Help Passing Emissions

[GallopGreg]

Hey SN,

I have a 2005 GT with about 89k on it and I have the following problem: My car needs to pass emissions by the end of the year, and there is no check engine light (anymore), but the following monitors are still incomplete for about a year now:

Catalyst monitor
Misfire monitor
Comp component
Oxygen sensor mon
Oxygen sensor mtr

I bought the car with a tune on it from a dealership. I did not know that it had the tune still on it. I do not have the stock tune because of that, and I do not have the factory cai/airbox.

Mods on the car are bbk cai, slp exhaust with resonators deleted, and an unknown tune.

This is my daily driver so without this car passing emissions I am screwed. All of your help is greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

 

[Bullitt347]

The tuner is causing the issue with the monitors not completing. Worst case scenario is you get a waiver. All states with emissions testing have a waiver program that allows you to get tabs despite a failed emissions test. After failing the test, you take the papaerwork they hand you and go to an authorized emissions repair facility. Once there, you must spend at least $150 toward the "diagnosis and/or repair" of the failure. At that point, even without repairing the car you get a waiver that allows the car to be registered. The only fix to get the monitors to complete would be to load the stock tune back into the ECU. If you do not have a tuner to do that, then a new ECU would have to be installed. To get that done would definitely cost over $150. I play this game every two years with my Bullitt Mustang. Because of the tune, the monitors will not complete, so I pay the $150 to get the waiver and am set for the next two years.

 

[GallopGreg]

The tuner is causing the issue with the monitors not completing. Worst case scenario is you get a waiver. All states with emissions testing have a waiver program that allows you to get tabs despite a failed emissions test. After failing the test, you take the papaerwork they hand you and go to an authorized emissions repair facility. Once there, you must spend at least $150 toward the "diagnosis and/or repair" of the failure. At that point, even without repairing the car you get a waiver that allows the car to be registered. The only fix to get the monitors to complete would be to load the stock tune back into the ECU. If you do not have a tuner to do that, then a new ECU would have to be installed. To get that done would definitely cost over $150. I play this game every two years with my Bullitt Mustang. Because of the tune, the monitors will not complete, so I pay the $150 to get the waiver and am set for the next two years.

Thanks for the reply. Would getting Ford to flash the stock tune on it work? I know I would be without the performance tune for now. Would flashing it to stock with the slight mods on the car still cause a problem?

 

[GallopGreg]

The tuner is causing the issue with the monitors not completing. Worst case scenario is you get a waiver. All states with emissions testing have a waiver program that allows you to get tabs despite a failed emissions test. After failing the test, you take the papaerwork they hand you and go to an authorized emissions repair facility. Once there, you must spend at least $150 toward the "diagnosis and/or repair" of the failure. At that point, even without repairing the car you get a waiver that allows the car to be registered. The only fix to get the monitors to complete would be to load the stock tune back into the ECU. If you do not have a tuner to do that, then a new ECU would have to be installed. To get that done would definitely cost over $150. I play this game every two years with my Bullitt Mustang. Because of the tune, the monitors will not complete, so I pay the $150 to get the waiver and am set for the next two years.

Thanks for the reply. Would getting Ford to flash the stock tune on it work? I know I would be without the performance tune for now. Would flashing it to stock with the slight mods on the car still cause a problem?

 

[Noobz347]

Thanks for the reply. Would getting Ford to flash the stock tune on it work? I know I would be without the performance tune for now. Would flashing it to stock with the slight mods on the car still cause a problem?

Your mods are negligible. A flash of the OEM tune should put you back where you need to be so long as there are no other maintenance issue that you're unaware of.

If your state does the decibel level check, the lack of resonators could be a problem. I've known dude to pack exhaust tubes with various materials to bring the sound down for the test. My Bassani exhaust has inserts that I used to put in at inspection time.

