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Any Way Around Emissions in AZ

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bo0st

10+ Year Contributor
835
22
Jan 26, 2010
Phoenix, Arizona
Went to have my 95 GST tested and the guy just revs the shit out of it (more than I ever would) and it barely fails for C02

Any way I could get my vehicle exempt from testing or register it in another city etc?
 
check with your dmv and see what is actually required for testing purposes, and see if any counties are laxier than others on smog regs. When i was in cali i had to register out of state or pay huge fees under the table to have them "pass"
 
If you barely failed CO2 then I'm guessing you've got an aftermarket or no cat? If I'm wrong and you've still got the stock cat installed then you probably didn't "warm it up" enough so it wasn't working efficiently at idle. Go for a long (20min) drive before you take it back to the SMOG shop and you'll probably pass if you get it right on the rollers, if not then replace your cat for a stock one.

Maricopa and Pima counties are the only one's that require emissions testing in the state of Arizona, if you have an address anywhere else you're exempt.
 
Does switching to e85 exempt you? I just am about to move here (but I'm cuttently here) from canada. My cars are registered in washington state since thats where in origionally from LOL i guess i lucked out there cause my washington address doesnt require emissions. So I'll keeo it that way
 
Im live in california and reg my car in fort brag 3 hours away. You only need that first smog to get ur title and then your not required to do another smog.I live in petaluma where u need smog, online at dmv i moved my addres to fort bragg with my uncles p.o box and never have to do smog again on all my cars.
 
Does switching to e85 exempt you?
No, disclosing that you run an alternate fuel makes it harder to pass. I was considering getting the E85 plate when I first moved here but getting it requires two emissions test, one on pump gas and another with ethanol. F.king ridiculous.

My trick to passing, I go in on a Friday @ 6:45pm (they close @ 7pm for the weekend) so the last thing they want to do is sit there and comb through a car. Each time they've just plugged in their OBD tester and verify the checkers are passing then ask for my $25 so they can start the weekend early. :D

They've never popped the hood, never looked under the car, and never have checked the tailpipe readings. They don't even try to put it on the rollers because it's a GS-T VIN, which is something I hope I never have to explain.
 
That's the dumbest thing I've ever seen, probably works just as good as fuel injector cleaner or octane booster from Auto Zone.

Like I said, go for a nice 20min drive before you take it in to be tested to warm up the cat and don't shut the car off while you're waiting in line. Do you have all your emissions equipment still on the car?
 
No, disclosing that you run an alternate fuel makes it harder to pass. I was considering getting that when I first moved here but getting it requires two emissions test, one on pump gas and another with ethanol. F.king ridiculous.
WTF!!!!!!!! hopefully they don't notice my flex fuel badge or ethanol sensor.


Went to have my 95 GST tested and the guy just revs the sh** out of it (more than I ever would) and it barely fails for C02

Any way I could get my vehicle exempt from testing or register it in another city etc?
http://www.myazcar.com/exemptions.htm
yes, you can exempt your vehicle, but... If remember correctly...
it can only be done once on the vehicles vin. and its only good for a year or until the next test is due.
If your car can't pass emissions it means there is something wrong! if you know your cars mechanical condition is 100% excellent, then its more then likely a faulty cat.
 
If your car can't pass emissions it means there is something wrong! if you know your cars mechanical condition is 100% excellent, then its more then likely a faulty cat.
Doesn't mean something is wrong, some of us willingly ripped out our emissions stuff and car runs great! Lol just sayin
 
They don't care about FLEXFUEL badging, exhaust note, or E85 smell of the exhaust. I had my E85 badge and 3" turbo back exhaust installed (no cat) and when the guy was talking to me it was hard to hear him because the echo of the exhaust in their test building. They never looked under the hood or under the car, I didn't even get sniff checked.

OBD checkers and gas cap test then out the door.

I'm telling you, Friday/Saturday night 15m before they close and you're going to get waved through no problem. There were zero cars there when I pulled up and probably 3 tech's standing their watching the clock, they wanted to leave.

My plates expire this month and I'm due for another emissions test, probably going in Friday. Hopefully I get the same "service" I did last time...
 
Doesn't mean something is wrong, some of us willingly ripped out our emissions stuff and car runs great! Lol just sayin

I wasn't talking in-relation to the emission equipment, I was thinking more along the lines of things like faulty sensors, ignition mis-fire's worn out spark plugs or anything that would cause inadequate combustion.

Somehow all those OEM emission related parts on my 1g mysteriously came up missing. I'm not entirely sure how???? but i think i have an idea... LOL

When i went in they actually looked under my hood, checked for my cat. I told them my test pipe was a cat, LOL. (just to see if i could get by without have to buy one) & tested my gas cap. They didn't even ask me about all the missing emission parts.

Something i did do with my throttle body is, I removed all the vacuum nipples and sealed them off with quick steel, painted over it. from a glance looks as if there were never any vacuum lines to begin with. I doubt it fooled anyone. mainly did it for a cleaner look.

I'm gonna have follow gofers advice on the "end of shift Friday technique" coming up this year.
 
They don't care about FLEXFUEL badging, exhaust note, or E85 smell of the exhaust. I had my E85 badge and 3" turbo back exhaust installed (no cat) and when the guy was talking to me it was hard to hear him because the echo of the exhaust in their test building. They never looked under the hood or under the car, I didn't even get sniff checked.

OBD checkers and gas cap test then out the door.

I'm telling you, Friday/Saturday night 15m before they close and you're going to get waved through no problem. There were zero cars there when I pulled up and probably 3 tech's standing their watching the clock, they wanted to leave.

My plates expire this month and I'm due for another emissions test, probably going in Friday. Hopefully I get the same "service" I did last time...

I'll definitely try going in 15 minutes before closing, wish me luck!
 
...you might have a tougher time because you're coming in for a retest for an already failed sniff but, if you've got all your emissions equipment installed you'll probably pass if you just drive for 15-20m before pulling there to warm up the cat.
 
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but as long as I know emission test it's performed on 96 and above vehicles and yours it's 95. Probably it's just different in Az.
 
Might differ in his state because when I had my 95 talon and eclipse they got plugged to the obd2 for testesting sniff crap was obd1 they probly don't even know your car has obd2 just cause of the year. Two years straight took my talon tsi with dsmlink v2.5 pass with flying colors.
 
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but as long as I know emission test it's performed on 96 and above vehicles and yours it's 95. Probably it's just different in Az.

In AZ it varies by county, (Maracopa county requires emission's testing)
Vehicles 81-95 receive... fuel cap test, visual inspection, (sniffer only if AWD). For 2wd vehicles you get a fuel cap test, Visual inspection, dyno/sniffer test.
1996+ vehicles will not be ran on the rollers (even if its 2wd) and will only receive a fuel cap test and OBD-2 code check (possibly a visual inspection?) I have two OBD-2 vehicles and they've never opened the hood on either of them during testing.

A recent law was passed that exempt's motorcycle's from emission's testing in Maracopa county.

Technically bo0st's car should only be OBD-2 tested and not ran on the rollers. It might be too late but... @bo0st I would try telling them your car is OBD-2. and see what tell you.


http://www.myazcar.com/why-and-how-we-test.htm
 
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What if you made a hidden diverter valve to divert some exhaust away from the muffler so when they test they only get a percentage of whats coming out so it seems cleaner. Or do they measure percent composition?
 
My GTR just passed with catless Downpipes catless y pipe like someone else said earlier its All On When You go.
 
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