USP Motor sports CARB legal downpipe

[Bodhi]

Has anyone passed smog in CA with this downpipe?

http://uspmotorsports.com/product_info.php?cPath=26_358_409_432_449&products_id=562

I have searched, and haven't found anyone who has actually went to smog with it.

Scroll down, you can order it with the cat.


The answer I recieved from USP motor sports:

"We have had customers pass with it. It will pass with a OBD2 plug-in of the vehicle and sniffer in the tail pipe. However, if they look hard enough and see that it is aftermarket it might not pass. "

 

[Speeddemon96]

no cat = no pass smog, right?

 

[Vageline]

no cat = no pass smog, right?

not always. my 98 mustang gt passed and my 97 dodge ram passed. what they do is check and see if you have a cat, and because my mustang was modded, i wanted better flow for cheap so i cut the side out of the cats and ripped the insides out... also, when my rams cat went on it, i gutted it. i passed with those every time. i was stressed when i took it there though

 

[Vageline]

i dont think i would try this in ca. i think youre best to get a highflow cat and call it a day. highflow cats are about $100 and flow pretty good.

 

[Bodhi]

Scroll down, you can order it with a cat, and the "Carb" legal.

 

[Bodhi]

Bump for an answer...

 

[siliconcenturion]

passing smog is different than "CARB legal". The product is not carb legal, but it might be able to pass emissions and visual.

 

[John/Cue\Publik]

Carb legal is more about a parts company paying off the state of california for a sticker than actual emissions.

Sent from my HTC Evo 4G Shift using Tapatalk

 

[BlaineWasHere]

passing smog is different than "CARB legal". The product is not carb legal, but it might be able to pass emissions and visual.

This is the correct answer. This should pass smog visual and sniffer. But if someone was really looking it wouldn't pass.

I'd make sure the car was nice and hot before you go to the smog test place though.

 

[Bodhi]

Yeah, the guy from USP motor sports responded with this:

"We have had customers pass with it. It will pass with a OBD2 plug-in of the vehicle and sniffer in the tail pipe. However, if they look hard enough and see that it is aftermarket it might not pass. "

My question is, they make both, a catted version, and a CARB legal catted version. Why wouldn't I save myself the money and just get the normal catted version over the CARB legal one? My understanding of CARB legal, is it has a sticker, big deal. So why wouldn't it pass all the inspections, including them looking at it.

 

[Bunnspeed]

A few variables to consider: I am assuming when you are tuned with this (or other dp's, catted or not) you will pass most inspections where they just plug in to the OBDII port. As long as you don't have codes or a CEL and the ECU is fooled into thinking all systems are working, you should pass.

If you go to an inspection station that actually puts a probe in the tailpipe and runs your car on a dyno, a catless dp or cheap high flow one likely won't blow clean, even if the car doesn't throw codes and shows the appropriate readiness shit. That's when you'd want a dp that has a very good cat and is known for passing actual sniffer tests.

No matter how clean your car runs, emissions-wise, and no matter whether or not the ECU says everything is A-OK, a visual inspection with a hard-ass inspector who knows what the stock exhaust looks like can cause you to fail and might even result in a hefty fine if the location of the cat is different from stock. This is why you need to be relatively sure the inspection station is unlikely to look closely or won't actually give a shit.

I'd do the following to keep them from looking closely at your car: keep it looking and sounding as stock as possible, to avoid them from getting suspicious that your car is heavily modded. If your car looks like Racecar, they are likely to look at it more closely. Go to the inspection at stock ride height if possible, with stock wheels if you still have them, with the engine cover on and stock intake if possible. You also want to go to a sketchy-looking garage, not a mainstream, immaculately clean name brand gas station where the corporate reputation is on the line and they are likely to be anal about their inspections. Go when there's a line of people and it's close to closing time, preferably at the end of the week when they won't have time or the desire to look at your car too closely. The last thing you want to do is show up when the place is dead and a bored tech has time on his hands to go over your car with a fine toothed comb.

 

[siliconcenturion]

Yeah, the guy from USP motor sports responded with this:

"We have had customers pass with it. It will pass with a OBD2 plug-in of the vehicle and sniffer in the tail pipe. However, if they look hard enough and see that it is aftermarket it might not pass. "

My question is, they make both, a catted version, and a CARB legal catted version. Why wouldn't I save myself the money and just get the normal catted version over the CARB legal one? My understanding of CARB legal, is it has a sticker, big deal. So why wouldn't it pass all the inspections, including them looking at it.

This doesn't make any sense. CARB legal means that USP has had it tested by CARB and that have awarded a certification that makes it okay. If it were CARB legal, it would have a special sticker and will pass visual just fine, as you say. Something doesnt add up. Call them back and ask for the CARB Executive Order number (E.O.).

My guess is that their "CARB legal" catted version may just be a lower-flow cat that will be much more likely to pass emissions.

 

[Bodhi]

A few variables to consider: I am assuming when you are tuned with this (or other dp's, catted or not) you will pass most inspections where they just plug in to the OBDII port. As long as you don't have codes or a CEL and the ECU is fooled into thinking all systems are working, you should pass.

If you go to an inspection station that actually puts a probe in the tailpipe and runs your car on a dyno, a catless dp or cheap high flow one likely won't blow clean, even if the car doesn't throw codes and shows the appropriate readiness shit. That's when you'd want a dp that has a very good cat and is known for passing actual sniffer tests.

No matter how clean your car runs, emissions-wise, and no matter whether or not the ECU says everything is A-OK, a visual inspection with a hard-ass inspector who knows what the stock exhaust looks like can cause you to fail and might even result in a hefty fine if the location of the cat is different from stock. This is why you need to be relatively sure the inspection station is unlikely to look closely or won't actually give a shit.

I'd do the following to keep them from looking closely at your car: keep it looking and sounding as stock as possible, to avoid them from getting suspicious that your car is heavily modded. If your car looks like Racecar, they are likely to look at it more closely. Go to the inspection at stock ride height if possible, with stock wheels if you still have them, with the engine cover on and stock intake if possible. You also want to go to a sketchy-looking garage, not a mainstream, immaculately clean name brand gas station where the corporate reputation is on the line and they are likely to be anal about their inspections. Go when there's a line of people and it's close to closing time, preferably at the end of the week when they won't have time or the desire to look at your car too closely. The last thing you want to do is show up when the place is dead and a bored tech has time on his hands to go over your car with a fine toothed comb.

Thanks for all the tips. I'm still confused on the whole difference of USP motor sports' 49 State legal, and CA Emissions.

This doesn't make any sense. CARB legal means that USP has had it tested by CARB and that have awarded a certification that makes it okay. If it were CARB legal, it would have a special sticker and will pass visual just fine, as you say. Something doesnt add up. Call them back and ask for the CARB Executive Order number (E.O.).

My guess is that their "CARB legal" catted version may just be a lower-flow cat that will be much more likely to pass emissions.

Yeah, I e-mailed them and said "Why don't I just save my money and get the 49-state legal catted high flow downpipe, what's special about the CA legal downpipe?"