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YOUR RESEARCHImporting 996 to California - Emissions?
Leading reported evidence
Check any numbers
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0
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1
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Read evidence and context
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Suggestion
I've never had a SMOG guy check any numbers on a cat.
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Suggestion
When I imported my 40 AE from Virginia, the first thing the smog tech did was inspect all the underside with a big mirror.
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Suggestion
Takes about 2 hours to change the FabSpeed to stock (and vice-versa).
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Suggestion
Also, change all the hardware to stainless steel where you can and use a tiny dot of anti-seize when reassembling.
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Suggestion
Buying a California car is the easy way to go as it must pass the smog test before being sold.
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Suggestion
I imported my 996 C2 from Nevada 6 years ago and drove it from Reno to L.A which cleaned-up the exhaust I was not aware of the smog test burden when importing a car in California....Luckily, mine passed the test.
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I'm in CA and looking to buy a 996. I'm seeing a number of out of state cars with modified catalytic converters (high-flow etc).
Any advice for how to determine what will pass CA emissions if I import a car from out of state? What documentation I need, or what I should ask sellers?
Thanks!
(yes, I know the answer for most of y'all is "leave California" but looking for what I can do here in the People's Republic)
The car will have to pass both visual inspection as well as emissions. It's the visual inspection that'll get you with many aftermarket parts. Every part of the car that can impact emissions in CA's opinion must be CARB certified or the car won't pass inspection.
My $0.02: buy a car that's completely stock (or that has verifiable CARB-certified parts), from air box through the cats, or budget into the purchase decision the parts and labor necessary to return the car to completely stock so that it can legally be registered and driven in CA.
thank you - yes, I read them and (in addition to being hard to understand) it didn't seem to line up with what the smog stations actually do ... so I'm guessing there's a differential between the regs and the real world!
As a CA resident; here's a few tips.
- CATs MUST have the carb number stamped on them. If your cats go bad, Magnaflow is the only aftermarket company I know that sells a CA legal drop in replacement. It's illegal in this state to buy/sell a used cat.
- If you have an after market intake, it needs to have a visible carb sticker.
- You
can
have aftermarket headers, as long as they do not move the original location of the cats.
I would invest in a $100 bluetooth OBD tool. The better BT dongles, like BlueDriver, have a built in Smog feature that tells if you will pass/fail prior to going to the smog station.
When I smogged mine 2 years ago (NC car I had shipped to CA), it past with flying colors. But the smog tech told me to remove the fabspeed intake and put the stock box back on for my next check. I ditched the FS that week. If you find a cool tech, he may pass you but to be safe, try to find a stock car.
I've never had a SMOG guy check any numbers on a cat. I'm sure there are plenty that do, but I've never experienced it or heard of anyone else either. My cats have always been CARB compliant though (just in case).
I imported my 996 C2 from Nevada 6 years ago and drove it from Reno to L.A which cleaned-up the exhaust I was not aware of the smog test burden when importing a car in California....Luckily, mine passed the test.
It can be very expensive to fix a car which failed the California smog test. Buying a California car is the easy way to go as it must pass the smog test before being sold. God luck!
Takes about 2 hours to change the FabSpeed to stock (and vice-versa). Worth the effort every 2 years. Just make sure you have good tools (13mm box wrench & 13mm ratchet for the header/exhaust junction, 18mm crows foot for the O2 sensors and 17mm for the lower brackets). Also, change all the hardware to stainless steel where you can and use a tiny dot of anti-seize when reassembling.
Im not sure on a visual inspection if anyone would recognise a different set of headers if the mufflers/cats r stock. Hopefully they dont weld a id tag on them? They dont throw an obd2 code so the CA emission scanner will not pick it up.
When I imported my 40 AE from Virginia, the first thing the smog tech did was inspect all the underside with a big mirror. Looking particularly for stock cats.
Option 1: Buy an all stock car.
Option 2: Buy a modified car with all the stock components also supplied with the car so you can swap them back. This should affect the selling price
Option 3: Buy a discretely modified car and take your chances (risky, but it works if you are lucky)
Your 996 will probably be classified as a "likely high emitter profile vehicle" like mine and will be flagged for inspection at "STAR" stations, which are more thorough than normal smog stations. You may be lucky and get a lax tech, but if you don't, they'll inspect everything in and under the engine bay for CARB compliance, including the flashlight-and-mirror routine.
As long as the car runs properly and the equipment is stock, you'll be fine - my car sails through smog (once I install the factory cats).
If anyone tells you to just "grease" your smog guy with $50: Don't. That stuff worked in the 90's; today, it'll get you a fine and your smog guy shut down permanently...
I've had to do 2 smog checks so far with my 996, and both were flagged for star station.
As long as your fuel trims are within +/-10% of 0%, nothing visually alarming, and no CEL, you'll be fine.
I knew a couple of places like that back in the day but you're right, in 2019 a smog shop would have to be crazy to risk everything over a few extra dollars under the table. You can still get a car 'smogged' on the sly but all the fraud is done at the DMV level these days. It seems $200.00 to $300.00 is the current going rate.
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