[turo]

I've been wanting to upgrade my downpipe but keep hesitating due to emissions around here (both the inspection and those portable emissions testers I keep seeing on the road). Any of you have any issues passing tests with hi-flow cats in the NoVA region?

I'm not interested in going catless right now.

[sprygsxr]

No point in going catted. Aftermarket cats are junk and only a matter of time before you throw a cel and regret not going catless in the first place for more power.

With MHD and JB4 all readiness is cleared except 1, which is allowed to pass the emissions test. As far as the roadside emissions stations, if you pass one frequently then you probably would want to find a different route to take home lol.

[opjose]

The JB4 does not help with emissions.

It can auto clear codes while it is on, but you must turn if off and drive around until the car attains readiness.

[turo]

Originally Posted by sprygsxr

With MHD and JB4 all readiness is cleared except 1, which is allowed to pass the emissions test. As far as the roadside emissions stations, if you pass one frequently then you probably would want to find a different route to take home lol.

Don't know about MHD, but I can't pass the inspection with the JB4. I always have to turn it off and drive ~50 miles before I go in. I agree that catless is best, but with a new baby at home, I don't want the hassle of having to swap pipes before every inspection. Plus I always manage to drive through those damn roadside emissions stations. I swear in the past 2 months I've driven past 5 of them (most of them in the Springfield/Burke area). I can't always dodge them since I don't know where they'll be, and from what I read online, they can send you a "fix it" ticket if you fail the quick roadside test (yet another hassle I don't want to deal with). That's why I was hoping to go hi-flow catted.

I miss living in a state that didn't have emissions testing!

[Greyfox]

Originally Posted by turo

Don't know about MHD, but I can't pass the inspection with the JB4. I always have to turn it off and drive ~50 miles before I go in. I agree that catless is best, but with a new baby at home, I don't want the hassle of having to swap pipes before every inspection. Plus I always manage to drive through those damn roadside emissions stations. I swear in the past 2 months I've driven past 5 of them (most of them in the Springfield/Burke area). I can't always dodge them since I don't know where they'll be, and from what I read online, they can send you a "fix it" ticket if you fail the quick roadside test (yet another hassle I don't want to deal with). That's why I was hoping to go hi-flow catted.

I miss living in a state that didn't have emissions testing!

Move to a county in Virginia that doesn't have emissions testing.... 90% don't.

[turo]

Originally Posted by Greyfox

Move to a county in Virginia that doesn't have emissions testing.... 90% don't.

Much easier said than done when you have a family with 2 working parents.

[Greyfox]

Originally Posted by turo

Much easier said than done when you have a family with 2 working parents.

Guess it would be much easier in life to not screw with your emissions then.

[ritzzzzzwik]

You should be fine. Even if you go catless you will be ok. If you have MHD it will suppress codes i.e not check engine light. You will need to do a drive cycle. Check readiness on MHD. You are allowed to have one incomplete/not ready. Those will be the cats. Rest should be fine.

[turo]

Originally Posted by ritzzzzzwik

You should be fine. Even if you go catless you will be ok. If you have MHD it will suppress codes i.e not check engine light. You will need to do a drive cycle. Check readiness on MHD. You are allowed to have one incomplete/not ready. Those will be the cats. Rest should be fine.

Even if I go catless I woud be fine? I thought they did sniffer tests here, not just OBD? You mean if I'm catless and suppress the codes (via MHD), I can pass?

[ritzzzzzwik]

Originally Posted by turo

Even if I go catless I woud be fine? I thought they did sniffer tests here, not just OBD? You mean if I'm catless and suppress the codes (via MHD), I can pass?

Yup, I just passed mine. MHD/tune makes sure the code does not show on dash (dont think piggy backs work the same, they delete constantly). I've never seen anyone do a sniffer test in NoVA. They just read off the ODBII connector.

[opjose]

Originally Posted by turo

Don't know about MHD, but I can't pass the inspection with the JB4. I always have to turn it off and drive ~50 miles before I go in. I agree that catless is best, but with a new baby at home, I don't want the hassle of having to swap pipes before every inspection. Plus I always manage to drive through those damn roadside emissions stations. I swear in the past 2 months I've driven past 5 of them (most of them in the Springfield/Burke area). I can't always dodge them since I don't know where they'll be, and from what I read online, they can send you a "fix it" ticket if you fail the quick roadside test (yet another hassle I don't want to deal with). That's why I was hoping to go hi-flow catted.

I miss living in a state that didn't have emissions testing!

Can't you set the JB4 to map0 as you pull in for the roadside check?

