Dirtyswiff

Can anyone recommend a smog shop to go to near Whittier CA. This is my first
smog with my 8. just want everything to go smoothly. thanks in advance.

Grace_Excel

iTrader: (5)

Why are you concerned about not passing? Do you have a CEL, dead CAT-Converter?

Dirtyswiff

Well I have the stock cat in my garage. It's in prestine condition despite 69k miles it has. I have the ap system on now I'm gonna put the cat back on soon when I decide to get it smogged never been through the process of putting the cat back on and seeing if it passes never smogged a rotary don't know if there are specifics in deciding where to get it smogged. Or if some shops are better then others. Also I know a lot of members do this but does swapping the cat on and off with a midpipe harm the car in any way?

Grace_Excel

iTrader: (5)

Swapping it back and forth won't harm the engine as long as the OEM CAT is not clogged. I was doing that when I had my AP midpipe until I sold it. I have an extra CAT with the front packing pounded out, the lower half is still good. I'll keep it intact and use it once I find another O2 sensor for the CAT. My original one is seized with my CAT I'm currently using installed on the car.

You can pretty much bring it in at any smog shops. I took mine to three different SMOG certified shops since I bought my RX-8, it takes only 15 minutes. But before you spend $50; you should check and make sure your ignition system are in good working order, you have no CEL but if you do make sure you fix the issue, and lastly I would recommend you install your OEM CAT-CONVERTER back(of course, not clogged or hollowed out) and you can keep the AP cat-back exhaust for the SMOG test.

Here's what I know from experience:
- A CEL will automatically cause the shop to stop the test and your car will fail. I am not sure if they can detect hidden ones by the COBB AP, but they run the car at certain RPM for a few minutes(sometimes until they are satisfied that there's no CEL).
- If you do pass the CEL test but you have a midpipe installed, you will certainly fail the sniffer test because your emissions will be out of range, I'm sure you're aware of that since you have no CAT.

One of our club member, j9fd3s, have smogged a handfull of rotories. He may have a better insight on what criterias needed to meet for our cars to pass CA emissions.

Dirtyswiff

Thanks for ur help grace... Shoulda messaged u but ur not even near Whittier. I'll let u know how it goes the cat was fine when I took it off just had a little debris in the stock exhaust when I took it off to install the ap system. Other then that I got a cel for the gas cap the week before the install got that fixed. The ignition systems good the car starts up everyday with 2 or 3 clicks sometimes one. After the smog I'm gonna get the bhr setup....put the midpipe back on and start premixing.

Dirtyswiff

So after 3 tries and replacing my ignition system my car still failed for hydrocarbons. And the numbers kill me every time I look at them on paper..... everything passes except for the HC and it only failed by a little. then I cleaned plugs did the second test and passed everything missed by 1 point. Replaced coils plugs wires spent 250$ failed again just like the first time. Now I got this sinking feeling like replacing the cat is what I have to do. If anyone local can lend me their cat to pass this test I have a ap midpipe I could lend while I use the cat for the test. I really don't have time to drop a thousand+ on a new one right now especially with Christmas time. As I stated my ignition system is in healthy condition as I just replaced it two days ago. Thanks in advance.

Grace_Excel

iTrader: (5)

I have an extra one you could borrow, but the first packing had been removed, so it may possibly trip a CEL

If you are free tomorrow or next week. You could swap the one I have currently in my car.

Dirtyswiff

I'm trying another shop right now... Well see how this goes meantime I'm sure I would suffer the same consequences with urs but thanks anyway.

Dirtyswiff

No pass.... FML.

Dirtyswiff

Well Unless u just recently passed the test with it?

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

I don't know if this helps, but I recently bought a new Walker direct fit cat for $185 from Amazon. I won't be putting it on till summer though.
It says for pre '95 & OBD emissions & not Cali legal, so I don't know if it will pass a sniffer test, but maybe there are possible cheaper options than $1k.

