Failed Emissions in NOVA
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From: Arroyo Grande CA
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I don't know,,, I'll bet the local dealer will tell you they won't honor a warranty on non-standard equipment (unless they installed it).
I do think the VA Bch dealer has no choice but to honor the warranty because he sold you the car as it sits (with the headers).
Here's the rub... they won't just delete the P0420 code because they can't (by law). They probably don't know how to tune the car with the headers so it will pass....
Tell them you won't force them to take the car back if they pay for an aftermarket tuner to tune the car ($300-400). They'll probably like that idea. Then you get a dyno tuned car that passes emissions.
Everyone ends up happy. Good luck
I do think the VA Bch dealer has no choice but to honor the warranty because he sold you the car as it sits (with the headers).
Here's the rub... they won't just delete the P0420 code because they can't (by law). They probably don't know how to tune the car with the headers so it will pass....
Tell them you won't force them to take the car back if they pay for an aftermarket tuner to tune the car ($300-400). They'll probably like that idea. Then you get a dyno tuned car that passes emissions.
Everyone ends up happy. Good luck
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
From: Manassas VA
Yeah, I think this is what I'm going to try to do. I'm just hoping that it will pass the OBD-II test afterwards. It already passed the visual inspection so I'm not too worried about that.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 419
Likes: 3
From: Lexington VA
St. Jude Donor '11
This may be a dumb question but I have to ask.
Why don't you just drive the car south in Virginia far enough where they don't worry or care or test for emission testing? (I'm in Rockbridge County, two hours south of NOVA)
Roll into a gas station, they check the break pads, ball joints, lights, horn and a couple of other things. They don't care about your codes or what's under the car as long as the exhaust isn't leaking.
Then they scrape off the old sticker and slap on a new one: $20.00 max.
That's got to be way too simple to work!
Is the NOVA (northern virginia) state inspection sticker any different than those down this way? I don't think so but maybe I'm wrong.
Good Luck!
Why don't you just drive the car south in Virginia far enough where they don't worry or care or test for emission testing? (I'm in Rockbridge County, two hours south of NOVA)
Roll into a gas station, they check the break pads, ball joints, lights, horn and a couple of other things. They don't care about your codes or what's under the car as long as the exhaust isn't leaking.
Then they scrape off the old sticker and slap on a new one: $20.00 max.
That's got to be way too simple to work!
Is the NOVA (northern virginia) state inspection sticker any different than those down this way? I don't think so but maybe I'm wrong.
Good Luck!
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
From: Manassas VA
This may be a dumb question but I have to ask.
Why don't you just drive the car south in Virginia far enough where they don't worry or care or test for emission testing? (I'm in Rockbridge County, two hours south of NOVA)
Roll into a gas station, they check the break pads, ball joints, lights, horn and a couple of other things. They don't care about your codes or what's under the car as long as the exhaust isn't leaking.
Then they scrape off the old sticker and slap on a new one: $20.00 max.
That's got to be way too simple to work!
Is the NOVA (northern virginia) state inspection sticker any different than those down this way? I don't think so but maybe I'm wrong.
Good Luck!
Why don't you just drive the car south in Virginia far enough where they don't worry or care or test for emission testing? (I'm in Rockbridge County, two hours south of NOVA)
Roll into a gas station, they check the break pads, ball joints, lights, horn and a couple of other things. They don't care about your codes or what's under the car as long as the exhaust isn't leaking.
Then they scrape off the old sticker and slap on a new one: $20.00 max.
That's got to be way too simple to work!
Is the NOVA (northern virginia) state inspection sticker any different than those down this way? I don't think so but maybe I'm wrong.
Good Luck!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 3,438
Likes: 30
From: Fairfax Virginia
Absoulutely bring it back to the dealer. As others have said, they cannot sell you a car that won't pass emissions. I'm suprised that an emissions test and new sticker wasnt done before you took delivery. Anyhow, bring it back where you bought it and have them do whatever they have to do for the car to pass, and have them do the new emissions test and issue you the new sticker.
Heavily urban areas such as the Northern VA suburbs of the Wash, D.C. are are subject to the emission inspection requirements in order to obtain your license plates, but other areas of the state are not subject to those requirement since the do not have the "air quality/smog" issues of the urban area. So a dealer outside of NOVA would not need to do emission inspection, but the purchaser would be obligated to do that once they bring the car to NOVA for licensing.
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Joined: Jul 2007
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From: Reno is so close to Hell you can see Sparks , State Of Confusion
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There is a two-tiered inspection system in VA. There is a uniform state wide safety inspection which all vehicles registered in VA must pass. That is the inspection that requires the sticker on the window and it must be done every year. The is also an emission inspection, but it is not state wide.
Heavily urban areas such as the Northern VA suburbs of the Wash, D.C. are are subject to the emission inspection requirements in order to obtain your license plates, but other areas of the state are not subject to those requirement since the do not have the "air quality/smog" issues of the urban area. So a dealer outside of NOVA would not need to do emission inspection, but the purchaser would be obligated to do that once they bring the car to NOVA for licensing.
Heavily urban areas such as the Northern VA suburbs of the Wash, D.C. are are subject to the emission inspection requirements in order to obtain your license plates, but other areas of the state are not subject to those requirement since the do not have the "air quality/smog" issues of the urban area. So a dealer outside of NOVA would not need to do emission inspection, but the purchaser would be obligated to do that once they bring the car to NOVA for licensing.
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I don't know,,, I'll bet the local dealer will tell you they won't honor a warranty on non-standard equipment (unless they installed it).
I do think the VA Bch dealer has no choice but to honor the warranty because he sold you the car as it sits (with the headers).
Here's the rub... they won't just delete the P0420 code because they can't (by law). They probably don't know how to tune the car with the headers so it will pass....
Tell them you won't force them to take the car back if they pay for an aftermarket tuner to tune the car ($300-400). They'll probably like that idea. Then you get a dyno tuned car that passes emissions.
Everyone ends up happy. Good luck
I do think the VA Bch dealer has no choice but to honor the warranty because he sold you the car as it sits (with the headers).
Here's the rub... they won't just delete the P0420 code because they can't (by law). They probably don't know how to tune the car with the headers so it will pass....
Tell them you won't force them to take the car back if they pay for an aftermarket tuner to tune the car ($300-400). They'll probably like that idea. Then you get a dyno tuned car that passes emissions.
Everyone ends up happy. Good luck
I would take it to a reputable Corvette shop over a dealer.
Good Luck!
