I don't know how you're going to get out of this short of paying as shop to swap back the stock exhaust and cats.

 

I'm gonna guess you removed your cats......

Can't believe you would fail otherwise..

 

I told you above, before you posted the results from the two tests .... return the car to stock.

Put the cats back on (You are breaking both Federal and State of Calif. laws removing them ... it can cost you THOUSANDS of dollars in fines for this one item alone).

Get rid of the longtube headers (illegal in Calif .... more $ in fines)

Put back the stock camshaft (whatever you have in there is illegal in Calif (more $ in fines)

Get rid of that stupid "tune" .... your second test was WORSE than your first for hydrocarbons .... go to a dealer and get the PCM reflashed to stock.

Whatever other non-stock items you have on that car should be returned to stock ....

Dude your car is about to be classified a "gross polluter" if it hasn't been already .... I am not kidding ... you are looking at significant fines. If you ignore the issue, and don't renew your registration, once it is expired more than 6 months, you can be stopped, you will be arrested (not issued a citation .... arrested ... handcuffs ... back of patrol car ... the whole nine yards), and your car will be towed and impounded until you renew the registration ... and you don't even want to know the daily storage rates and towing fees, plus what your other legal costs will come too.....

You have a serious problem here ... quit listening to idiot tuners who tell you they can "tune" the car to pass smog ... obviously they can't.

And if you think that selling the car and letting someone else worry about this gets you out from under .... nope ..... under Cali law YOU, the seller, must provide a valid smog certificate issued no more than 90 days prior to the sale.

I'd wish you good luck, but at this point you need more than that .....

 

i agree with you 100%. im already in search of stock exhaust
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=2094663

i also want to thank everybody for their input i never thought ill have so much problems with my LTs since a lot of ppl have them in my area

 

does anybody know how much the dealer charges to reflash the PCM?

 

back to the xylene question. what is it? will it hurt anything? where do you buy it?

Padrino

 

Are you sure what mods are on the car ?? To fail the test that badly it seems hard to believe that it is all just exhaust ...... the cats make a BIG difference to how clean the exhaust is, but I'd suspect that you either have a non-stock cam ... or your tune is way out.

What I'd do is get the exhaust back to stock and get the PCM re-flashed (last time I asked a dealer they qoted about $100.00 to do the reflash) .... assuming the tuner hasn't "locked" your PCM. Some tuners "lock" it so you (or anyone else) can't later go in and learn what they did. The idea being that some tuners have discovered "tricks" that they don't want anyone else to learn ....

Maybe call the tuner and ask if they lock the PCM so you don't waste a trip to the dealer. The tuner can unlock it .... or the dealer can install a new "blank" PCM and then load the correct software to it (which obviously would cost the price of a new PCM plus the labor to install and flash it ... and then they have do do a "fuel enable password relearn" between the PCM and BCM.

The advantage to having the dealer do a reflash is that you are assured the "correct" software is loaded for your car. Here's a "simplified explanation of how a dealer does it .....

They go to a PC that is able to access the GM TIS product .... they type in your VIN and TIS looks up your car ..... it knows if the PCM needs software for an automatic or a manual, for example, because TIS has a database of everything that was put on your car when it was built. It also knows if software has been updated since your car was built ...... so it assembles a package of the latest correct software for your car and downloads it to the dealer PC.

The technician then connects a handheld computer called a Tech2 to the PC and loads your software into the Tech2. Finally, the tech attaches the Tech2 to your car and loads the software into your PCM.

If you want an idea of what the system knows about your car .... go here ....

http://service.gm.com/index_en-US.html

Select TIS ... then select "Vehicle Calibration Information" .... and then enter your VIN.

Keep us posted on how this goes ..... good luck,

 

Xylene and another chemical, toluene, are "commonly" used as octane boosting chemicals ..... here's a thread that talks a little bit about it.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...hlight=toluene

Use at your own risk ... I don't recommend either chemical ... if you want to boost octane mix in 100 octane UNLEADED fuel to your tank.

 

New cats can clean a world of smog.....

 

Wait a minute. Your profile doesn't indicate any modifications beyond LT headers and a custom tune from a local reputable shop. There isn't a cam listed nor anything else and your hp/torque figures reflect a relatively stock engine with the above mentioned modifications.

Did you also remove the cats with the LT header install? Would be suprised that any shop in this state would try to tune a vehicle which has no cats whatsoever knowing the emissions testing requirements unless the vehicle is for closed track use only. Perhaps you should contact Newtech first and see what they offer as you payed for a tune and reflashing to stock will eliminate any/all custom code. One can assume Newtech would most certainly provide assistance especially since you have tailpipe emissions test results with combustion gas analyses for their use. Perhaps there are also other operational deficiencies that are affecting your test results which will be better understood by professionals instead of we forum "experts." By all means, try Newtech first before you shell out yet more money to the dealer.

