PA emissions, will i pass?

Here is the set up. Hooker Long Tube headers, offroad Y-pipe, Magnaflow Cat welded in offroad Y-pipe, Hooker Cat Back exhaust.

Will I pass emissions?

I think it really depends on the shop, some are far more to the letter then others.

If all your emmisions is hooked up you should pass, exhaust mods really shouldn't have a big effect on the emmisions like a cam or other mods might. And that is what you really need to pass the most. Most shops don't go as far to check for CARB certification on parts and such, just that everything that is suppose to be hooked up is and it's in working order.

The offroad pipe/ Cat could be a problem? It is illegal to move the cat from the original location, but as long as they see a cat they may not be to worried about it not being in the stock location? If you don't have the AIR fittings on the headers or other emmission equipment removed you'll fail on the visual inspection.

If you drive the car less then 5,000 miles a year and it is less then one year to the day of the last inspection, then you are exempt from the dyno/sniffer, but you still need to pass the visual inspection. I think you pay $10 for the exempt sticker and don't nned to pay the emmis. testing fee. I use to go to Reedmans, and once they actually wouldn't give me exempt status because it was only 358 days from the last inspection so I had to bring the car back two weeks later. Bit of a PITA, but it still saved me money.

I've heard some shops can also be picky if the car is very loud, I know two people in NJ that got rejected for headers and the loudmouth, but never heard of it in PA. My car is fairly loud but I never really has that problem myself, so take this statement as nothing more then a MAYBE?

JB

First of all, what year is your car. Does your county require a dyno test, or an OBD2 test.

Also if you drive less than 5,000 per year you can get an exempt sticker IF its not an OBll car, and you had the car more than 2 years.

Also if you drive less than 5,000 per year you can get an exempt sticker IF its not an OBll car, and you had the car more than 2 years.

OBD2 cars are still eligible for the 5K exemption.

Yeah I guess they are. Thats my error.

I use used own a used car dealership and anytime a car would fail the guy told me to change the oil and make sure the catalytic conv. was very hot. He said the trick was to leave the car running while you wait in line for the test. Conv. take 15-20 minutes to fully operate. Good luck!

Pretty much what pampered-Z said. It depends on the shop. If you're not throwing a SES lite, you may be ok, if the shop dosent get picky about altering the exhaust from factory specs.
Good luck.

well i failed... go figure

I had a cat welded into the exhaust right behind the Y-pipe.. The guy said that it failed miserably because the cat has to be something like 1700* to operate and where it was it was probly only getting to be 300. Now im not a scientist but how is there a 1400* difference between before and after the Y-pipe? Is it mad out of some kind of **** that absorbs heat? I think im going to take it to a guy i know who may just pass me. I hope so. But how have you guys with a similar set up passed?

edit: There is a dyno test at the shop i was at. I dont think they let the car warm up like Irocc350 said. Also any info about my car is now in my sig. And all EGR, IAT , O2 sensors, everything is hooked up

just go to philly and buy you some sticks.. LOL.

just go to philly and buy you some sticks.. LOL.
im not following... explain?

so heres the update.. it failed big time but im going to my moms friend who said he would try to pass it. He said that its all done on computers now so most people wont cheat because it goes right to harrisburg. So ive got him and then one last shop and im screwed big time.. i really need help figuring this out.
so heres the best part. I drive to the shop to get my car.. bils $270 which is $70 more then they said it would cost. Pull out of the parking lot get to the first intersection and it dies. They ran me completely out of gas. I sat in the middle of 202 (if your not familiar with this its the biggest pain in the ass highway ever and its in the middle of king of prussia.. home to some of the pissiest people around) and in the midst of this some guy pulls up in a camaro and says "you shoulda got a chevy" i look at him like you ignorant **** its the same engine!!! So i wait for 30 minutes for my mom to show up with a little gas cannister so i can get to the gas station and then go home... this hasnt been my day.

But really I need to figure out how to pass this inspection!!


edit: i also heard that its done by computers and is sent right to harrisburg so its much harder to cheat.

by the way here are the numbers just so you know what kinda challenge im up against...
CO- limit:1.10 test value: 5.01
HC- limit:275 test value: 1026
NO- limit: 3600 test value: 10790

I dont know anything about emissions but sounds like i failed BIG TIME. I passed everything with flying colors until the sniffer test

If you spend $150 or more in emission related repairs (plugs, air filter, wires, etc) you qualify for an emissions waiver sticker.

yea thats funny i was actually just reading that before i got on my computer. What does the waiver do? because so far ive spent about $140 (im so close!:metal: )

Well first you have to make sure somebody at the shop has a waiver license, its different than the inspector license. Then they have to fill out a form, and photocopy your receipts. They have to test your car one more time after the repairs are made(it shouldnt cost you anything), and if it fails again they can put a sticker on the car.

loopholes always made me happy...

but seriously.. if you can just get the waiver to be exempt of the emissions test... what the hell is the point of the test in the first place?

Well alot of times cars can be fixed for under $150.

ive never been able to do anything to a car for under $150..
Well I guess im going to have to try and work this loophole tomorrow. Are there any other tips to passing besides warming up the cat real good? A lot of the posts on here sound like its really shop preference but I have been told its all computer done and it has to run on the sniffer which is computer recorded and theres no way around it

Well since your car is older than 1996, it requires a dyno test. 1996+ cars require OB2 testing which basically tests for codes and readiness monitors, no sniffer. The only other way around the dyno test is to run a clean car instead of your car. But unless you know somebody at the shop, they're probably not going to do that for you.

By the looks of your readings, warming up the car probably isnt going to make you pass. That usually only works if your hydocarbon (HC), and or carbon monoxide (CO) readings are high. Your NOx readings usually get higher as the car gets warmer.

wow.. run a clean car instead of mine... Why the hell didnt I ever think of that? Its so genuis yet so simple! damn now im pissed at myself. I guess ill bring that up tomorrow when i go to my friends shop.

wow.. run a clean car instead of mine... Why the hell didnt I ever think of that? Its so genuis yet so simple! damn now im pissed at myself. I guess ill bring that up tomorrow when i go to my friends shop. I just really need to get this thing passed and then once it is.. I have a year to plan to get it done legally.

im not following... explain?

so heres the update.. it failed big time but im going to my moms friend who said he would try to pass it. He said that its all done on computers now so most people wont cheat because it goes right to harrisburg. So ive got him and then one last shop and im screwed big time.. i really need help figuring this out.
so heres the best part. I drive to the shop to get my car.. bils $270 which is $70 more then they said it would cost. Pull out of the parking lot get to the first intersection and it dies. They ran me completely out of gas. I sat in the middle of 202 (if your not familiar with this its the biggest pain in the ass highway ever and its in the middle of king of prussia.. home to some of the pissiest people around) and in the midst of this some guy pulls up in a camaro and says "you shoulda got a chevy" i look at him like you ignorant **** its the same engine!!! So i wait for 30 minutes for my mom to show up with a little gas cannister so i can get to the gas station and then go home... this hasnt been my day.

But really I need to figure out how to pass this inspection!!


edit: i also heard that its done by computers and is sent right to harrisburg so its much harder to cheat.


I was just saying you could go buy some illegal stickers in philly, Hell its been done bfore and is still being done.. but its not 4 everyone, so you either know or you dont..

Brandon 1....Pennsylvania 0. (or 2 if your really counting) It passed today. I took it to another shop and explained it and he looked at the numbers and said yeah ill get it to pass. I came over there today and he said temperature is everything (thank you iroc350) so the car passed and by a lot i was really surprised. So now im enjoying my new stickers and the fact that this car will be able to see future mods...