Anybody know any tricks to pass emissions 03 GT w/ Borla Cat back

ga289stocker · Nov 26, 2010

Well just bought the car and it did not pass emissions due to know cats. the guys said he has heard some tricks guys to w/ the o2 sensors or something to get them to pass w/o having to drop the whole system and bolt the factory h pipe and cats back in which looks like a pain, any help is most appreecciated. thanks.

nyuk98gt · Nov 26, 2010

ga289stocker:

No cats result in high hydrocarbon emissions and this is what the sniffer is seeing. If the engine is running a little rich then the HC emissions will be high-ish. If the engine is running a little lean, things should be better. There are "guaranteed to pass" chemicals that you can put in the gas tank and they might help. Regular fuel (vs. 93 octane) will help, too. Sorry but I am not smart enough to know if you *need* cats to pass the sniffer test. My guess is that it will be quite difficult without cats.

As an alternate to swapping out the intermediate pipe for the stocker, you could put in some high-flow cats (Magnaflow, CatCo, etc.) but that option is not inexpensive. You won't notice a decrease in performance, just a bit quieter tone and a less "gassy" smell in the garage. Even with high flow cats, it is common to have the rear O2 sensors turned off in the tune. An alternate to adjusting the tune is to install MIL (MIL = malfunction indicator light, or, check engine light) eliminators on the rear O2 pigtails.

Last thing I can suggest is to run a search here. I'm sure somebody with an off-road pipe has gone through emissions testing.

HTH,

Chris

Maxpowers · Nov 26, 2010

ga289stocker said:
...w/o having to drop the whole system and bolt the factory h pipe and cats back in which looks like a pain, any help is most appreecciated. thanks.

Very simple to swap out the mid pipe. I did it by myself in an hour or two. It's the easiest way to pass emissions.

trinity_gt · Nov 26, 2010

If you're in Georgia I presume you need to pass Georgia's "Clean Air Force" emissions test.

If so, you'd be subject to the two-part inspection: a check of the car's on-board diagnostics (OBD) and a fuel cap pressure check.

In order to make the OBD system happy, you need to "trick" the PCM into thinking the catalytic converters are still in place and fully functional. You might be able to find a place that will do a "tune" to turn off the rear O2 sensor codes or you can invest in some "MIL Eliminators":

View attachment 203193

These are simple low-pass filters wired into the rear O2 sensors to smooth their output. They have connectors on either side to allow them to be plugged into the existing car harness and O2 wiring without cutting or splicing.

Once in place, erase any existing codes using a scan tool and then drive the car around for 50 miles or so to complete a driving cycle to get rid of any existing P1000 code.

If you have to pass any testing that requires a sniffer you're going to need to put the OE (or equivalent) midpipe back in.

nyuk98gt · Nov 26, 2010

trinity_gt:

No sniffer in GA? It's just the OBDII plug-in like Missouri? MIL eliminators will do the trick then!

(Hey, you being up in the Great White North, how do you know about the Georgia emissions test??)

Chris

trinity_gt · Nov 27, 2010

nyuk98gt said:
trinity_gt:

No sniffer in GA? It's just the OBDII plug-in like Missouri? MIL eliminators will do the trick then!

(Hey, you being up in the Great White North, how do you know about the Georgia emissions test??)

Chris

I saw the OP lists his location as "Sugar Hill, Ga". I googled "georgia emissions testing" and saw this link:

Georgia Clean Air Force

I then found their FAQ and sought the answer to "What tests will be performed?"

Their answer:

"All 1996 and newer vehicles will receive a two-part inspection.

* An OBD test to check your vehicle’s emission control performance history.
* A fuel cap inspection to check for adequate seal.

If an OBD test is unable to be performed on a vehicle, it may be necessary to perform a Two-Speed Idle test (TSI).

All 1995 and older model year vehicles will receive a four-part inspection:

* A visual inspection of the catalytic converter to check for tampering or removal.
* ASM2 or Accelerated Simulation Mode Test - A dual-mode test including a 25/25 test = 25 percent load at 25 MPH and a 50/15 test = 50 percent load at 15 MPH.
* A tailpipe exhaust emission test.
* A fuel cap inspection to check for adequate seal.