Further, one can only assume the test station accepted the LT headers as you made it passed the visual without failing and were advanced to the tailpipe emissions test. Many folks apparently have LT headers and more and are able to meet the emissions limit with a proper tune and an aftermarket equipment blind test station. Not saying this is right but, it's your car and if Newtech can better refine the tune to MEET the State's emission limits that is all that matters (forum members personal opinions aside).

Lastly, I previously mentioned paying for a tailpipe emissions pre-test and still highly encourage this prior to the real thing. Good luck...

A1

 

I am confident that no smog shop "accepted" long tube headers. They may "not notice" or "ignore" them but they will never admit to "accepting" them. Maybe just semantics, but it's an important point.

Being labeled a gross polluter can be expensive. My advice, based on a past experience of running afoul of CARB, since you've got two strikes against you, I would be absolutely sure the car will pass before stepping up to the plate again.

Good luck....

 

Semantics, yes. Agree with all the above as you identified but, I wasn't implying they stated the LT headers were acceptable rather the OP "passed" the visual and the test station operator allowed the OP to move on to the tailpipe emissions test. My error in wording and apology if taken otherwise.

And, you confirm my recommendation that the OP pay for and proceed with a pre-test prior to the final thus "making sure" he meets the emission limits. I trust my opinons wouldn't be taken any other way then to keep this young fellow from "running afoul" of the CARB. You obviously speak from just such an encounter and trust he will heed your advice...

A1

 

Are you serious? I would say that 95% of people that have modded cars are running catless, and I have never seen any tuning shop turn anyone away because of it.

Anyways, if Nick tuned your car, he should have the stock settings if he was the first person to touch it. Im with everyone else though, I dont see how you dont pass the sniffer, with just basic mods.

 

Any house paint store will have it. Comes in 5 gal. cans. It's a pretty well known cure for passing smog in the Porsche community. The old water pumpers (924, 944, 928, etc) have a tough time passing.

 

Well, I am now seriously surprised! I am not a professional in this field and with your knowledge you've indicated 95% of modified C5 vehicles in this state are catless -- I stand corrected as my statement was both naive and clearly wrong. Apology to the OP.

Off topic, how do these non-cat, custom tuned vehicles actually pass the dynamic tailpipe emissions test considering the rather low emission limits set by our state? Thank you...

A1

 

Dude .... he's already contacted them and they gave him a "new" tune (the second result) that judging by the HC results was worse than their "first" tune.

You might think they are "reputable" .... to me any shop that "tunes" your car and gives it back to you in the condition the OP's is .... that's not "reputable" ... that's freakin bad business.

They either knew he wasn't gonna pass (he's so far outside the state limits it is pathetic) or they just changed a few tables, did no testing, and threw the car back to him ... causing him to fail a second time ....

That's

 

Ok continuing off-topic...I have learned this about my post:

1. Improper semantics...check
2. Didn't realize 95% of modified C5's are non-cats...check (I am in the 5% by the way and actually use the much hated shorties for compliance -- no need to critique guys, they can't make any power, right?)
3. Called a supporting vendor "reputable" as a courtesy without judgement as WE don't know the entire story...check

Did I miss anything not related to the topic? Can't say I agree with your narrow judgement of Newtech whatsoever. I am not a professional in this field, have not seen the vehicle and most importantly, we aren't fully aware of just what this young fellow asked Newtech to perform on his engine; we can only assume. For me, I would be very cautious to finger point and imply a firm isn't reputable without knowing FULLY the facts and conditions under which they performed the work.

Also, folks in the Nor Kal section of this forum seem to have high regard for Newtech's work. And, that same section has an earlier (4/23/08) post from this young fellow regarding the start of his "can't pass smog problem" which you might find interesting.

Enough off-topic stuff and you need not try to fix me further. Besides, my wife will gladly tell you that is an impossible task. Time for a nap...

A1

 

i have no kind of engine work but my LTs and CAI..the only thing that newtech has done to my car is a tune..im not trying to bash on nick or give him a bad name..but i will contact him tomorrow about this

 

yes this was the first time i failed smog http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=2005987
what did you find so interesting about it? i asked for help and all i was told was that i needed a tune

 

Thanks for returning. Nothing except there is a history on this saga, additional info on your modifications or lack thereof, what you had planned to do maintenance wise, and Newtech among others offered comments/assistance well before any of us. Nothing implied and nothing personal except to provide others with additional details. And of course, trying to keep this on-topic to give a young fella help.

Now ,I have problems of my own (needing a beer and cigar) so this is my last post on this topic. Good luck and trust you can put this to rest soon ...

A1