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Thread: Help! Chicago Emissions Testing

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    Help! Chicago Emissions Testing

    Well, I kinda expected this to happen, but I don't really know the best way to get around/through it. Any proven help would be greatly appreciated.

    Bought my 02 last year. Previously owned by a member on here who installed a cat-back and a Sniper tune. Since I've had it, I installed a JLT intake, and long tube headers. I am not running any cats on the truck, but all the O2 sensors are "in" (primaries are in the header collectors, and secondaries are in the bungs that I had welded into the midpipes). My official emissions testing date is Oct. 31, but I brought it in early for giggles, and to give myself more time if I didn't pass. The test came back as "'Rejected" (not "failed", but can result in the same revocation of registration after enough unsuccessful attempts). 20150729_183532.jpg
    I was planning on buying an SCT tuner anyhow, possibly from Lethal Performance, and having one or two custom tunes added in with the canned tunes. One tune for "passing emissions" and one tune performance geared particularly to my mods. My question is, does anyone have any experience with any custom tuners that can make a tune so that all my systems register as "on" but I can still pass emissions? I don't want to put cats on it, but if it's necessary I guess I'd do it. I know of guys running straight exhausts with MIL elims on their mustangs and they pass no problem. My truck doesn't throw any codes and I don't have any check engine lights on currently, and the emissions testing around Chicago do not do any sniff tests, visual inspections or tire-rolling tests, so this should just be a matter of temporarily tricking the computer. Any one have any suggestions or have been through something similar? Help would be greatly appreciated.

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    Lund Racing

    Well, I talked to Jon Lund at Lund Racing/Tuning, and he essentially told me I have to put cats on the truck. Dammit. I was hoping I could get away with restoring the factory tune, using my Actron scanner to delete all CEL's and codes right before testing, and pray that I'd pass. I think I might give that a go before putting the cats on.

    I'm really surprised...44 views and no replies. Did I post this in the wrong section maybe?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Octane View Post
    I'm really surprised...44 views and no replies. Did I post this in the wrong section maybe?
    Naw, we haven't emissions testing in Florida for a long, long time.


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    AJ2004 (09-28-2015)

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    I live in Illinois also but I'm down by stl. So our emissions should be the same . That being said my truck is 100% stock so I can't help you with trips and tricks. I would try the factory tune first. What's it going to hurt. I think it is just a computer issue judging by your emissions slip, but remember I'm just guessing. Maybe my lack of knowledge will help spark some conversation. How did your friends pass with their mustangs? Did you try any other performance shops?

    #8022 L&S oil separator, color matched tailgate handle and license plate bulb covers . Fog light mod ,Venom mod , JLP CAI and JLP rear shackles for a 3" drop out back. More to come.......SOLD ...........no more to come.

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    Merlin: Niiiice...lol! Stupid Illinois.
    Last edited by Octane; 08-04-2015 at 07:31 PM. Reason: @ Merlin

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    B.O.B., I bought the truck with the Sniper tune on it and thats why all the OBD's are turned "off". So I have a couple options...
    1.return truck to stock. (Nope)
    2.have cats installed and find a tuner that will produce an "emissions only" tune for me. (Kiss $1k goodbye)
    3.theoretically move to a county that has no emissions testing
    4.insure the truck as a "show car" only and prove that to the state.

    I am going to exhaust (ha) options 2, 3, and 4 before even thinking about returning it to stock.

    What Im wondering is if anyone knows any good tuners that can produce an "emissions only" tune for me.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Octane View Post
    B.O.B., I bought the truck with the Sniper tune on it and thats why all the OBD's are turned "off". So I have a couple options...
    1.return truck to stock. (Nope)
    2.have cats installed and find a tuner that will produce an "emissions only" tune for me. (Kiss $1k goodbye)
    3.theoretically move to a county that has no emissions testing
    4.insure the truck as a "show car" only and prove that to the state.

    I am going to exhaust (ha) options 2, 3, and 4 before even thinking about returning it to stock.

    What Im wondering is if anyone knows any good tuners that can produce an "emissions only" tune for me.
    That's what I figured they were turned off. I just joined lightning rodder in hopes to find someone down by stl. I will let you know what I find out. Their is a place down here but I don't care for the owner. I've had him do some work on my first Gen lightning and was not impressed!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Octane View Post
    3.theoretically....
    Lol This has my vote
    2000 L
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    Update...thus far I have changed the plate registration to my new "theoretical address" in a non-emissions county. Now, it's not like they are going to send me a "eh, nevermind the emission test thing" notice, so I have to keep checking online for when the change of address goes through, and then request a new registration renewal. Hoping that works (it ought to). In case it doesnt, I bought MIL eliminators and an SCT X4 with two custom tunes on it (one for passing emissions, and one for actual power) from a tuner I found on NLOC. Going to install the emissions tune this week and see how it goes.

