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BMW 3-Series (E90 E92) Forum > BMW E90/E92/E93 3-series General Forums > Regional Forums > USA - California > Catted or Catless in CA?



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      05-15-2010, 11:46 PM   #1
mechanixhorseman
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Catted or Catless in CA?

What are you all doing to pass smog?

I was thinking of doing catless DP's and high flow race cats on the midpipes, but I'm not sure if that would pass smog. What setup will yield the most power?

I don't suppose anyone is going fully catless and getting away with it somehow.
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      05-15-2010, 11:48 PM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mechanixhorseman View Post
What are you all doing to pass smog?

I was thinking of doing catless DP's and high flow race cats on the midpipes, but I'm not sure if that would pass smog. What setup will yield the most power?

I don't suppose anyone is going fully catless and getting away with it somehow.
Since our cars are new, they don't have to be smogged for a while. That means you can go completely catless. Even if you're caught via a smog station or police, you can revert back to stock and pass the smog. And then go back to being catless again.

When I had my Evo, I was the only one in the gang who actually had a cat, even though it was a high flow one. Everyone else went catless, you can see the brown smoke being puffed out from the muffler when they WOT it, lol.
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      05-16-2010, 01:10 AM   #3
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I thought smog in CA was annual no matter what car it is. My car is actually registered in IL (which also requires a smog check every couple of years), but I work on a military base which requires me to get a smog check just to register my car on base. I'd like to go fully catless. I wish there was a way to toggle a pair of cats on and off.
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      05-16-2010, 04:04 AM   #4
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For the first four years of a vehicle, you don't need a smog test. After that, it's every other year.
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      05-16-2010, 04:17 AM   #5
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I think it's 6 years for new cars.
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      05-16-2010, 04:55 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by VTECaddict View Post
I think it's 6 years for new cars.
+1, if the car was purchased new, you do not have to smog it for 6 years
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      05-16-2010, 05:44 PM   #7
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when its time for smog ill just pay them to pass me
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      05-16-2010, 06:35 PM   #8
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when its time for smog ill just pay them to pass me
Seems like it would be difficult for you to pay them off since they hook your car up to a machine which automatically sends the results off to somewhere else. I still have to get smogged every couple years just to be registered on base.
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      05-16-2010, 08:26 PM   #9
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so if I bought the car used does it need to be smogged 4 years after the day i bought it or 4 years after it was made? I have an 07.
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      05-16-2010, 08:34 PM   #10
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just get cat less downpipes + o2 fix or a procede and catless midpipes with test pipes and flanges so you can just unbolt the testpipe and bolt in some high flow cats or maybe your stock cats with flanges.
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      05-16-2010, 09:07 PM   #11
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i had it in my evo x for couple of weeks and couldn't stand the smell...
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      05-17-2010, 02:14 PM   #12
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A car doesn't have to be smogged for 6 years after the first registration date. So if the car bought orginally in 4/08 it doesn't have to be smogged till 4/14. The only exception is if you sell the car, then I believe it needs a smog then.

I ran 100 cell cats in my Evo IX. It worked good for keeping the smell down for normal driving, but under wOt it stunk like hell. I would say go catless, cops cannot look inside these engine bays for cats like other cars. Just be perpared to do the labor if you get a ticket.

FYI, Even High Flow Cats are illegal. Only cats that orginally came with the car are legal. You are only legally allowed to changed them after 10 years or a note from the DMV.
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      05-17-2010, 02:25 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mechanixhorseman View Post
Seems like it would be difficult for you to pay them off since they hook your car up to a machine which automatically sends the results off to somewhere else. I still have to get smogged every couple years just to be registered on base.
Its not too hard. I had a built integra and never once got it legally smogged as it would fail everytime. I had a buddy at a shop who did it. Simply give your cars info from the VIN to the weight. And all they use is another car of same make. ranges from $150-200 each time though...
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      05-17-2010, 05:12 PM   #14
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Catless all the way!!!
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      05-18-2010, 10:57 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by c_jeong89 View Post
so if I bought the car used does it need to be smogged 4 years after the day i bought it or 4 years after it was made? I have an 07.
if you bought the car used you have to get it smogged. no matter how old it is.
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      05-28-2010, 09:14 PM   #16
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To the last post, what if you bought it CPO? Wouldn't it already have been smogged?
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      05-29-2010, 03:25 PM   #17
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cats are for pussies
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      05-29-2010, 08:56 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Enicinitas View Post
To the last post, what if you bought it CPO? Wouldn't it already have been smogged?
The dealer smoged the car before you bought it. So it doesn't have to be smoged again for 6 years after first purchase date.
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