 

[Bullitt347]

Provided that the engine has just a "tune" in it, the Dealer can reflash back to stock. If the tune was put in because of other work done to the engine, then the stock tune would not work. Case in point, my Bullitt has the tune because of the Brenspeed Detroit Rockers, camshafts that were installed. The stock tune would not work with those camshafts, so a custom tune made the ECU happy, but as a result the monitors would not all run. Therefore, I have to get the waiver every two years.

 

[GallopGreg]

The emissions place did not mention the noise when I took it in here in Illinois last year.

As for the upgrades, I am not sure that there are other upgrades. Just based off of how the car performs, I doubt that there are aftermarket cams, or anything else. But, with my luck, the issues will continue once it is flashed to stock.

I called a shop regarding the waivers, and they told "it does not work like that". They have to work to look for issues, etc. Illinois itself requires me to spend $450 on attempting repairs before they give me a waiver. I just happened to change the alternator recently. I will try to find a way to chalk that $200 fix to the $450 if it comes to it.

Thanks for all of your help, I hope this gets worked out before the end of the month!

 

[2017GT350]

For $499 you can buy an HP Tuner and read the file you have now and save it. Then in the file you can go to the DTCs and disable all the rear 02 sensor error codes. No problem passing inspection then. And too you can make all the changes you want to your file.

 

[GallopGreg]

UPDATE:

I had the car flashed to the stock tune. All monitors have completed except the EVAP - even the three that gave me problems (Catalyst Monitor, 02 Sensor Monitor, and 02 Heater Monitor). I am just waiting for the EVAP to complete (some more highway driving needed I suppose since this was a monitor that did not give me an issues previously). Would a BBK intake cause this monitor to not complete? It completed with the tune on it....

Also, my speedometer is now off by roughly 10 mph. Ford said that this is because of the wheels being 20". In order to fix it, I will need stock wheels as wheel as taking the Eibach lowering suspension out. is there anyway to fix this the way the car is now?

When I tune the car in the future, obviously with a tuner that I buy and possess, will I be able to just tune the car to stock to take emissions every two years and repeat now that I have the stock tune on my car? Will tuning it every two years cause any issues?

Thanks for all of your help during this headache of a time! It is very appreciated.

 

[GallopGreg]

Update:

Now the system is running too lean: P0170 Bank 1. Would the aftermarket BBK CAI be causing this? I started running 87 instead of 93 (after the check engine came on) because the tune is no longer on the car.

 

[Noobz347]

Update:

Now the system is running too lean: P0170 Bank 1. Would the aftermarket BBK CAI be causing this? I started running 87 instead of 93 (after the check engine came on) because the tune is no longer on the car.

Possibly. Try re-clocking the Mass Air-Flow sensor to a different position. Change it 1/8 to 1/4 turn and see if it clears up.

 

[GallopGreg]

Thank you.

How long do you think it takes for the code to clear after I fix the issue without clearing the codes?

 

[Noobz347]

Thank you.

How long do you think it takes for the code to clear after I fix the issue without clearing the codes?

I would pull the battery terminal and clear the ECU (applying the brake after disconnect is said to help). Take a few minutes with no juice to clear. Then go drive and see if it returns.

 

[GallopGreg]

Possibly. Try re-clocking the Mass Air-Flow sensor to a different position. Change it 1/8 to 1/4 turn and see if it clears up.

I can't reclock the MAF as far as I know because of the way it is screwed into the CAI pipe.
I took it to my mechanic and it needed a new intake manifold. Now all the monitors are complete, no check engine, but the code still shows as pending. What does this mean? Will I be able to pass emissions at this point?

 

[GallopGreg]

Hey guys,

I replaced the MAF sensor and it is now giving me a P0113 code along with the P0171. It is a Duralast MAF sensor, and I changed back to the stock intake (got P0113 before putting stock intake on). I have never flashed the code. Do you think flashing the code will help keep the light off, or should the MIL go off on it's own? Anyone hear of the Duralast MAF sensor not working on Mustangs?

My mechanic is telling me that the car might not like the sensor since P0113 popped up after changing the sensor.