Ford GT's Getting Flagged by CARB!

[ChipBeck]

Gentlemen,

In AZ any car that has collector car insurance is exempt from having to go through emissions, even a brand new car. Saves a lot of hassle and has allowed me to mod my 1992 Porsche 964 without worry about the next inspection. I would imagine several other states allow similar exemptions for collector cars. Might be something to check into depending on where you live.

Chip

 

[AJB]

Well, move to Michigan. !!
No vehicle, regardless of your insurance or insurance company or anything else for that matter has any emission test, road test, brake test .....or state inspection.
Andy (ajb)

 

[jaxgt]

Same as FL. No inspections of any sort

 

[extrap]

Same as FL. No inspections of any sort

Right .. we used to, way back when. I was a kid then. Inspections were held in a hot warehouse. Didn't seem like much fun for anybody, on either side. But we had much cleaner air and safer vehicles .. wait .. right? How have we made it 30+ years since then

 

[BlackICE]

Interesting BAD news!

Most cars should be able to run and pass with a stock tune installed even with a pulley or Whipple. However when you go to a ref station your car is going to get a complete visual inspection for any non-CARB approved parts that may effect emissions. Eg. if the tech measures your pulley, not stock size car fails. Some Whipples have a CARB number so should pass, you should have a CARB exemption sticker on the car. You can get them from Whipple. Get rid is any stuff like after market throttle bodies, Mafia, blow by catch cans, etc. If you are running smaller pulley or Whipple don't get on the boost or your engine may suffer damage. Drive to reset all the monitor codes. It's a PITA. I drove for 100's of miles and couldn't get the cat monitor to reset. It was during a cold weather period. I ended up covering up some of my radiator so the engine got hotter that seemed to do the trick.

Good luck for those of us poor suckers still living in CA.

BTW I have another car with reg. due Aug 2. Went to a 2 test stations yesterday, both were out of operation because of lack of communications with the DMV computers. So I paid without a smog test and will have to get tested later. The CA DMV is even more screwed up that usual. I know someone that passed inspection and paid but is waiting for his sticker for over 3 weeks. It usually takes 1 week.

Covid problems? Who knows.

 

[twobjshelbys]

I got a little info. Something about the tuner needs to use the original "As Built PCM Strategy Code"... Apparently Saleen Mustang tunes are affected too.

 

[SYCO GT]

Does anyone know the recommended drive cycle procedure for a FGT reset?

It was bit of an ordeal with the OBD II air-cooled Porsches. One time I got the drive cycle completed and then had to drop my boys at school. It's hard to clear under normal driving conditions, and it's also hard to complete safely without a decent route based on the conditions. Sure enough, light came back on by the time I made it over to the station. Next time it was cleared I was able to go straight to the station and passed. Now I have a OBD I air-cooled.

 

[SYCO GT]

So I paid without a smog test and will have to get tested later.

What happens with that method - do you just avoid late reg fees, and don't receive a sticker until you submit a smog certificate at a later date?

 

[twobjshelbys]

Does anyone know the recommended drive cycle procedure for a FGT reset?

It was bit of an ordeal with the OBD II air-cooled Porsches. One time I got the drive cycle completed and then had to drop my boys at school. It's hard to clear under normal driving conditions, and it's also hard to complete safely without a decent route based on the conditions. Sure enough, light came back on by the time I made it over to the station. Next time it was cleared I was able to go straight to the station and passed. Now I have a OBD I air-cooled.

Ford Motor Company Driving Cycle

First, get your self a Bluetooth OBDII reader and the Torque app (Android only, free). I'm sure there are others that will do the same thing. This app can read the system readiness indicators.

Start with a general drive - a short jaunt on a freeway for 5 minutes then a little bit of city traffic. It will clear a few of the easy ones. Then I follow the instructions specifically for the missing items one at a time.

 

[MGinLA]

Trying to get Catalytic Converters to reset took sometime. I had to run through the drive cycles a few times. Seems like California is making it harder for older cars to pass smog even with plug and pay (checking to see is the monitors are set). I am a little worried that my Shelby modified Mustang will not pass with a tune.

 

[BlackICE]

What happens with that method - do you just avoid late reg fees, and don't receive a sticker until you submit a smog certificate at a later date?

