PA inspection/emissions suck

cjist1

New Member
Apr 16, 2003
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pittsburgh
I have the Mac O/R H pipe on my car, so needless to say I have to switch it when I get it inspected...cause It wont pass the visual without the cats. So I spent all morning crawling around on my garage floor switching the midpipe. I disconnected the battery, cause I touched the starter with the metal gasket on the passenger side and it sparked so I figured I better disconnect it. So I get it all changed and take it to the shop. I get a call 2 hrs later...."uh...it failed...did you have the battery disconnected lately?" So now that PA does the emissions by hooking up to the OBD II sensor, if your computer doesnt reset itself from having the battery disconnecte it will not pass. So he tells me to drive it for a week and then bring it back. I know Im gonna get hassled from the cops from having no inspection stickers. This sucks. How long does it take to reset? Also, I need a new foglamp light. Can you buy just the bulb? I imagine you can.
 
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Ouch! Man I'm glad we dont have to get tested for emmisions here.

Why did you reset the bat ? Peformance I can see it, I'd imagine you have some sort of mil illimenator ? Looks like theyre getting to know all the tricks.

As far as the computer programming usualy it takes a few days for it to learn all the censors and all that.

Either way that sucks big time!
 
well I have mil eliminators for my o/r H pipe...but I put the stock H pipe on and took the mils off. The only reason I diconnected the battery is because I didnt want to short out the starter again with the metal exhaust gasket or the wrench.
I talked to a few people and they said new cars straight off the lot sometimes dont even pass cause the cars do not have enough miles on them and the battery may have been disconnected for some reason. Its all BS.
 
cjist1 said:
I have the Mac O/R H pipe on my car, so needless to say I have to switch it when I get it inspected...cause It wont pass the visual without the cats. So I spent all morning crawling around on my garage floor switching the midpipe. I disconnected the battery, cause I touched the starter with the metal gasket on the passenger side and it sparked so I figured I better disconnect it. So I get it all changed and take it to the shop. I get a call 2 hrs later...."uh...it failed...did you have the battery disconnected lately?" So now that PA does the emissions by hooking up to the OBD II sensor, if your computer doesnt reset itself from having the battery disconnecte it will not pass. So he tells me to drive it for a week and then bring it back. I know Im gonna get hassled from the cops from having no inspection stickers. This sucks. How long does it take to reset? Also, I need a new foglamp light. Can you buy just the bulb? I imagine you can.

Not that long...I reset my families 99 and then immediatly drove it to get sniffed and it passed....
 
Well im not getting mine "sniffed". In PA they dont hook anything up to the exhaust on '96 and newer vehicles. They just plug a computer into the OBD II sensor and see if there are any codes that come up. If they actually tested the exhaust I would be ok....but now they dont do that on newer vehicles. I hate this state. But at least I dont need a liscense plate on the front...and I can get a cool Dare plate thats all black.
 
cjist1 said:
Well im not getting mine "sniffed". In PA they dont hook anything up to the exhaust on '96 and newer vehicles. They just plug a computer into the OBD II sensor and see if there are any codes that come up. If they actually tested the exhaust I would be ok....but now they dont do that on newer vehicles. I hate this state. But at least I dont need a liscense plate on the front...and I can get a cool Dare plate thats all black.

They DO do the sniffer test in some places in Pa..It varies with counties...Lycoming county does it...I am from Pa and had to have the 99 done...The sniffer test requires a code check also...I had the mils on, I switched the o/r pipe for the stock, reset the comp, drover straight to the place, and it passed all tests (visual, sniff, code check)
 
I live in Cumberland county... I passed with Off road H pipe! Mil eliminators. First of all!!! Stick to one mecanic!!! All you gotta do is keep your check engine light off... They will then forget all about the visual test!!! I just went through it... U need to drive your car max of like 40 miles... Your car goes through tests of your emissions you need so many highway and town miles! Good luck! And talk to your emissions man about leaving your off road pipe on next time!
 
There is an advantage I have heard about the sniffer not being used... if you had lumpy cams theres no way you could get by the sniffer at low idle you'd most likely be running way rich at low idle. But with them pluging up to the service port you all is good, since the cam wont throw any codes or check engine lights. You would pass.
 
Ruckus46Gt said:
i wonder though if the new emissions thing picks up on chips, flashers, and mil's. I hope not because ny starts that in jan

Yeah good question. I guess as long as the chip doesnt throw a code.

I didnt realize that some counties still do a sniff test. I live in Allegheny county, we just have a visual and code check. I sorta know a couple guys that work for a dealer and they are not willing to ignore the visual. They said the fine is $10,000 if your caught.
 
cjist1 said:
Yeah good question. I guess as long as the chip doesnt throw a code.

I didnt realize that some counties still do a sniff test. I live in Allegheny county, we just have a visual and code check. I sorta know a couple guys that work for a dealer and they are not willing to ignore the visual. They said the fine is $10,000 if your caught.

Yeah, the guys that used to ignore mine won't do it anymore cause of the fine...
 
well i can say at my work, we had someone with a expedition with a hypertech tune and we couldnt pull codes with our smog machine. we actually had to fail her because she told us she had the hypertech(left it in the passengers seat in plain view) and at that time they only had a Pending CARB EO number. you people are funny when you complain, stop by my referee station and try to pass with us. people have to come to us if they are a groos polluter, engine swaps, and police sound and emissions tickets. we had this kid with a honda blurt out "yo if i pay my bro to pass teh car will that be aight?" my boss looked at him and rolled his eyes. he then called the BAR(Bureau of Automotive Repair) and left the code that the only smog certificate acceptable for this car from now on is one that goes through him.