The "I Passed/Failed (my state's) Smog Inspection" Thread
 

with the early model year 2is's passing california's five-year mark for smog inspection exemption, i think it would be to the benefit of the community to put together a compilation of what type of set-ups have (and haven't) passed smog inspections, and in what states.

include the following information:
- the state that the car is registered in
- model year
- model (IS250/350)
- mileage
- modifications that may affect emissions control
- passed or failed (and reason why, i.e. emissions control equipment malfunction, visual, etc.)

** disclaimer: this thread is NOT a guarantee that your 2is w/ modified emissions control equipment will pass your state's smog inspection laws. laws may vary from state to state, and factors such as (but not limited to) weather, quality of gasoline, condition of emissions control equipment, and the strictness of the smog inspection technician may affect outcome of smog inspection.

i'll start off.

california
2006
IS350
74.5k
joe z intake, f-sport lower airbox + f-sport filter, invidia midpipe, tanabe medallion touring
passed

Louisiana
2006
is350
95k
hood sealed intake, ppe headers with 02 conditioners, custom midpipe and exhaust, mapecu3

*passed 03/12*
electronically, will not pass visual inspection nor a sniff test

Nothing that touches any of the cats (ie headers, midpipes, full exhausts) would/should pass a visual inspection in any state that performs them.

That doesn't mean you won't get a lazy inspector who doesn't look of course.


Outside of CA no intake should impact testing (inside CA anything without a CARB sticker should fail- but again some inspectors are lazier than others, especially if you have a stock-looking Joe Z pipe on there)

^ all true and taken into consideration. first post revised.

Why?

the reason im asking is because there is no law (that i am aware of) that states that, an exhaust has to be replaced with an OEM part. An Exhaust is simply that, wether its stock or aftermarket, now the sound that the exhaust produces is a different story, BUT visually an exhaust is simply that, regarless if its stock lexus or Greddy...etc. the Cats are a differnt story as well.

because it is illegal in almost all jurisdictions to remove a functional catalytic converter....and midpipes/catbacks remove the secondary cats.....so it fails regardless, unless you cut up your new exhaust to install the secondary cats back into it.

Which is also why some folks will even pass visual inspection if they retain the primaries because most techs arent aware which cars come with 2 cats and which come with 4

Yup.

It's illegal to remove a working OEM cat. Period. Per federal law.

Even if you were replacing it with an aftermarket, working, cat... (and doubly so if replacing it with a midpipe or other part that leaves the cat out entirely).

Thus the only exhausts that are legal to put on the car in any state are the axle-back exhausts, and the PPE headers are likewise illegal in all 50 states... hence why they put the "for offroad use only" disclaimer on things like said headers, or the Joe Z full exhaust.


Doesn't mean you won't get an inspector who doesn't know what he's doing and pass you anyway of course.

One time I HAD to take my car to a shop (midas or NTB) because I ran into a problem in a different state while on vacation. When they jacked up my car and noticed I didn't have a cat, they said they wouldn't take the car of the lift until they could replace the cat.

They went ahead n told me about all the potential fines for themselves if they let me drive off and the fines I would face, etc and ended up CUTTING apart my aftermarket headers/Y pipe in order to weld a cat into the exhaust.

Unfortunetly, I was 800 miles from home and didn't really have any other choice but them to install the cat.

NEW YORK
06 350
82000miles
joez intake fsport lower box and filter
m2 axle back and res deleted
passed an hour ago
no visual inspection in NY only obd2

Exactly... it's up to a $25,000 fine last I checked for the shop (and up to $2500 for the owner of the car)... which is why it always baffles me when I hear of shops that look the other way on this stuff for slipping em a $20 bill... you'd need a whole whole whole lot of those to equal getting caught even once.

good to know f sport and invidia pased

from this thread:

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/per...ml#post7392517

California
2006
IS350
98k
Joe Z Intake - Invidia Midpipe - F Sport Exhaust
Passed

Recap "This consists of only the primary front CAT, no secondary CAT"

California
2006
IS350
72K
AFE stage 2 intake, invidia mid pipe, 5zigen exhaust
Passed