Passing Inspection in MD with a 3" Turbo Back

[drxlcarfreak]

Hey guys, I have been reading posts and learning as much as I can, but this is actually my first post on here.

Anyways, I recently bought a 1995 Talon TSI AWD up in Pennsylvania to bring back down to Baltimore. I got a decent deal on it, but it is a bit more beat up than I had hoped, so I am fixing all of the little things that are needed to pass inspection (windshield, door handles etc.), but my biggest concern is it came with a 3" full turbo back exhaust.

I originally was going to try and fly under the radar, but that didnt work out too well. I guess my options right now are to either find a full stock exhaust, or find a high flow cat and hack up the exhaust.

I would rather not hack up the exhaust to just put a test pipe to pass the visual inspection because I still do have to pass emissions every 2 years until I can register it as a historic car. I guess my question is, is a stock exhaust from the turbo back available or will it cost way to much to be at all feasible?

I would rather just switch the exhausts out for inspection and emissions every 2 years than cut up the exhaust thats on there now.

 

[stukyl28]

Why do you think your exhaust will fail emissions? Cause of a test pipe?

 

[drxlcarfreak]

Well there isnt even a test pipe on there right now. It is just 2 mandrel bent pipes bolted together with 1 O2 sensor. No welds on it that could be miscontrued as a converter.

 

[little-razcal]

I have a 3" high flow cat if you interested. I'm out of town until the 13th, but If you can wait till then, your welcome to it. I would honestly try to bring it through anyway. You may slip through. I would worry about getting it on if you really need it.

 

[import_fantasy]

Yea your best bet is to find a full stock exhaust. Im sure someone in the area has one for sale. Try craigslist too.

 

[drxlcarfreak]

I guess I could get a temporary registration and try and pass inspection as it sits now and see what they say. I would like to get a stock exhaust, but it seems that everyone parting their cars out already has 3" turbo back exhausts on their cars!

If I fail and cannot find a stock exhaust, I would definitely pick that 3" cat up from you.

 

[AlaskanDsm]

Or you could go all sneaky style and find some converter heat shields and tack weld them to the current exhaust to make it "appear" to have a converter... Always worth a shot....

 

[crazyquik22023]

Not sure about Maryland but here in Ohio all they do is a visual inspection for if you have a catalytic converter and if you car is 1995 or newer they just hook it up to a scanner and if you have no CEL's you pass. If your car is older than 1995 they put it on rollers and drive at 25mph and hook a pipe up to your exhaust to read the emissions. I've gotten away with zip-tying 2 heat shield over my straight pipe to make it look like a cat. Recently though I bought a 3" high flow cat and just bought 2 3" 2 bolt flanges and cut a section of my exhaust away to fit the cat and made my own test pipe. Not that hard to do.

 

[drxlcarfreak]

Haha, that is a sneaky style option. I may just get a 3" high flow cat and stick it on there.

There is currently an O2 sensor on the exhaust typically after where a cat would be, but my car isnt throwing any codes. Should I put the cat in front of this O2 as typical or would this somehow make it throw a code?

 

[wdawson4]

Make sure you get a quality cat because I just went though an issue where I bought a "high flow" cat and in the middle or a 3rd gear pull while getting a tune. My cat blew out blew out clogged the piping and shut my car down so we had to gut it out and now I have a 300 dollar test pipe.

 

[drxlcarfreak]

Well, I just got it on the road with 2 year registration!

Thanks for your help guys!

I just heard from my roommate that my ECMlink just showed up, so let the tuning commence.

 

[red92tsi]

Did you pass with the 3" exhaust?
Here in Illinois we dont have to test our cars if they are 1996 or older.

 

[drxlcarfreak]

I did pass inspection with the 3" exhaust, but I just received my emissions notice yesterday so I will be working on getting that completed now! Damn Maryland! PA was so much easier to get things passed!

I am going to break down and just buy an $80 Magnaflow converter and just do the test pipe deal. I will keep you guys updated.

 

[zcoh2gdsm]

if you have an obd2 they read it for any CEL's on there, those guys could care less about getting on their hands and knees to look for a cat. I (in Pa, almost the same exact laws) run a full 3" turbo back with a test pipe and dont run any CEL's and still pass emissions. Google search how to trick an o2 sensor and you use a sparkplug and an old o2 sensor.

 

[EclipseTical]

I did pass inspection with the 3" exhaust, but I just received my emissions notice yesterday so I will be working on getting that completed now! Damn Maryland! PA was so much easier to get things passed!

I am going to break down and just buy an $80 Magnaflow converter and just do the test pipe deal. I will keep you guys updated.

I have passed MD emissions the last 3 times with a full 3" exhaust and no cat. As long as you aren't throwing codes and have a decent tune you'll pass emissions in MD

 

[ed1380]

I passed 2 weeks ago with a full 3". He looked at it for a while and then just said I had a high flow cat. I dont, only have the rear o2 in.

I would just do the fake heatshield. no need to waste money on a high flow cat

 

[drxlcarfreak]

Hmmm, thanks for the help guys. I have to go in the next couple of weeks, so I will let you know how it goes!

 

[redpit]

i just passed emissions test. pre 96 , meaning 95 on down , gas cap test and tail pipe siffer only. i have a 3 inch exhaust my car. and my truck just passed to. they did even check for a cat. i didn't even get out the car or the truck. they didn't even look at the dash to see if i had a light on and i did have a abs light. they wasn't suppose to test it but they. i take all my test on caton ave , early bird gets the worm.

 

[drxlcarfreak]

Haha good news! I guess I will head down to the Erdman Ave one here shortly then!

 

[redpit]

i went to caton ave both times i was tested

 

[tsunari]

I've never had anyone check for a CAT when doing emissions (get mine done in Columbia). I just roll up, they check the fuel cap, hook it up to the OBDII scanner, then I roll out.

On a side-note . . . for good exhaust work/fabrication, I suggest checking out Mandrel Bending Solutions in Pasadena, MD

 

[redpit]

they don't check for it on 96 and up cars because on it being a obd2 car. if it didnt comply with the federal mandate it would through a code. and they check it for cleared engine lights to see if the has finished its drive cycle and set monitors. obd2 cars are no checked for cats. all other years are subject to be checked if there is a cause to do so. unless yu are pre emissions era .

mandrel bends are one on the top exhaust shops.they biuld my slip fit system 3 inch.and they also did my intercooling piping. i do think they also can do 4 inch mandrel bent. and roll cages.

 

[bertrenolds]

Another thing you could do if you have E85 in your area I have heard that putting some E85 in with regular gas on an empty tanks and then hitting the highway for a little while and then going directly to get it tested might help you pass. Tricking the o2 sensor though sounds like a better route since the people testing probably don't know shit about cars and only read what the CEL codes are telling them. Thanks jessey ventura for getting rid of emissions testing in MN!

 

['97boostinGST]

Is it me or is Cali the only state with a state Ref?

 

[bullettdsm]

they don't check for it on 96 and up cars because on it being a obd2 car. if it didnt comply with the federal mandate it would through a code.

Actually they CAN (not that anybody ever does) I believe the current federal fine is $2,500 for the individual (again not that it is ever enforced or fined) and $25,000 for an establishemnt that does the work.

But if you want, you can look it up here under the 1990 federally ammended "Clean Air Act" Title II part A, section 203, code 7522.

So COULD it happen? I guess. Would it happen? You guys ever hit powerball?

MB