failed visual smog because of T.B. bypass!!
 

97 ss in california..

this smog guy was out to get me.. he left my car running for over an hour while he tore my car apart. first he says me throttle body was aftermarket because i have a ss cover on it.. then he tries to bust me for my street legal slp headers even with the carb # and with my msd with carb# then after 45 min. he pulls my car onto the lift and does a 25 min underbody inspection.finding nothing he finally failed me because of my throttle body bypass ...what is up with that... iv'e had the car for six years past all smog with T. B. bypass before......does anyone have the official smog regulations for california ???.... am i wrong about this?

man i hate that guy anyways...

Re: failed visual smog because of T.B. bypass!!
 

What a jackass. He mustve been having a bad day. Take it somewhere else.

Re: failed visual smog because of T.B. bypass!!
 

just take it somewhere else

Re: failed visual smog because of T.B. bypass!!
 

Ditto.... The TB bypass should not be related to any smog testing.

Re: failed visual smog because of T.B. bypass!!
 

He must drive a Mustang or SRT-4 :rolleyes:

I dont deal with emissions here but sounds like you should just go somewhere else. I think thats a load of ****, I have never heard of TB bypass as being illegal. It does not effect emissions in any way. Sounds like you need to pass somewhere else and report him to the authorities if the TB bypass is legal. I'd have whatever licenses he has revoked and mention what a hassle he gave you about legal items. Not to mention kick him in the nuts for thinking your TB plate would fail you. Nominee for DB of the year award.

-Dustin-

Re: failed visual smog because of T.B. bypass!!
 

If you read the EPA emission rules they say you can't tamper with any part of the syetem as it was certified. Although he's anal, and was stretching it a bit, he's right by the letter of the law. I'm not taking his side, but a friend of mine works for DE DMV. Our rules are quite a bit relaxed compared to what you have to deal with, but he said he can fail almost any car he wants to if he's in the mood or the owner's a jerk.

Is CA like DE. Here in DE if they fail you for something, you have to get it fixed. PERIOD. If you take it somewhere else, when they enter it in the computer they will know you were failed for something already.

Re: failed visual smog because of T.B. bypass!!
 

the last i recall the tb coolant passage was only there to keep the blades from freezing up (useless in the major part of the world)and has absolutely nothing to do with emissions,i would just go to another smog shack!!!!!

Re: failed visual smog because of T.B. bypass!!
 

I've smogged my car twice after doing the tb bypass, no problem. That guy is going way overboard. I don't know how that guy can make any money spending that kind of time on a smog check.
I take my cars to a test only facility. They don't try to make you fail.

Re: failed visual smog because of T.B. bypass!!
 

"update" ok i went to a smog check only and this guy was cool . i told him what happened and he said that guy was on crack and it was against the law to fail me on a non emissions related component..just like saying your windshield is cracked or you have a tear in your seat so you fail...their power over you is limited to egr/smog pump/valve coverbreather/cat,converter/pcv/massair/map/injectors/electronics/computer/orig.engine/cat forward exaust/and all "AIR AND VACUM HOSES"...... so anyway i failed smog with my nox threw the roof....everything else perfect.. so i am lean and need to find out why . i better check my fuel press first ... any other suggestions?? thanks for the support guys...

Re: failed visual smog because of T.B. bypass!!
 

so the first place you went to, where is that place so I know NOT to go there. :D What other mods do you have for you not to pass and what was your coolant temp while on the treadmill?

Re: failed visual smog because of T.B. bypass!!
 

down here in san diego/ carlsbad area...and the only mods that i have on now are.. slp 1 3/4 headers (legal) a clutch ,air foil ,160 stat, pulleys and k&n. i pulled the msd off put my muffler back on , pulled my jet chip and put my stock mass air sensor back on.. the car is running great but the ses light came on with a lean code . i cleared it and thought all was well.. i attributed the ses to me reverting everthing back to stock and it hadn't come back on so to smog i went... the car was running at 210 degrees during the test which 2 years ago i passed (nox) with flying colors and now i failed by 400 points or 30 percent.. that seems huge to me..

seems like a big fuel problem.. i would imagine that the headers wouldn't make the nox go up beyond smog regulation since they are carb legal and as such were tested on a factory stock fuel system...what do you think?

Re: failed visual smog because of T.B. bypass!!
 

That smog guy's a jerk. The place I go doesn't even pop open the hood. Just dynos..sniffs..and passes. I'm surprised he caught the TB bypass though, unless he's been doing this crap to a lot of other F-body drivers.

Next time you go smog, just watch what they do...as soon as they mention putting your car on a lift...tell them "no thanks" and leave. There's a smog place on every corner.

Had a question about the "test only" stations. Why would you ever choose a full inspection place? Most of us F-body drivers just want to pass the sniffer. Do people do full inspection b/c they guarantee you to pass?

Re: failed visual smog because of T.B. bypass!!
 

A high nox reading indicates high combustion chamber temps. A lean mixture would be a logical cause. If you have the original O2 sensors that may be a problem. The mods you list should not make your car fail a smog test if everything else is working right.

Re: failed visual smog because of T.B. bypass!!
 

a lot of places require a safety inspection as well as a smog inspection-- missouri, Particularly st. louis and surrounding counties require both-- fortunately, we might be doing away with both.

Safety inspection includes investigating tires, brakes, signals, lights, wipers, seat belts, cats, smog equipment (lots of places don't care as long as you still have cats), checking for exhaust leaks, leaks of any kind, and a variety of other visual inspections.

Smog is basically just rolling onto a dyno for 3 minutes and simulating traffic, pass or fail, no lift needed. Regardless of whether you have cats or anything else emissions illegal, if you pass the sniffer you pass. Seems missouri does it backwards, but it often works out for the best, I pass every year with a setup that should never come close.

Re: failed visual smog because of T.B. bypass!!
 

Oxides of nitrogen (NOx) are produced by combustion chamber temps in excess of 2500 degrees. On a stock LT1, the EGR and cat are the two things that are designed to regulate this, the EGR lowers the temp in the combustion chamber and the cat helps to separate the nitrogen and the oxygen. EGR only works during cruise operation, of course, so the cat has to pick up the slack the rest of the time. A lean condition is a very likely cause for something like that, which means that O2 sensors are one of the first things to check. That lean code is definitely a sign to check it out.