Diesuperfly

Hola brochachos! As some of you may already know I have a 92 JDM FD. Single turbo conversion in the works. Right now I'm stationed in Virginia but I'm o deployment. When I get back I'm most likely going to Cali but just wondering what kind of problems I'm going to run into, and if there are any ways around them, or in general what am I going to be dealing with over there? Thanks broskis.

jza80

iTrader: (32)

First, in general, you will never be able to get a single turbo conversion through a legit smog check. People who have these modified cars "know some one" that owns/works at a smog test station and pays them off every two years at smog check time. CARB is really trying to crack down on this kind of thing, too, so it will be getting more difficult I think in the future. They have also announced stepped up roadside checking in the coming months/years so obviously tampered/illegal cars could be snared in this and the penalties are stiff.

Next, even if you have the JDM twin turbo setup with all the stock JDM emissions I am 99% sure that you will not be able to register the car in California at all unless you have the car tested at a certified emissions lab/ICI to the California standards in effect for 1992 new cars. This is for exhaust and evaporative emissions, the exhaust test alone is about $1,700 at the lab my company uses for in-use testing. The evap test is about $2,000 IIRC. Plus modification fees to get the car to pass (new cat, ECM, whatever it takes). And if the car fails the test, you pay again. Then add whatever paperwork fees the ICI charges to get the car inspected at a BAR referee station and get the special BAR coded label that is then scanned at the smog station. I did all this when I imported a R33 GTR in 2002 into California.

My recommendation, if you are moving to California, is to maintain your current Texas registration if at all possible so that you can avoid smog check (and the planned big increase in auto registration fees that will be used to fund the state pension system and other waste), and also keep your twin turbo system with a semblance of originality so that a roadside inspection doesn't get your car impounded.

Better still, avoid moving to California at all if you can.

Diesuperfly

Wow I really appreciate it that's some sound advice!! Well I have the paperwork that excludes me from requiring the testing but it is still a pain in the butt. The importer said he could help me register it. I already have a Greddy v'mount so I think appearance is out the window lol. I'm fairly certain, (I need to double check) that I can keep it registered in Texas(my home of record) because I'll only be in Cali due to military PCS. I'm not sure how exactly that will effect me in Cali though.

Natey

iTrader: (19)

Yeah Brohemian!
All that's true, but it's pretty easy to "know someone", especially in SoCal. Even then, they'll usually let ya pass the visual but you gotta get the sniffer part of the test done legitimately. That means no single for you. The good news is they'll force you to get your car running perfectly. lol Motivation.

Even with all that crap, I'll bet you'll love it here, broffessor. Where in California are you going? Camp Pendleton Maybe?

jza80

iTrader: (32)

The problem is that the last I heard California does not recognize the 25-year old exemption for emissions. So what is okay in the other 49 is not okay here. (I could be wrong about that, so please correct me...)

wstrohm

Why would a single turbo cause a sniffer failure on a California emissions test dyno? The test is run at a steady 15 mph and then a steady 25 mph. This does not require boost on either single or twin turbos, right? Since rpm is held steady for both tests, there is no acceleration and horsepower requirements are minimal.

I would think that a single turbo would have just as much chance to pass as the OEM twins.

Please educate me!

jza80

iTrader: (32)

NOx will be difficult, and maybe HC. BUT, if you are using the OEM cat with a great tune then no reason it wouldn't. Might need the airpump too to keep the rear bed of the cat lit off.

Diesuperfly

I don't mind having a cat. Although I'd rather not. I can't tune with the air pump in and then tune with it disconnected afterwards but leave it in. I just wasn't sure what all I'd have to get done if I leave it registered in Texas. I'm pretty sure it will get some wrong attention at some point. I'm went on this deployment for the sole reason of getting. Veilside kit, single turbo conversion, fresh paint, and new seats. I'll probably be going to Coronado if anything.

BLUE TII

iTrader: (9)

Correct me if I am wrong but E85 is a legal pump fuel for the test in California and will result in lower emissions (though more $ in tuning and possibly parts).

In reality they do not sample your fuel so E100 could be used even though it is not a legally taxed road fuel in California.

So, if you get a free pass on visual (you are not allowed to change or modify emissions components even for an E85 conversion) E85/E100 should ease a single turbo passing tailpipe numbers.

This would be true if your aftermarket ECU, tuner and aftermarket parts were up to the standards of Mazda OEM and focused on the goal of emissions.

Which they are not.

