New Emissions Laws in PA

Anyone have the low down on the new emission rules/laws in eastern PA, Lehigh county to be exact. I got a form with my registration renewal that says its back and OBD2 cars have the computer test but it doesnt say anything about a sniffer or visual inspection. Are they doing that now too? I know it says there is a visual inspection on older cars but thats it. What about being under 5k miles a year, does that still exempt you from emissions? Trying to plan out my LT and cam selections so Id like as much info as I can get.

TIA
Craig

Honestly...I don't think have the inspection stations know what's going on with the new laws.

I talked to three different guys and they all gave me a different answer.

I have heard that if your under 5000 that they don't even lift the hood but I can't confirm that.

I just had the 97TA in for State Inspec and went for an emission exempt at a dealership. Just showed that the mileage from last inspection amounted to only 2,100 and got the emission sticker for $20 plus tax. They also did the subframes connector install and a gear swap for me. Asked me when I was going to do the headers and cat back exhaust to really wake the car up... So under 5k you are cool.
--ron

So they didn't even open the hood.
Or you were exempt for all emmissions regulations.

That would be REALLY nice!!

Nothing.

If you are under 5K in Pa., you are exempt from everything emission!!! but keep in mind it has to be reasonable, and you still pay $20 for the sticker not to have anyone look or test anything on your car.
You can't drive in with no exhaust or belching black smoke like a diesel bus. :rolleyes:

--ron

I know what ya mean.

I just don't have Cats, Air, or EGR so if I'm under 5000 I'm golden.
Seems like a good way to make my life easy.

The most common responce I got was that for this first year there won't be a sniffer test, just a visual of the emmis. system, and they will put both stickers on the car. Next year they will start with the sniffer, but if you drive under 5K then it's still just a visual.

When I lived in Bucks county, you had to pass the sniffer if you drove over 5K, it not just a visual ( bascially they looked to see if the AIR tubes were connect and the cats were no the car ).

Is inpectiong 1 ever 12 months or 1 every 9 months.

It's slightly confusing in the sense that it is actually a yearly thing with a three motnh renewal time. For example; I have a "Feb" inspection sticker. Mine is good until next year's Feb 28th. But you can get it renew in a three month window. For me that would be anytime in Dec, Jan or Feb. That new sticker would then be good until the following Feb.

.. but I didn't get it done until March:rolleyes: ...and the sticker still expires next Feb. So delaying doesn't do you any good.
--ron

the only emissions test will be a gas cap test. It will probably cost $20-$40. The machine the inspection facilities must buy to do this test are something around $6000.

So it's you PA guys that are belching out all the illegal emissions and then letting it drift into NJ so we have to pass stringent tests! :mad: Honestly, I think it's just a matter of time before most states will be doing statewide sniffer tests along with the obvious visual. So put your cats back on! A free flowing cat only costs around 3-5 hp so why bother removing the cats and making the car illegal.

Originally posted by Jeff H
So it's you PA guys that are belching out all the illegal emissions and then letting it drift into NJ so we have to pass stringent tests! :mad: Honestly, I think it's just a matter of time before most states will be doing statewide sniffer tests along with the obvious visual. So put your cats back on! A free flowing cat only costs around 3-5 hp so why bother removing the cats and making the car illegal.

No cat here, and my stock single cat was holding back a lot more than 3-5hp as I found from my last dyno run using the ORP/cutout so theres no way that things going back in. Plus it sounds waaaay meaner without that cat in there. I'm under 5k/yr too and got me an emissions exempt sticker last time for $20 :cool:

Now go hug a tree or something greenie! :p

j/k :D

HAHAHA well he did say "free flowing cat" but yea us not having cats is the least of NJ's problems :p

So they dont even do a visual? I plan on high flow cats but I would like to dust the EGR and AIR crap for some more room. Where do you go to get this exempt sticker, does it have to come from a dealer?

Some places will run your VIN through the computer and get a bulletin on your car...That way they can tell if you had a recall or not.

Any recalls on what? The overall car or the exhaust?

Originally posted by GREGG 97Z
... Now go hug a tree or something greenie! :p

j/k :D


:lol: :lol: Hey, ya can't say that Jeff!!!! Didn't you see that SS454 in his sig!!! :lol: :lol:

I don't think "emission exempt" sticker is dealer only. For me, the car is already in their computer so they knew how much, or how little I have driven it. But if you have your previous emission testing statement, your mileage and date of inspection is on there. That should suffice at any shop, I would think.
--ron

Originally posted by GREGG 97Z
No cat here, and my stock single cat was holding back a lot more than 3-5hp as I found from my last dyno run using the ORP/cutout so theres no way that things going back in. Plus it sounds waaaay meaner without that cat in there. I'm under 5k/yr too and got me an emissions exempt sticker last time for $20 :cool:

Now go hug a tree or something greenie! :p

j/k :D

So you have no CATS and they just gave you a sticker....hmmm
I'm going to have to make a few phone calls and find someone that will give me a straight answer.

Maybe I'll do that too and we can compare notes. ;)

Emission and Safety Inspection Program Changes (http://www.drivecleanpa.state.pa.us/drivecleanpa/changes/faq_customer.pdf)


I found this pdf file on the web. It has a section(s) on what is looked for and checked. Included for the visual inspection section is "tampering". Unfortunately after reading all through it, the part on "exemption" is weak and still doesn't answer the question here on whether changing the exhaust or modifying it anyway when the car is in an "exempt" status is allowed or not. I'll keep looking, but if anyone gets an absolute answer, please post.
thanks,
--ron

BTW: the whole site is:
Drive Clean Pennsylvania (http://www.dep.state.pa.us/drivecleanpa/default.htm)
Further down on the first page you can click on a link "what test .. required" for your vehicle.