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    every time you reset the tune (or have the battery die/be replaced), P1000 will be set in computer until you drive enough miles for all the OBD readiness monitors to complete their self tests under certain conditions.

    So, watch for that.
    2002 DSG HD #09617 NHTOC Truck of the month November 2012
    Ported eaton/plenum/tb, 6lb lower, SCT BA-2600 MAF, OBX longtubes, JLP intake, FTVB, L-spec bilsteins, Hotchkis TVS, 22" replicas. Tuned by Ray McClelland of FTK

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    Alright, here are the results. I HAVE to share this story, because it just worked out so well! (those of you in emissions-testing states will really enjoy this). It feels like retribution for having to sell my 87 Monte SS as a teenager because it wouldn't pass emissions...

    I installed MIL Eliminators, and bought an SCT X4 with two custom tunes on it. One tune was strictly for "passing emissions only", and the other for power with my specific mods (which really achieved the gains I was looking for, by the way!). Keep in mind that I changed registration for the truck to a different "address" a month prior (and no, it's not a relative's house). I figured between those two options, one of them had to work.

    I loaded the "emissions only" tune and drove like a grandma to the emissions testing station for "round 2". the technician scanned my paper, looked at me funny, and said "It's coming up rejected...let me ask my boss". Boss man comes out and says "this is your second time here, right? First time you came through and your systems were reading 'not ready', right?"

    "yup"

    "Well, it says here that you're exempt from emissions testing now. Did you move recently?"

    (I swear to god he could see the horns coming up out of the top of my head) "Why yes, yes I did. I moved to (non-emissions county)"

    "Oh, well that explains it. You can go." and he gave me a little smile and a nod, like he was almost saying "good for you son". So off I went, burbling 3" catless exhaust and the biggest sh*t eating grin since I bought this truck :-)

    The only challenge I foresee is if I go to the currency exchange to renew my plates, if the address differs from that on my license....but I don't think that will be an issue. "Uh, it's registered there because that's where I store it." oughta work, lol. Plus the state already sent me a renewal card to my home address, so everything should be copacetic for at least the next two years. Or until someone catches on.....

    Finally...score one for the "average joe"! Beating "the man" always feels good!

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    Congrats on getting through it. That's the b*tch of modding these trucks. Everyone says, "Oh, you can fix XXX in the tune". Then why do so many have issues getting through inspection if it were so easy? I see threads all the time with people asking how to get around emissions, only to constantly be told to talk to their tuner. For me, around here having your systems show N/A isn't going to cut it, when they know damn good and well these vehicles are new enough to have cats, EGR's, and evap systems. They are looking for "ready", not "N/A". I now live about a mile outside of the inspection zone. So no worries anymore. But the last time I had to do emissions, it was a huge PITA. I ended up having to re-install my EGR and factory mid-pipes for the cats, and load the stock tune and putt around like a grandma until I was able to get all the readiness codes to clear (P1000 code). I went in once a week for a month and a half and the damn thing still didn't show all functions ready. Probably cause I could barely drive the damn thing being so modded on a stock tune. Finally, the LAST DAY my registration was good, the truck passes at about 7pm, just before they closed. I was so relieved; it was my daily driver back then, I didn't know what I was going to do if it didn't pass again.

    When it came time to move, I told my wife were moving outside of the DEQ zone. She always wanted to live in the country anyway. Now all I have to do is return the DMV paperwork with an extra form stating I live outside of the DEQ testing area and the truck never has to come out of the garage. Which is kind of funny being I live about 10 minutes away from the nearest inspection shop; where half of the greater Portland area residents probably live farther than that since there is only about 5 testing stations all around town. I just happen to live on the other side of the county line. Saves a bit of money too, I have 5 vehicles, and don't have to pay for, or waste time testing for any of them. And 3 of them are due the same month as well, so its a chunk of change when that time comes around.

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    to throw into this, I just passed California smog with my truck, with longtubes/etc.

    In CA it's a computer scan only for 2000 and later cars now. I have the rear o2 sensors turned off in my tune so the readiness monitors all look completely clean and normal. It doesn't say n/a, it says ready. Took about 10 minutes, most of that was the guy recording down the carb # information which I had put stickers under the hood for (AFE intake, even though I have a JLP ram air, and JBA shorty headers, even though I have OBX longtubes).

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    Congrats on getting everything figured out.

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    Congrats Octane. Love stories like this. They're rare.

    That reminds me, I didn't see a sticker on my new (to me) CAI while I was installing it. I'll need to look into that. Maybe I'll just throw anything on it. Seemed to work for Blind!

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