H_M

iTrader: (7)

The JDM FDs only came with the main cat, which will make it very difficult to pass California emissions even if the car is 100% stock. The USDM FDs have the main cat and a secondary cat in the stock downpipe. Mazda added a second cat so that the car would pass the stricter US emissions.

arghx

iTrader: (3)

The front cat and accelerated warm up system are for cold start emissions like in an EPA test. If your test is steady speed and warm engine you will be fine. Just use a stock cat and keep your air pump.

normal smog test stations use the latter, but if you need a special test to get registered it will probably have a cold start portion.

jza80

iTrader: (32)

The other part to this is that although the JDM cat seems to be the same size physically as USDM, there is no guarantee that the precious metal loading is the same. The Japanese certification standards for 1992 were nothing compared to the US standards (i.e. no pre-cat for cold start emissions and additional reduction when warm, no EGR, etc), I would not be surprised if the composition of the JDM cat was completely different - this would have saved alot of money for Mazda, after all.

Montego

iTrader: (1)

jza80 has it right about just leaving your car registered in your home state.

Three reasons for not having the car registered in CA:

1) You can avoid the pain in the *** experience of registering it
2) You wont have to smog the car
3) When you get pulled over, you can comply with police requests to pop your hood and they can't do a single thing about it. Reason: the car is out of their jurisdicton.

adam c

iTrader: (2)

If you are in the military, you may not be required to register your car in Calif. Something you should definitely check on.

If you do have to get ca registration, you wont "legally" pass visual inspection with a single turbo. There are some counties in Ca that dont require Bi-annual smog checks. Imperial County is one of them. If you register your car there, its possible that you wont have to smog it to get it registered.

Natey

iTrader: (19)

Long ago, in a galaxy not far away, they created a thing called OBD2.

Looks like you're running twins too, but not stock ones. Plus the fuel etc.
Why not simplify and go single and cool your engine bay off? I didn't because of smog tests.

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

it would fail the visual, unless your kit was CARB approved, HKS and GReddy both had kits that were

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

i do not know what Ca does with a JDM title, or JDM car for that matter, its too new. my friend has a JC Cosmo, and he made some calls and it sounds like they may run a normal emissions test, but they may not. they may want to do the EPA style test, which the FD will pass, but its $$$$$$$

so if you get it to just do a normal CA smog test, we have a dyno style test mostly, if you're in the right county we have no testing at all, and then the bad ones have a no load idle test. the idle test is the hardest one, so avoid if possible.

the dyno test limits are low, but basically everything passes pretty easily, and when the rotary has all of its emissions equipment it is usually cleaner than a piston engine.

the problem in CA is that we also do a visual test, which is a PITA. they look for cats, sometimes both. the cats also need to be the factory Mazda ones, or an approved aftermarket, with the FD this is ok, the FD cat is the most robust part of the car, and it also works the best.

it also needs the air pump. they can and do look for the EGR, since you really can't see it, or get at it without taking stuff apart, sometimes they don't.

single turbos are right out, unless you have the CARB approved HKS or GReddy ones. there is a list somewhere of the CARB approved kits, and the listing is really vauge, so i think you could fake it if needed.

the intake, cat back and intercooler are free, you can do anything, as long as all the plumbing is hooked up, although again the HKS and GReddy kits were actually CARB legal.

ECU needs to be tuned really well, in theory they can check to see if its the right one, but i've never had that happen. worst case maybe you put the power FC in the stock ECU case.

or you can just register in Texas, i have the feeling you could do it over the phone...

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

Answer #2, i'll just list the things i've been failed for over the years. oh btw i've lived here my whole life, and i've smogged a LOT of cars. best advise is maybe to be nice to the smog guy, and bring him a couple of other cars or something.

FD specific!
1. no front cat
2. Downpipe too shiny
3. they could not find the EGR valve, so they refused to test the car.
4. O2 sensor wire broke...

not FD specific,
1. my brothers vw failed for blue vacuum lines
2. my brothers vw failed because it had some later model engine in it (they got the microscope out for this car, not sure why)
3. bad cooling fan relay on my FC and it blew the upper radiator hose off on the dyno
4. 76 Lancia Scorpion, had a small leak and got hot enough to blow all the coolant out on the dyno, surprisingly the smog guy takes this really well, i get mad though, its annoying
5. i had a gsl-se, and tried to smog it without the cat heat shield, and the exhaust overheat light came on, which dumps extra fuel. i threw the sensor over the roll cage and it passed, but the carpets were smoking
6. same Lancia, first smog we found the cat was no good, the EGR had a gasket with no holes in it. EGR was easy, for the cat i shoved an FC one in there, and it go so hot it melted the bumper, but still failed. the Lancia finally passed, but it was a fighter.
7. the smog guy is like 6 blocks from my house, and the Rx8 failed because it wasn't warmed up enough...
8. Gary's FC had a bad EGR valve, its like everyone knew to test it... the CARB makes you buy a "rebuilt" one, for $300, Gary was upset
9. i had a mercedes 190E that was on the cash for clunkers list (how did they know?), since Obama was willing to pay 2x market price, we jumped on it. one of the quirks of the program is that the clunkers needed to be registered, so they needed to smog. of course we found this out in the sales office, so i took it down the street and smogged it and it failed. i asked the guy if there was anything he could do, like leave it in 1st or something, and he kind of looked dumb. so since it HAD to pass right there, i took it, and floored it, and used the brakes to keep speeds around the speed limit, all the way around the block (big blocks), when i got back 20 minutes later, the brakes were smoking but i drove it right on the dyno and it passed easily, they were all surprised.

