California smog test advice
- Thread starter blu93gt
- Start date
slow5poh
Senior Citizen
I think you should pass with your mods. If your worried put some fresh cats on it, and make sure drop the timing back down to where it's supposed to be if you have advanced it. You should be ok. 
notchback
Founding Member
you have cats now right?
you should be fine....but to make sure use the highest octane gas, then put about 2 cans of octane boost to 1/4 tank of gas.
if you can, leave the timing at about 8* or 6*
8* is safer cuz the tech might think "close enuff" otherwise he'll change it or make you change it.
anyway....then get it super hot...run the ac , use lower geras to keep the r's up...you should pass fine.
kragens sells some stuff called "guaranteed to pass" and does work...but do the things i said as well..
i had a buddy put the sniffer tube on a '89 w/ no cats, no smog pump , and long tubes...and it might have passed...the nox part was bad though..the other numbers looked like they would pass
you should be fine....but to make sure use the highest octane gas, then put about 2 cans of octane boost to 1/4 tank of gas.
if you can, leave the timing at about 8* or 6*
8* is safer cuz the tech might think "close enuff" otherwise he'll change it or make you change it.
anyway....then get it super hot...run the ac , use lower geras to keep the r's up...you should pass fine.
kragens sells some stuff called "guaranteed to pass" and does work...but do the things i said as well..
i had a buddy put the sniffer tube on a '89 w/ no cats, no smog pump , and long tubes...and it might have passed...the nox part was bad though..the other numbers looked like they would pass
Michael Yount
Mustang Master
General rule of thumb is to use the LOWEST octane fuel available. The lower the octane, the more quickly the fuel burns and the more easily it ignites which generally results in a slightly lower HC number. Higher octane fuels resist ignition and burn more slowly.
Set your timing back as far as you can (10 degrees BTDC with spout out). The retarded timing reduces cylinder pressures/temps which does 2 things: 1) reduces the formation of NOx, and 2) carries more temperature into the header heating up the catalytic converter to be sure it's working properly.
Let the car idle for a good long while before the test. You want to be certain that the cats are good and hot before it's put on the sniffer.
They make special oxygenated additives for the fuel designed to help one pass emissions -- pick some up at your local parts place and follow the directions.
Be sure all the emissions equipment is in place and working properly - cats, air pump (hooked up), egr, pcv system, proper gas cap, charcoal cannister, etc.
Lastly -- have your paperwork handy on all the mods so you can show CARB numbers (California Air Resources Board) for all your changes. They may or may not give you a hard time on the visual -- but if they do and you don't have the right documentation - you may not even make it to the sniffer test.
Good luck with it.
Set your timing back as far as you can (10 degrees BTDC with spout out). The retarded timing reduces cylinder pressures/temps which does 2 things: 1) reduces the formation of NOx, and 2) carries more temperature into the header heating up the catalytic converter to be sure it's working properly.
Let the car idle for a good long while before the test. You want to be certain that the cats are good and hot before it's put on the sniffer.
They make special oxygenated additives for the fuel designed to help one pass emissions -- pick some up at your local parts place and follow the directions.
Be sure all the emissions equipment is in place and working properly - cats, air pump (hooked up), egr, pcv system, proper gas cap, charcoal cannister, etc.
Lastly -- have your paperwork handy on all the mods so you can show CARB numbers (California Air Resources Board) for all your changes. They may or may not give you a hard time on the visual -- but if they do and you don't have the right documentation - you may not even make it to the sniffer test.
Good luck with it.
You're in San Diego... There's no way you will be able to avoid the sniffer test unless you "know" someone at a referee station. You're going to fail the visual inspection (California couldn't care less if your aftermarket cats work better than the stock ones). Use that year to find a stock H-Pipe to toss in for inspection. Get the car custom tuned if you can or maybe get a sniffer check done well in advance to see where you're at.
I pass everytime in Rivrside County. I have JBA's shorties, Cobra intake with 65mm ford TB, K&N flat pannel air filter, cobra RR, pullies, and catted Bassani X pipes going into stock mufflers. Have gears but that dont count. Only thing without a carb number is my ignition module. Every other year they send my 87 to a pass only station. Actual sniffer test is better than stock with 50,000 miles and I have over 120,000 miles now. So I say unless you have a lot of shinny race only mods you will be OK if all smog things are in place and working. They spend more time on my evap system than my headers.
QDRHRSE
New Member
I pass and I have more stuff and blower. Mike Y made a great point about the visual parts of the inspection. You need to have all of your CARB EO #'s and you also need to have all the standard emmissions equipment. Most cars with a smog pump and cats pass if they are running ok. The visual is what kills most people. For example- if you blocked off the coolant lines that run through the egr spacer you will fail. I ran a dummy piece of vacuum line in a big loop. I routed it so that it went under the intake and back around, making it look like it was hooked up. Most smog guys won't bother to follow every hose. Don't sweat it.
Euphoric306
New Member
- Apr 5, 2004
- 905
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ive got a fresh engine as well and thought i was gonna have a hard time passin cuz my computer was throwin codes for thermactor system, it still is but i checked everything out and nothings wrong so whatever
anyway... i got better emissions than average new cars or whatever it says on the smog report, so you should be good. i almost failed the visual because ive got some vacuum lines capped off on the egr spacer (are those coolants lines u were talking about?)
anyway... i got better emissions than average new cars or whatever it says on the smog report, so you should be good. i almost failed the visual because ive got some vacuum lines capped off on the egr spacer (are those coolants lines u were talking about?)
30# ninjectors are way to big for your combo. Does it idle rich (can you smell it?) A custom chip/ dyno tune will help alot. oh yea 9 smog stations out of 10 dont give a crap about what kind of converters you have they just want to see them on there. most of those guys dont know mustangs from camaros Chris
QDRHRSE
New Member
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