I don't understand why turbo SCs can't pass smog in CA.

Why can't you just put two cats on the car just like factory?

I know it's a naive question but don't cats = passing smog?

 

Its not just the emissions part that has to pass. There are other factors such as the Visual and Functional part of the inspection also. If you fail either of the 3, overall the vehicle fails smog and you will have to get the vehicle repaired so it meets compliance. I know its BS but thats how the State of California laws are.

Way I see it is, if it passes the sniffer and it doesnt smoke. It should Pass. The Main purpose of the Insection is to have Cleaner air and reduce pollution no matter how we do it. But we dont make the laws.

 

Technically, I think you CAN pass smog with a turbo in an SC as long as the (Supra) engine has all of its smog components and is equal to or newer than the chassis it is swapped into...?

 

If you have a JDM motor, you don't have egr, so you would fail visual and functional.
If you have a usdm motor, you have the best chance of passing, as long as nothing is disabled.

It is surprisingly easy to pass the actual smog part of the test with a turbo SC even without egr.
It just has to run well and add 1 high flow cat to the midpipe.

 

Well.... I hate to be Buzz Killington 2jz-gte in a SC can pass the emissions but shouldn't pass visual. I only say that because from reading the DMV thing about motor swaps the SC never came with the 2JZ-GTE. What it comes down to is: Does the smog dude care about the visual? or does only care that is passes the sniffer w/out any codes?

 

My friend with a JDM 2jzgte, put he pretty much made it into a USDM 2jzgte. Passes smog with flying colors. Looks stock as well. Just don't get shiny pipes and etc.

And it depends where you go.

 

im so glad i live in a state that doesnt care about that stuff..

 

He is right.

If you go USDM 2JZ-GTE and want to make it legit, you will have to take it to a BAR Referee for its initial test. If it passes there, he will throw a BAR label on the car so who ever smogs it in the future will know the swap was approved and legit.

 

Doesn't matter how stock it looks. If the ecu gives different readings then the original, you will fail. If your timing isn't within the parameters set for your car it will fail. Even stock supras have a hard time passing because of the strict smog laws ( I used to own a mkiv tubo so I know). Once I took a completely stock crx to get the smog done and I passed the snifeer, gas cap test and what not. At the end I failed due to my timing being off

 

I seen that happen but some ref's will throw it out just because they can and some don't care. damn CA...

 

Yup CA is pretty commie when it comes to smog laws...thankfully Oxnard has a ton of shady smog techs. Hopefully i'll start using them in the near future if I can ever get this 1JZ project rolling.

 

my mk3 supra turbo stock engine auto passed smog(not a real smog but we where using a real smog machine) with only one cat on the downpipe straight pipe and no muffler passed the sniffer we where just messin around at the shop and the smog tech said my car wouldnt pass smog cuz he could smell it, and i was all only one way to find out we where all waiting to see the fail numbers but it passed then the smog tech said it passed the sniffer but would fail the visual , i had huge chunks of rubber missing from my rear tires he said it was unsafe to drive on the roller and we tested it 3 times before he said stop testing cuz of the tires the numbers passed 3 times and there was no emissions delete just one cat delete and hks bov no egr delete still had charcoal canister pcv pipes air filter with no carb sticker i found it looked like the ones from autozone was also boosting maybe 8-9 psi i dont know stock boost gauge on those things are innacurate