Dirtyswiff

Nothings passing this CA snifter test that I thought we weren't gonna have anymore. haha I don't mind buying the oem cat I just need more time, I guess I could blow another 200+ on a high flow cat just for the test. but i thought the ignition fix was gonna do the job, don't wanna pay 400 bucks when I could just borrow a cat. but not so many 8s around me. otherwise a quick swap and my problems are done. hopefully someone can chime in with a cat that is healthy and has passed the test already. (fingers crossed)

Grace_Excel

iTrader: (5)

Honestly, I smogged my car last January and it passed with the CAT I currently have right now. That was 12,000 miles ago. It now has close to 90,000 miles... Are you paying for the smogs or is it one of those that offer a retest free of charge within two weeks after the initial fail?

Dirtyswiff

Went to two different smog stations the first three were from Whittier smog first charged 40 failed, went 2nd time it failed but it was free. I went today failed and it was free due to pity haha. Went to a referred one in la habra that was free because it failed. So I'm just weighing my options. Funny same thing happened to a guy in this forum but in jersey. He had like six or seven people offering to lend him a cat. Too bad my luck ain't the same.

Grace_Excel

iTrader: (5)

I posted this in your other thread, it may help:

j9fd3s

with the Rx8 the only piece of emissions equipment on the whole car is the cat, so its not like the older ones, where you have the air pump doing the majority of the work.

if it runs ok and still fails it needs a cat, an Rx8 with a good cat will have single digit HC numbers.

the PCM manages the cat temp too, so you can't get it really hot either.

i'd be tempted to try some alcohol, or one of those bottles of emissions cleaner uppers.

gasoline is C12 H18 and ethanol is C2 H5, so HC should go down, because there are fewer of them...

Dirtyswiff

Emissions cleaner? I'll look it up...I heard about the alcohol but at 71k can my engine handle stuff like this correct me if I'm wrong but I feel like it can harm my engine. Is there a thread on here I could search to find the process. I saw a thread about it but on rx7.com...but I dunno sounds risky.

Dirtyswiff

My cat is on its way out failed test by a little. So I Need to borrow one, I just replaced plugs and coils so I have a healthy ignition system. And a agency power midpipe u can use while I do the test. Hopefully someone around my area can help. Thanks.

j9fd3s

if you're worried about it, i wouldn't do it.

the older engines have no trouble, you add the alcohol when the fuel level is low, drive the car gently (no more than 50% throttle, keep it under 4000ish rpm) to the smog test, pass, and then fill up the gas tank.

i've never had to do it myself, as the Rx7's pass easily, but with the Rx8 you only have the cat instead of car + air injection

Dirtyswiff

It's only because I know I can get ahold of a member around me and do a simple swap. I'm just being patient. I signed up on two other forums to see if I could get anyone, nothing yet. But I'm actually considering a high flow cat for test only since I use a midpipe on a normal basis. Any personal suggestions? As I search for options. Something that maybe you've seen pass. And will last just two days every two years when I gotta smog.

Grace_Excel

iTrader: (5)

Well, having a high flow CAT is just like having a midpipe. I could be wrong, but I read long ago here in the forum that the only CAT that will not throw a CEL and pass the sniffer is our OEM CAT. Any visual indication that your CAT packing have deteriorated?

Dirtyswiff

Physically, it looks fine. The honeycomb screen seems to still be intact. Out of warranty and out of much choices. Like I said it is failing by very small numbers in the hydro carbon category. I can only imagine any cat less then 100% condition and something's gonna get through. What a sad deal. Haha but thanks for all ur help......you and j9fd3s. U guys have been very supportive. I've read a lot on both of ur troubleshooting on old threads about passing emissions, seems u guys have had more luck then I have but then again, I might as well be on an island alone if I can't even get a cat swap from a local. Lol anyway, Enjoy ur Christmas, meantime While I think of a master plan.

Dirtyswiff

Can Anyone around the 562 help with a smog test? Need use a cat for a test. I have a agency power dual resonated midpipe I could lend. Pm me or reply please and thanks

Dirtyswiff

Bump

Jedi54

iTrader: (7)

dirtyswiff, I understand you still need help passing smog but continuing to create more threads on the same topic is a clear violation of our Forum Rules

You already have these threads on this topic:
https://www.rx8club.com/new-member-f...k-help-249509/
https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-tro...g-smog-250080/