You will not pass this way, but they should not ticket you.

You can say that you just had the car serviced... which deals with the readiness indicators.

Surely they run into cars all the time that have just been serviced and have not completed a drive cycle?

[turo]

Originally Posted by opjose

Can't you set the JB4 to map0 as you pull in for the roadside check?

You don't pull into these, they are little sniffer tests usually set up on highway on-ramps (I see them often on 286) that you drive through at normal speed, you don't even have to slow down. If you fail, they supposedly mail you a "fix it" ticket according to the DMV website. I'm guessing there's a camera capturing your license plate.

[sprygsxr]

For routine (every 2 years) emissions they just plug into OBD2 and read codes/check readiness. However, if you get flagged twice by one of those roadside machines then you will get a "fix-it" letter which forces you to an emissions stations to be put on the dyno and sniffed.

I run MHD and you dont have to do anything to pass emissions. Im not sure what you have to set the JB4 to but I have another buddy that just passed emissions with that as well.

[opjose]

Originally Posted by turo

You don't pull into these, they are little sniffer tests usually set up on highway on-ramps (I see them often on 286) that you drive through at normal speed, you don't even have to slow down. If you fail, they supposedly mail you a "fix it" ticket according to the DMV website. I'm guessing there's a camera capturing your license plate.

Wouldn't your secondary cats let you pass the quick roadside sniff?

[turo]

Originally Posted by opjose

Wouldn't your secondary cats let you pass the quick roadside sniff?

RWD N55s don't have secondary cats.

[opjose]

Originally Posted by turo

RWD N55s don't have secondary cats.

Ok let me rephrase the question.

Can cars equipped with secondary cats pass the roadside sniff test?

[turo]

Originally Posted by opjose

Ok let me rephrase the question.

Can cars equipped with secondary cats pass the roadside sniff test?

Honestly don't know. Are they enough to pass a sniffer test? If so then definitely. If not, then I honestly don't know.

[opjose]

Other threads here imply that secondary cats do permit passing sniffer tests, but that is not necessarily factual.

Thanks

[opjose]

Originally Posted by turo

RWD N55s don't have secondary cats.

BTW:

"There are 15 emissions systems that will be set up in more than 150 locations across the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William and Stafford as well as the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park. Only residents of these communities are required to have emissions testing done on their vehicles in Virginia."

"Drivers will see orange cones and an orange road sign that reads “Emission Monitor Ahead” as they drive along a highway, generally on entrance or exit ramps. Among those cones will be two green boxes that use ultraviolet and infrared light beams to test the air of the passing vehicle. A camera snaps a photo to identify the passing car.

If the vehicle passes inspection, the registered owner will get a letter from RapidPass saying the vehicle passed and will provide a way for the owner to pay the $28 state emissions test fee online. The information will then be forwarded to the Department of Motor Vehicles to satisfy that portion of the biennial inspection process."

"Drivers who prefer to go to a shop for their testing may continue to do so. Vehicles that fail the roadside tests will not get a letter and will need to be tested at a shop."

So these are not "spot compliance inspections".

If you fail the sniff test, no big deal. You'll never know. Unless you are a "Gross Polluter"... spewing smoke and tons of noxious stuff into the air.

If you pass, then you can pay the $28.00 and not bother to get an emissions test done at the county test stations.

[turo]

Originally Posted by opjose

BTW:


"Drivers who prefer to go to a shop for their testing may continue to do so. Vehicles that fail the roadside tests will not get a letter and will need to be tested at a shop."

So these are not "spot compliance inspections".

Oooooohh, well that's good to know!

[catcher22]

Holy crap I just realized I saw one of those emissions sniffer things just a couple of days ago in VA. I had no clue what it was until I read this post just now. I was on the other side of the street at a stop light, on my motorcycle, looking at it the emissions thing, pondering what it was for a bit.

It was located in Fairfax VA at the intersection of Backlick Road and Hechinger Drive. The actual system was sitting on Backlick Road going north after the intersection (going towards Arlington). I was stopped on the opposite side heading south, but couldn't miss it.

Interesting on how VA has gone back to sniffer tests as an option. From what I understand, sniffer tests were mainly done in the emissions center on older cars for which they cannot obtain an OBD reading.

I guess the sniffer things would make it harder to pass without cats. It may even be better to go to the station to get a simple OBD read. At least they're giving us options

[Kurazy kracka]

Originally Posted by turo

Much easier said than done when you have a family with 2 working parents.

It's about as easy said as done, loop hole. I live in falls church and haven't done emissions in any of my cars in the last 10 years and they are all registered to falls church.