A properly running, near stock FD should have no problems passing.
I have a stock CAT, DP, CB CAI and functioning airpump.
New plugs (BR9EIX) and new stock NGK wires.

Our limits are slightly different than Cali, but you can see my readings are well below all of them. Test was done last month.

Idle Test
__________Limit_____Reading_________Result
HC ppm____200________6____________Pass
CO%______1.00______0.03___________Pass
NO ppm____na________na____________na
RPM________________879____________Valid

Speed Test
________Limit_____Reading__Result
HC ppm__64_________6_____Pass
CO%____0.35________0_____Pass
NO ppm__485________270___Pass
RPM______________1966____Valid

 

As has been mentioned several times now, a properly running FD with a cat and an air pump will have no trouble passing. Proper maintenance and a few hours every two years swapping parts before the smog test is all that is required.

If you think that is enough to make someone leave this state then you have clearly never been to California.

 

As others have said, it isn't that hard to have a good running FD that will pass smog requirements in CA. My car puts down 300 rwhp and passes with no problem. Mods in sig. Runing13 psi on mild street ported engine. Slightly modified main cat and oem air pump.

 

Another data point from a few months ago.

Same car as I reported earlier (now 54k miles with original engine, air pump, downpipe, old stock cat of indeterminate age):

Test________CO2%__O2%______HC(PPM)________CO%_____ ____NO(PPM)______
______RPM_MEAS__MEAS__MAX_AVE_MEAS__MAX__AVE__MEAS _MAX__AVE__MEAS
15mph_1794_13.90__0.55_|_88__21___34__|_0.52__0.06__0.02_|_704__150__127
25mph_2006_13.90__0.59_|_53__13___21__|_0.50__0.05__0.02_|_738__136__106

 

Out of curiosity, have any of you guys tried using E85 while trying to pass emissions? I mean if you can tune the fuel up about 30% or so with an adjustable FPR you can turn up the fuel pressure to achieve the same results if your fuel pump is up to it. Just asking because this would probably be an easy way to pass smog at least just for taking the test then going back to stock after. Just my 2 cents.

 

Note that the test conditions do not match CA's. "Idle" and "2500 rpm" was the old test technique in CA years ago, but was changed to dyno testing back in 1998 or so. Dyno tests load the engine; the "Idle" and "Speed" tests do not. Apples vs. oranges, but your car does look very good.

 

^They run the cars here on a dyno, too.
The idle test is just that.
The speed test is supposed to be 3000rpm in 5th gear.

Looks like for you guys the car is run at two different speeds instead.

 

its so bad in cali that i hear now they have check points on the streets of Fresno that have some kind of dyno/smog check... i believe i seen them only twice but never been through them. its kinda scary to drive in cali now.

 

I have also heard that if you are driving an imported car that not only do they look under the hood for illegal parts but they also do a rectal examination to look for JDM goodies.

 

not suprised at all.

 

I passed on my stock 13b with a 300cpi metalit. passed three times (so 6 years worth) though i failed quite badly last smog check (but it was running hot/overheating).

I've been toying with a multiple cat setup (two cats in parallel like the R35) but the cost would be unreasonable.

 

I failed the TX smog test miserably on my 1st test a couple of months ago. Did a search for posts on the forum and found some things to validate before one drives to the test site. Here is what I did:

1. made sure my air pump was functioning (used the sensor check function in PFC commander and just disconnecting the electrical connection while running)
2. made sure my Bonez hi-flow cat was good and hot before I arrived (left car running while waiting my turn)
3. before going, figured out what RPM the tests would be run at and used the "ghost hold" feature on my PFC commander to see which areas I needed to make fuel corrections
4. Used my laptop, Datalogit and RX7_Nut13B fuel settings he posted in one of the forums to remove fuel in the areas where the test would be run

Had no issues passing the 2nd time. In fact I think I scared some of the techs at the shop because I stood by my car while they were running the test and monitored with the PFC commander. After I was done, they came over asking a bunch of questions about the laptop I had sitting in the front seat and the commander.

Now good for my first full year of owning this car.

 

OP, do you have a wideband? You can use the e-brake to go through a range of loading at the specific test rpms and see where you're at. Like everyone esle said, you have to fix what's broken first, but there's a distinct and definite relationship between how rich or lean you're running and the composition of your emissions.

Too lean and your NOx goes up, too rich and your HC and CO goes up. Stoich. combustion is the target, 14.7:1 for gasoline.

If you're having trouble passing, the first thing I'd do is install a wideband sensor after the cat. Otherwise you're just guessing.

Notice how the expected values are already known in relation to how rich or lean the engine is running; the airpump adds additional oxygen to the equation to allow-for richer than 14.7 running from the engine.

This is what you're dealing-with:

 

This graph is awesome. Thanks!