CA emissions?
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 12
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From: Pearland, TX
CA emissions? I am in Texas and am wondering what kind of hoops I would be required to jump through if I ended up relocating to the LA area. I have pacesetter long tubes on my car with some high flow (49 state) cats. I'm pretty sure all that would need to change - would I have to go to CARB shorties and factory cats?
We do have emissions testing here but you can pass with an OBD 2 tune as long as you have cats (don't have to be in the stock locations). I'm also pretty sure my car did not come with Cali emissions from the factory so are there other changes that would be required (for example to the evap system or something).
Also, would my daily drivers (F-150) and wife's 03 Saturn Vue be able to pass assuming fully functional OBD2 system? Both are stock and pass TX emissions.
Thanks for the info!
We do have emissions testing here but you can pass with an OBD 2 tune as long as you have cats (don't have to be in the stock locations). I'm also pretty sure my car did not come with Cali emissions from the factory so are there other changes that would be required (for example to the evap system or something).
Also, would my daily drivers (F-150) and wife's 03 Saturn Vue be able to pass assuming fully functional OBD2 system? Both are stock and pass TX emissions.
Thanks for the info!
first off, not to get too off topic, but i hope you are moving here because of your job, because if you move here by choice then youll regret it. we are run by a bunch of ***** that dont know how to budget their money. the CARB is the worst set of dictators that the world has seen.
that being said, your best chance to pass initial inspection (i think its done by a state ref now) you should put stock manifolds and y-pipe back on. technically you cant modify any part of emmissions including air intake, exhaust manifolds, cats, or muffler.
that being said, your best chance to pass initial inspection (i think its done by a state ref now) you should put stock manifolds and y-pipe back on. technically you cant modify any part of emmissions including air intake, exhaust manifolds, cats, or muffler.
first off, not to get too off topic, but i hope you are moving here because of your job, because if you move here by choice then youll regret it. we are run by a bunch of ***** that dont know how to budget their money. the CARB is the worst set of dictators that the world has seen.
that being said, your best chance to pass initial inspection (i think its done by a state ref now) you should put stock manifolds and y-pipe back on. technically you cant modify any part of emmissions including air intake, exhaust manifolds, cats, or muffler.
that being said, your best chance to pass initial inspection (i think its done by a state ref now) you should put stock manifolds and y-pipe back on. technically you cant modify any part of emmissions including air intake, exhaust manifolds, cats, or muffler.
This is the last guy I saw getting his car signed off by a CARB Ref.... LOL
Just put some shorties on for starts and if you don't have them already, see if you can pick up some used factory CATs where your at. You'll need both. That way you won't have to spend alot of time trying to find them here. The other cars should be ok.
Just put some shorties on for starts and if you don't have them already, see if you can pick up some used factory CATs where your at. You'll need both. That way you won't have to spend alot of time trying to find them here. The other cars should be ok.
Once you know for sure if you moving here reinstall the factory exhaust manifolds (or shorty headers), cats, and Y-pipe, at least until after your initial SMOG check.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 12
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From: Pearland, TX
Thanks for the info - if I did this move it would be for a job but I'd prefer to stay in TX where we still have a little freedom (still have my job here right now but its likely ending around October). My brother in law lives out there and I love parts of the city/state but all the government and high costs make me nervous. Searching online there do seem to be a lot of jobs in my field out there (space/defense) - I'm guessing because so many people have gotten fed up and left.
So do some folks out there swap in the factory exhaust at inspection time every year? Seems like a lot of work but I bet if you do it every year you could get pretty good at it (my roommate in college got to where he could drop the transmission on his 91 GTA in about 20 minutes he had to do it so often - had a cracked case that he couldn't get welded up correctly).
So do some folks out there swap in the factory exhaust at inspection time every year? Seems like a lot of work but I bet if you do it every year you could get pretty good at it (my roommate in college got to where he could drop the transmission on his 91 GTA in about 20 minutes he had to do it so often - had a cracked case that he couldn't get welded up correctly).
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no we just pay someone to pass us (youve gotta have hook ups).
the problem being that for your initial inspection (if memory serves) the state ref (ie state run inspector) does it. after the first one you can go to anyone thats certified to do smog.
the problem being that for your initial inspection (if memory serves) the state ref (ie state run inspector) does it. after the first one you can go to anyone thats certified to do smog.
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Verdad Gallardo Thanks for the info - if I did this move it would be for a job but I'd prefer to stay in TX where we still have a little freedom (still have my job here right now but its likely ending around October). My brother in law lives out there and I love parts of the city/state but all the government and high costs make me nervous. Searching online there do seem to be a lot of jobs in my field out there (space/defense) - I'm guessing because so many people have gotten fed up and left.
So do some folks out there swap in the factory exhaust at inspection time every year? Seems like a lot of work but I bet if you do it every year you could get pretty good at it (my roommate in college got to where he could drop the transmission on his 91 GTA in about 20 minutes he had to do it so often - had a cracked case that he couldn't get welded up correctly).
So do some folks out there swap in the factory exhaust at inspection time every year? Seems like a lot of work but I bet if you do it every year you could get pretty good at it (my roommate in college got to where he could drop the transmission on his 91 GTA in about 20 minutes he had to do it so often - had a cracked case that he couldn't get welded up correctly).
I think most people find a shop that is a little lenient for the right price.
If you are bringing a car in from out of state that is "iffy", its a crapshoot. My advice would be put it as close to stock as possible to get the initial registration done, then you can push the limits. 
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 12
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From: Pearland, TX
I thought about that but I don't know how I'd get the Texas inspection if the car was 2000 miles away. Here we have a safety (brakes, lights, etc) every year plus a check of the OBD2 system (basically no codes and system ready you pass - no tailpipe test on OBD2 cars). Probably not a bad idea though... I have managed to not get pulled over for about 4 years now and they wouldn't know to look for expired Texas inspections.
After all yall have told me though, I'm thinking I might be better off selling the Z here and getting something out there that is already registered in state. I bought the car used and don't have any of the factory exhaust. I'm sure I could find manifolds and y-pipe cheap but the cats would just be big waste of money. I've always wanted a C5 Z06 so maybe this would be the time, they are getting pretty cheap.
After all yall have told me though, I'm thinking I might be better off selling the Z here and getting something out there that is already registered in state. I bought the car used and don't have any of the factory exhaust. I'm sure I could find manifolds and y-pipe cheap but the cats would just be big waste of money. I've always wanted a C5 Z06 so maybe this would be the time, they are getting pretty cheap.
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 533
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From: The 3rd world of SFV,California
I purchased an out of state used car to have registered in CA. Besides having to smog it, the DMV will have to inspect the car when you try and register it.
With the except of an aftermarket lid my car was basically stock with the factory exhaust and emissions. The DMV employee who inspected my car was mature female, who seemingly didn't have much of a clue or a care as to what to look for when I showed her the engine bay.
So unless you've got some parts that are obviously aftermarket stuff that won't pass the visual like a NOS kit or headers or an exhaust note that doesn't sounds nowhere near stock and have all the proper emissions stickers, once you pass smog you shouldn't have much else to worry about.
With the except of an aftermarket lid my car was basically stock with the factory exhaust and emissions. The DMV employee who inspected my car was mature female, who seemingly didn't have much of a clue or a care as to what to look for when I showed her the engine bay.
So unless you've got some parts that are obviously aftermarket stuff that won't pass the visual like a NOS kit or headers or an exhaust note that doesn't sounds nowhere near stock and have all the proper emissions stickers, once you pass smog you shouldn't have much else to worry about.