An inspector can reject a vehicle for testing if it is considered unsafe to test. If the test has already begun when the safety problem is detected, the inspector may charge the full price of the test."

Since the OP's car is a 2003, I concluded that he'd be subject to the "lesser" of the testing regimens.

burnthelight88 · Nov 27, 2010

I'm in PA...I just have the MIL eliminators that are shown above, super easy to install, and I pass the test every time. For my vehicle, like GA, they just plug into the OBD-II port and then do a fuel cap test.

The only time they use a pipe-test is if the vehicle doesn't have OBDII, at least here in PA

nyuk98gt · Nov 27, 2010

trinity_gt:

Well, duh, I didn't even think of that, lol. Good work.

ga289stocker:

Looks like you won't have a problem if you install the MIL eliminators. Please post an update so we won't be worrying needlessly.

Chris

evolucion311 · Nov 28, 2010

TAG

this is relevant to my interests... I am also in a similar situation and am subject to a similar 2 step emissions test. I'd like to add off-road x-pipes but am concerned about getting smogged.

GDawg · Nov 28, 2010

Never go to an emission test with a full tank of gas.

03machone · Nov 29, 2010

I know in Missouri here MIL Simulators fail because of the visual inspection. I have an offroad X with MIL Sims on my mach 1 and it passed the OBD II test, do what i do and find someone that isn't an a$$hole. Family owned garages don't care about the visual because they know theres no point if they have passed OBD II paperwork in hand.

ga289stocker · Nov 29, 2010

Thanks for all the input. I'm going to have to check on those MIL eliminators.
The car came w/ a Diablo Tuner/Scanner. I wonder if that tool plug in could turn of the o2 senors on the rear? Where does one buy Mil Elimnators and how much are they?

03machone · Nov 29, 2010

Don't have them turned off or when they read it there won't be any previous data and they will fail it. most places have stopped selling them but look around on e-bay and other Forum sites, shouldn't take you very long.

ga289stocker · Nov 30, 2010

Ok, i ordered the Mil Elim's and should be here tomorrow. I'm hoping to get them put on and run it thru the emissions Saturday morning and see what happens. I will definitely let you guys know what the outcome is.

Jonn428 · Nov 30, 2010

just buy the MIL eliminators i pass my inspection every year and i live in a strict state.. i have an offroad x pipe and have no problems.. as long as your mechanic is cool and doesnt look under the car for cats.

ga289stocker · Dec 4, 2010

************Just got back from the emissons test and she ***PASSED***. I so excited and thankful i found you guys and the mil elimnators. they worked great. I put them in yesterday and used my scan tool to clear all codes. then i drove it about 100 miles and had 89 octane w/ only about 1/4 tank of gas. I'm so thankful i did not have to touch the off road exhaust and swap out the factory h pipe and cats. I would gladly paid $65 bucks for the elimnators to not have to swap the cats out ever year for the emissions test. Now i can get my registration. I did have to slightly modify the passenger side connector to fit but it was an easy fix. So as soon as i got done i threw the performance tune back in and shes doing nice now. Seriously, thanks you guys for the advice and help.

cali3687 · May 26, 2014

ga289stocker said:
************Just got back from the emissons test and she ***PASSED***. I so excited and thankful i found you guys and the mil elimnators. they worked great. I put them in yesterday and used my scan tool to clear all codes. then i drove it about 100 miles and had 89 octane w/ only about 1/4 tank of gas. I'm so thankful i did not have to touch the off road exhaust and swap out the factory h pipe and cats. I would gladly paid $65 bucks for the elimnators to not have to swap the cats out ever year for the emissions test. Now i can get my registration. I did have to slightly modify the passenger side connector to fit but it was an easy fix. So as soon as i got done i threw the performance tune back in and shes doing nice now. Seriously, thanks you guys for the advice and help.

What code reader do you have to clear codes.

Anybody know any tricks to pass emissions 03 GT w/ Borla Cat back

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