This is not legal advice since I'm not an attorney or licensed attorney in any state of the USA

You avoid the late fees. After you complete your smog test a sticker will be sent to you. I used to be within 10 days, but I'm still waiting. Technically you can't let your tires touch the public roadway without a completed and paid for registration. So to follow the letter of the law you have to trailer your car to the smog test station, or ask DMV for a temp operating permit. Without my sticker I believe I'm safe as long I as carry my paperwork showing paid on time registration and a passed smog test. Although the police may disagree in which case I would have to go to court and hope the judge would accept that as valid.

Temporary Operating Permits - California DMV

A Temporary Operating Permit (TOP) may be issued in certain circumstances when all registration fees have been paid, but license plates and/or registration stickers haven’t been issued.

www.dmv.ca.gov

 

[SYCO GT]

Cat back (Heffner) exhaust okay for visual inspection by referee?

 

[nota4re]

Cat-back is OK. We have a specific ~13 mi "loop" where we are 4 for 4 in getting ALL of the GT monitors to set.

 

[SYCO GT]

Cat-back is OK. We have a specific ~13 mi "loop" where we are 4 for 4 in getting ALL of the GT monitors to set.

Thanks! Any basic / helpful tips for creating our own little road course if it's not a trade secret (or even if it is) would be appreciated as we navigate these treacherous waters...

 

[nota4re]

Read the drive cycle guide in Post 29. Understand that CATs are probably the hardest - so maybe "favor" that section. Then, think about the roads around your house and which would provide you the opportunity to perform those scenarios. I've found that the monitors won't set until you have 2 or 3, "you drive like an old pussy" shout-outs from other motorists. I think there's an Alexa-like microphone mounted somewhere on the car waiting for that phrase. Then you're good.

 

[SYCO GT]

Oh that is hilarious. I remember trying to find a place to drive the air-cooled 993 for a certain distance to reset flags at like 40 mph or whatever the low speed was. In Southern Cal that is not a safe thing to do anywhere!!!

 

[BM SoCal]

Read the drive cycle guide in Post 29. Understand that CATs are probably the hardest - so maybe "favor" that section. Then, think about the roads around your house and which would provide you the opportunity to perform those scenarios. I've found that the monitors won't set until you have 2 or 3, "you drive like an old pussy" shout-outs from other motorists. I think there's an Alexa-like microphone mounted somewhere on the car waiting for that phrase. Then you're good.

Right, 4 constant speeds between 25 and 45 mph. Doesn’t say for how long you maintain them and it’s HARD to go so slowly! I found some local streets at 730am weekends was good, drove a circuit with right turns only so I didn’t get stuck at lights.

 

[BM SoCal]

What happens with that method - do you just avoid late reg fees, and don't receive a sticker until you submit a smog certificate at a later date?

I was in the same boat and was pulled over while driving the cycle for reset. Showed the officer I’d paid the reg and explained my battery had gone dead thus I had to drive it out. He understood and as my insurance and DL were valid he wished me a good day and that he liked my car.

You can also pick up a one way permit from AAA and ask them to leave it blank. Ace in the hole as you were “on your way” and didn’t know you had to have it filled out.

 

[twobjshelbys]

I was in the same boat and was pulled over while driving the cycle for reset. Showed the officer I’d paid the reg and explained my battery had gone dead thus I had to drive it out. He understood and as my insurance and DL were valid he wished me a good day and that he liked my car.

The same thing happened to me. Driving along the southern portion of Las Vegas Blvd (the only long stretch of street in Vegas other than a freeway near me) and I would get up to speed, run for a minute and then pull over on the unfinished gravel side. Did it twice and the cop pulled up behind me... Explained what I was doing and he said "oh, that" and left.

 

[SYCO GT]

A few days ago, I came near my due date, and couldn't get my last indicator ready (CAT). So I paid online.

After another several days of stop and go driving under 45mph, I got the CAT light ready.

I can agree that for me, the CAT section was the hardest to get ready. Yes, in So Cal you are likely to get bulldozed over trying to get that reset and it feels like such a waste of mileage. Thumbs up all around, but still, I know people are like, this guy is no fun, why is he droning along...

Went to the STAR STATION as required and PASSED. No sniffer. Visual testing and then it goes pretty quickly after that.

Yay. What a relief. Thanks to everyone for the tips. I did constant speeds at low rpms in different speed ranges.