Originally posted by GetaZforgetGT
So you have no CATS and they just gave you a sticker....hmmm
I'm going to have to make a few phone calls and find someone that will give me a straight answer.

They looked at nothing on my car, didnt pop the hood, didnt look under it, didnt hook anything up to it, nothing. As soon as the guy saw my mileage was only 4500 or so since the last sticker he got out of the car and told me there was nothing he had to check at all, I paid $20 and he put the exempt sticker on there. My reaction ----> :eek: .... :think: (orp time)... :D

I actually had the single cat on at the time but as soon as I found out about the under 5K thing I went to the ORP and never put the cat back in. The ORP could have been on there for as much as they cared.

And Ron, I was just messing with Jeff, I know he's not really a greenie. Anyone who's owned a supercharged 93Z, SS454 truck and two 1st gens can't be that worried about the environment :D

Good link! It does say on page 8 about half way down that under 5k miles it is exempt. Soon as I finish stuffing my lunch in my face I am going to make a few calls, I'll post what I find out.

Ok any vehicle with under 5k miles per year DOES NOT have ANY testing done to it. The hood never opens, no visual, no sniffer, no OBD NOTHING. You just have to prove that you have put less then 5k on it in the year. As per Scott Chevrolet in Allentown, I called a second private guy and he told me the same thing.

Craig

Now this was a good thread!!! Whew!!! I'm glad we got this settled and be able to help others in future with the correct answer.
So next winter... it's headers, Y-pipe, and exhaust... buahahahahaha...

Thanks all,
--ron

and a BIG'OLLLLL lumpy cam :thumb:

I just called the gov of PA and he said they're going to change the exemption mileage to 1000 miles a year so us people in NJ will have cleaner air to breathe! :D Oh, and my SS454 has lower emissions than any of the new cr@p they make today. It's easy to make lots of power and stay clean and legal. I remember reading an article in an older Hot Rod mag where they tested a 68 Firebird with a 455 that ran low 10's in the qrtr and had dual 3" cats. They tested it with and without the cats and there was barely a 5 hp difference on a 600+ hp engine. So put your cats back on or I'm telling! ;) Plus, we don't have a choice in NJ if you actually drive your vehicle to work each day.

Plus, we don't have a choice in NJ if you actually drive your vehicle to work each day.

Thats just because with your crazy azz high insurance prices, you cant afford another car for a daily driver to let the toys sit! ;)

Originally posted by Jeff H
... So put your cats back on or I'm telling! ;)

ROTFLMAO....
aww come on Jeff, you don't want us to get in trouble. If we do, we'll pull our milking cow's emission butt plugs out and methane your azz.

ummm... evrybody on this side put away any flame producing devices.
:lol:


Hey jeff on a serious note, hows the '69 coming along? some how I had an idea that it's almost road worthy. It be nice to see that one out and about.
--ron

I guess it wouldn't do any good to make you guys run cats when you're still allowed to burn piles of leaves. :rolleyes: As for the 69, it's real close to being painted, not anywhere near being finished though. I was close to having the 68 on the road but I just put on new headers and need to finish the exhaust. Then I can look at what the computer is really doing to get it tuned for driving.

Not all of PA has such light emissions standards. Here in Philly ours are about the same as nj's. I go to school up in scranton and to hear all of them bitch about the new emissions testing really pisses me off since we've been doing it since the 70's. There should not be any areas exempt from emissions. But since there are, other places have to pay the price by having even stricter rules. Most of the stuff people remove from thier cars have no effect on performance anyway (egr, air, cats) car craft once did a test and found less torque from having no cats as compared to a high flow. I'm no tree hugger but it pisses me to pay the price for other areas lack of emissions testing.:mad:

ReptileZ28 I understand why you feel the way you do but when I removed my stuff it was because I didn't have the provisions on my headers to hook them back up.
At the time of my header install I didn't have a cat that would fit my Y pipe so I skipped it at the time.

I doubt that people take all there emissions equipment off with the thought "I want to polute the atmosphere so I'll just remove my emissions equipment."

Honestly, if you didn't have to have that stuff on your car would you really keep it on there? We all know that emissions equipment doesn't rob that much power if any but the AIR pump sure does clog up the engine bay.

Where I live emissions had never been a concern and the mentality was they weren't really needed. Call it misinformation, call it ignorance or what have you but that's the way it is.

if you want to get real down and dirty.. maybe we are loosing HP by removing the emissions.. no cats = more polution = higher air temp = smog = hot muggy air going into the motor.. its a vicious cycle! :cry:

Just got mine inspected. Its under 5K a year so I got an exemption on the emissions. If I didnt they plug into the ODB2 port & lookk for codes. If you're in Philly or Pitts, it's a sniffer test.
The shops all charge differrent $$ so look around.

From what I've read, the only "emissions inspections" that the new counties are doing is the visual and gas cap pressure test.

Franklin county baby. My fiancee is from there, so with me being military, ALL the vehicles are registered there. NO EMISSIONS!!!

We took the purple car in with an ORP, and they didn't car. All we had to pass was the visaul inspection.

Originally posted by GREGG 97Z
No cat here, and my stock single cat was holding back a lot more than 3-5hp as I found from my last dyno run using the ORP/cutout so theres no way that things going back in. Plus it sounds waaaay meaner without that cat in there. I'm under 5k/yr too and got me an emissions exempt sticker last time for $20 :cool:

Now go hug a tree or something greenie! :p

j/k :D

The cutout bypasses the tailpipe and muffler, that's where the advantage is.

Rich Krause