In California with a 1985, FB, 12A, 1.1.

Took it to get smogged.

Among the issues the tech wrote...

"3rd CAT - Unable to see EO# due to rust."
Apparently they need to document the 3rd CAT number..

Anyone have any suggestions on how I can resolve this issue?

 

is it the original converter? if yes, then it will not have an EO number on it, because that law didn't exist at the time. you will have to look, but if the cat was replaced before the date this law was implemented you get grandfathered in. the law is pretty recent too, like 2010 or something.

or go to another smog place

 

I had to go to the local muffler shop to get a new cat too because of this lame law. Every smog station I went to was failing me on this visual in the Bay area even though my bönez cat was passing the sniffer. Here's the one my muffler shop installed for reference on the EO# and I take it to one shop that I've been going to for several smog tests now and show them that they have passed me the last time I went there. So far it has been working out.

 

California smog stations are super strict on the visual test. My last post here said having one cat with the EO number was working for me for the past 6 years except this year. Now at least the smog techs I've seen are looking for two cats with EO number stamped on them. Time to buy the front cat and add that to the one I already have on. I think to make this super expensive cat system last a long time I'm going to keep swapping it out only during testing years with the bönez cat system or the straight pipe.

 

Truly I’m confused. So every car that goes on the sniffer produced before the EO stamp became law gets failed until you buy a new converter? Every single car?

Every Camry? Every Camaro?

I just don’t see how the aftermarket can provide enough product for the millions of cars made pre stamp.

 

The smog techs I've talked to, I had to go to three stations yesterday before one was willing to test my FB, all said the same thing about requiring both cats with EO number. The one that tested my car said it's because California wants to get rid of all the old cars. No grandfather rules apply for the cats... Pretty dumb I know. So I need to order the front cat which is Magnaflow part number 337104 since it looks like 337103 is discontinued and 337105 is out of stock in most places I've looked online. Have the local muffler shop weld it inline with the 338014 rear that I have right now and go back for the retest.


Results from yesterday


Results from 2020. Notice the various smog techs aren't even consistent with the visual test results. They don't know what they're looking at when they test a rotary.

 

Also my experience when registering my 84SE in Arizona - they don't really know what they're looking at. I had a failed test last month for a Fuel Tank pressurization which wouldn't allow the pressure test to complete. This is a test to be sure you're not venting raw gas fumes to atmosphere. I talked to the Supervisor who said its probably the a gap lines to the Charcoal Canister, and sure enough when I got it home, the factory vacuum line was very loose om the hardline, right where they clamp it. I also bypassed the Fuel Check & Cut Valve at the rear axle, thinking that this was leaking air pressure. Replaced with silicone line at the Charcoal Canister, and same for the vacuum source to the Oil Fill Pedestal, and the next test failed for CO / HC emissions on the dyno (*passed this part previously).

Frustrated, I showed them the repair I'd made to pass the Fuel Tank Pressurization, and then showed them that for the past 8 years, they have bypassed the Fuel Tank Pressure test, because their fixture doesn't fit the fuel hole properly. They made a note of this, I fixed it all back to the way it was, and the 3rd test was emissions within spec and BYPASSED fuel tank pressure = PASS.

I nearly burned rubber getting out of there before they changed their minds. For a 38 year old car with 250k miles, you'd think they'd be more understanding and sympathetic of our plight to keep these cars on the roads!

 

I finally passed my biannual smog test! Installed the front cat and what a difference two cats make. Who woulda thought? California Air Resources Board is fantastic! /end sarcasm

Here are the numbers. She's polluting like a new car now!

 

so if you have the factory cats you're ok. if you replace them then they need the correct EO number. there is a huge gray area here, because the car is too old to have an EO number on the cat (and quite frankly the OE's don't care about this kind of nonsense, so OE cats may or may not have a number) and the smog techs do not always know what they are looking at.

its basically turned into a protection racket, it has nothing to do with air quality...

i had such a bad time with my miata i wrote my assemblyman and said its time to call the program a success and get rid of it. my cat was ok, but i couldn't find a smog station with working equipment