly, or I bite the bullet and get the cats to hopefully eliminate the smell altogether. My main concern is the extra police attention the smell may bring. I DO NOT want fines!

So, your expert opinions are much appreciated! I hope to get out to the meets in the very near future! Thanks for the help and I look forward to meeting you all!

If you plan on driving on the street in NOVA you HAVE to have cats.

Without them you'll get tagged at your annual safety inspection (they do a visual check) but you'd probably be pulled over by a cop before then when they smell the fumes.

You've probably noticed all of the emissions stations on most of the highway on-ramps. They rotate locations but they have them up year round now. You'll eventually have to drive through one of those where you'd get ticketed.

:werd:


Speaking as a guy who was tagged, that is trouble you don't want.

Thanks guys. That is sort of what I figured. Guess I might as well spend the cash up front, rather than shelling it out to the local government.

As for emissions inspections, they just do a check for emissions-related trouble codes through the OBD-II port, right? I am wondering if I will fail since I believe the GTM tune ignores the second set of O2 sensors. I wonder if they show up as "Not Ready" when they do the scan. May have to register the car in another county...

That is a good idea. My family lives in Spotsylvania County, another emissions-free county. Are you able to have your car "garaged" at that address without having one of them on your title? Also, does that require your DL address to show the Fauquier address?

Thanks for the quick responses everyone! Just sent Tony@FI an email saying PUT IN THE CATS!

oohhh I can think of so many things wrong with this. :bowrofl:

Think about it.

Good to hear! I am all for doing things "by the book", but this is one loophole I plan to take advantage of! :tup:

I don't really think it's a loophole, per se. It's tax evasion but there's not an effective way to crack down on it.

Liberals are supposed to be for higher taxes, cristo! :p

You might find yourself with an interesting situation on your hand if anything ever happens to your car when it is parked at night.

Stunning how much stalling can happen if there is a discrepancy found by the insurance company.

I could keep my cars registered in PWC at my parents house, but I am unwilling to cheat on my taxes. :p

VERY true!!!

Anyways, with HFCs and no CEL codes I would think you'd pass NOVA emissions. HFCs should be enough to pass the sniffer if they make you do it.

That is true, a little worrisome. I will have to look into how to make everything line up. I don't want to have issues with insurance, or really any other agencies. Who knows, maybe it would pass emissions the way it is setup?

Did Kirk run into any problems regarding his emissions set up?

Yeah, thats what I am hoping, but I have two main concerns:

-The way the exhaust is setup, the cats will be after the 2nd o2 sensor, which to an inspector, will look fishy.

-The GTM tune is setup to ignore any trouble codes stemming from the 2nd o2 sensors, since they are literally about 2 feet further down the down pipe than the primary o2 sensors. I am just unsure how that would look to the emissions testing equipment when they do a scan.

Yeah I'm not sure how that would look either on the scan. And the cats after the secondary O2 sensors would definitely look a little funky.

I think he still has his stock cats on.

So even if you run a supercharger, on stock cats, youll still pass emissions?

I don't think MD emissions are as strict as VA and we only need to get it done once every like 3 yrs I think.

Worst case, I know a guy ;)

:bowrofl: I def. need to come to these meets!

I never had any problems with my TPs, inspection or smell. I have not had to get the emissions inspection yet, but I think it will be due in October. Not looking forward to dealing with it!

When I was 17 I ran an off-road x pipe on my Mustang. I gutted some cheap cats and JB welded them around the pipes so I'd pass visual inspection. :bowrofl:

:icon18: Good idea! What kind of crazy looking cats could I come up with to fit around the 3" down pipes :icon14:

Stock cats baby!!!! That and I live in Commie MD where they don't do on ramp smog testing....

I wish I could swap stock cats just to do the testing. What do they do for this on-ramp testing anyway? Just stand there and smell the exhaust? I have seen cops on the on-ramp to 66 west in falls church (exit 69) and figured they were looking for expired inspections.

Hm, ive never heard of this on ramp smog testing....

A van with sensors sets up in the acceleration zone of an on ramp taking smog readings. It takes a picture of violators and sends them a nasty ticket.

Wow, that is serious. VA is such a crazy state when it comes to cars. Living in Fredericksburg, I would see all kinds of jacked-up pickups that are nowhere near being street legal. You throw a modified coupe in the mix...it is a cop magnet.

At least they let us have our guns! :tup:

:tup:

I hate those trucks, though. It's hilarious when one of them tries to drive in the city. :bowrofl:

:iagree: Those things are pointless, especially up here. They drink gas/diesel and get in the WAY!

Are the tickets from those evil vans pricey? I can't imagine they are cheap.

Dan got one for thousands of dollars. :bowrofl:

:eek: How is that even calculated?! More smog = more $$? For sure getting those cats to hopefully avoid that.

Well its a Federal violation so you can get fined up to like $10k in some instances.

I did read that somewhere. It can also be treated as a felony I believe? Scary stuff. There has to be a happy medium of fun/horsepower and "greenness" ha

Yeah I think it is.

$25k if you removed the cats yourself

That is insane. How does the aftermarket survive? Does everyone just claim their cars are for off-road use?

Maybe I should go back to stock...NOT!

Okay, I'm fully prepared for people to hate on my dad haha...

My dad is actually an Emissions Control Officer for the DEQ in Woodbridge. Steve and Dan are right; not running any cats WILL get you in trouble and if the shop has any competence, they will fail you on the visual inspection.

Yeah, those sniffer vans are all over the place now. I see them around the Springfield interchange weekly. Just run some HFC's and play it safe man :tup:

I appreciate the input! No hate here, someone has to look out for the air quality! Just don't turn me in! ;)

I am going to add the HFC's to the exhaust. I am just hoping I can work around the emissions inspections.