oh and more, how about stuff that passed!
1. a 1980 MGB, nothing to see here except it is the cleanest thing i've ever run across the dyno. single digit HC's, no CO, and NOX was still pretty low. first try too
2. a 1985 Rx7 GSL-SE, stock, but it had a header on it, also clean
3. my 91 FC, it has an FC engine in it, running a JDM ecu with all of the JDM emissions, it actually passed easily. weirdly it has the same smog parts (air pump, etc) in the same places, so either he didn't notice, or didn't look too close
4. my 1979 Rx7, i got it hot, we pretested it, and it was super clean. he shut it off, and then restarted it, and it almost failed the actual test. THERMAL reactor needs HEAT.
5. my friends 99 spec FD, we had a hard time with the down pipe, and people wanted to look at the EGR, but other than that it was just as clean as the Rx8
6. basically every FC, i give em a precheck, but if the TPS is right, and the ACV is ok, then they pass, easily. cat condition is unimportant.
7. my mom's 1995 mercedes, i mention it, because it barely squeaked by, which is odd when the motley collection of junk above is cleaner...

Diesuperfly

Wow holy **** cathing up on all the posts as I wake up. Currently in ****** Africa -_-'. Thanks for all the input guys, all of this info is extremely helpful, may give me a little bit of negotiating power when choosing my next assignment. Im not necessarily trying to register it in Cali. I'd love to keep it registered in Texas. What would I be looking at dealing with if I just kept the car registered in texas? As far as anything Ill still have to get dont in Cali?

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

it depends, we have a guy at work who had been driving with just dealership plates on his car for 2+ years, its been so long they don't even make that car anymore!

or my dad has a 2003 Mercedes wagon, and it was bought in Oregon where it mostly lives. so one day he gets a letter from the CHP that said something about if you live in California, and have a car that isn't registered here, you're defrauding the government.

so my dad sends the letter back, with a "this car spends time in BOTH states, what do i do"

the end up talking on the phone and the CHP wanted him to dual register the car, like an old semi truck.

so he did, the DMV people had never heard of this before, but they figured out how to do it and so the car had an Oregon title, Oregon plate and Oregon registration, AND a California plate and California registration, which did require a smog btw.

still owns the car, it lives in Oregon, and he gave up the CA plate and registration a while ago.

i see new york and texas plates all the time

mdp

As someone stated, if you are active military you do not have to register your car in California if you are stationed here. You can keep your home state registration. For smog and a savings in registration fees I would recommend you register it in Texas, if that is your home state.

Diesuperfly

I saw that someone kind of tipped toed around saying that but I didn't take it as an ok if you keep it registered to your home state (Texas) you'll be good in Cali. I don't mind driving back to texas once a year to get it inspected. Hell I can visit my family at the same time. I was just sure at some point i'm going to get pulled over for a visual inspection with a RHD Veilside RX-7 and wanted to see if i'd be good if it wasn't registered in Cali.

mdp

Here in San Diego there are random road side inspections events. These are fairly rare, I've been pulled over once in 40 years of driving. I'm not sure how they handle out of state cars but if you are missing obvious federal related emissions equipment you'll get written up. On the other hand, if you are pulled over for "Exhibition of Speed"...

California Vehicle Code 23109(c), it is illegal for you to accelerate or drive at a rate of speed that is dangerous and unsafe in order to show off or make an impression on someone else.

You can expect your car to be thoroughly gone over for safety and emissions violations regardless of what state your car is registered in. The officers have the authority to impound your car if they deem it necessary for the health and safety of the public.

mkiv98

iTrader: (5)

Interesting...it looks like that test is voluntary? Does anyone know how true it is?

Diesuperfly

Hmmm thanks for the info. I understand, however, in regards to the inspection they still shouldn't be able to do anything if my vehicle is still up to par in the state it's registered in correct? Except impound it if i was being dangerous(I'm meaning solely based on emissions). I don't drive crazy. I don't burnout or anything but if the hghway is relatively empty I'll do some rolling pulls or something. But nothing out of the ordinary. People in SD drive damn near 100 anyway.

My main point of this thread is my build will put me a little out of Cali emissions standards. Which I'm assuming is fine because it will be registered in Texas.