To The OP:
You are worrying about nothing; your car will pass emissions because the Check Engine Light is off; they do not do tailpipe emissions tests on modern cars; it is too expensive and time consuming. I think even California stopped with that crap.
Just enjoy the car, if it has no cats and no codes that means it has long tube headers and has been tuned for them; you are probably making 30+ HP from stock and doing so safely; those mods would have set you back almost 2 grand if you did them yourself.

 

 

California still does the tail pipe test. I had it done a few weeks ago. I did read a proposal that talked about doing away with it. I'm for that.

It's a Federal Emissions law that no smog related hardware will be removed. This includes cats. They can't even be relocated. It's the law.

 

If I were the Op I would be concerned as to what happens when he goes to sell the car, later on. I would press the dealer(through the EPA courts, etc) to put the car back to original.

 

I like how you think

 

Linclonshire, on Bond street. I am concerned about the repercussions if I were to ever sell the car. The dealers I talked to said that this should have at least been disclosed at the time of sale, and a waiver signed.
I am amazed that the tuning software is actually able to disable operating parameters in the PCM. I understand that everyone wants more performance etc. but do it right, do it legally, and keep the cat and O2 systems in place. I am quite sure the guys who designed the original system put a little more engineering into the system, than the guy who altered it. I am getting some weird check charging system message on the info system, New Battery, checked the alternator, voltage is 14-14.5 all looks good. I believe it is a side effect of the tune. Now every two minutes the car beeps, display flashes, but no codes set. Yes the car is fast, but it is also compromised. Who knows what else got turned off to achieve the goal of running without the cats? I didn't tune it so I am sceptible. If the charging system is display an error message, not throwing codes, will the air bags work in a crash? No one knows until its too late. I know that all the systems aren't interconnected, so save the comments, but its the principle of the matter I am referring to. Unless you know exactly what someone has done to your car, stood over thier shoulder and saw what they turned off...you just don't know. I'll put the effort in to put mine back as designed from the factory. Then I will decide what I want to change, and I will accept the concequences. I should not have this shoved down my throat by some A-- H--- dealer! I wanted a vette for a long time, busted my A-- to make it happen, even in this economy! I would like to have it the way it was supposed to be, without all the drama. Do to your car what you want. I will do to mine what I want. Yeah you might beat me off the line, but I have had to deal with 100+ MPH speeding tickets with my 02 Z28, I have slowed down and maybe finally grown up. I appreciate all of the feedback from the members, It has been quite a learning curve. Probably time to end this thread. Thanks
Kevin

 

Nope, 7 franchise dealership and yes Chevy was one of them, I asked if they can put aftermarket parts on a Chevy vehicle the owner told me he could do whatever he wants, didn't care what Chevy thought.
He could sell anything, if they didn't take the parts off.... But no one disclosed this to me, and that my friends is Consumer Fraud. I should have had the opportunity to say no to the deal with all of the facts. You can not hide something like this from a consumer. It is Illegal, but no one seems to care, Not the EPA, Not our Secretary of State ( dealers licensing), I just got the consumer complaint form from the States Attorney, but that too looks like a waste of time. No Teeth. So we have all of these government agencies that we support with billions of our dollars, who do not enforce ANYTHING, even when it is blantant.
THAT IS WHY OUR COUNTRY IS IN SUCH FINANCIAL TROUBLE. They only want a paycheck, but don't do anything for it! Take you emissions systems off, they don't care!

 

There is a good chance the dealership didn't even know about the headers being on the car. You are making a mountain out of a mole hill. You got lucky, as a set of long tubes runs 1500-1900 bucks plus install plus tune. Just get a catted X pipe, install it, and have it re-tuned. It will more than likely get rid of the drone you don't like, and it will still sound like a corvette should. You could probably get the parts to return it to stock for a few hundred bucks, and install them for a few hundred more and get a stock tune for a few hundred more. Then you can easily sell the long tubes on the used market for about the same price as returning the car to stock. Since the car was a few years old, I'm guessing it was sold AS-IS? Caveat emptor my friend.... car dealers can NOT BE trusted no matter what. You expect the government to take care of you????? I guess you voted for Obama (J/K).

 

No, not true, why does everyone have to have an opinion when they don't have any of the fact! Yes the original owner told the dealer he had taken off the cats, he even gave them the cats! I didn't mind having a cat back exhaust, I was aware of that when I bought the car. But you and everyone else here that thinks it OK to modify your way around Federal laws, does not make it right! Do what you want to your car, but if you are going to sell it, make it right for the next guy, or disclose it and let them make that decision. THE DEALER KNEW AND DID NOT AND IS GUILTY OF FRAUD. I would not have bought this car if I had known, the dealer won't fix, so now States attorney time. Get your facts before writing comment! And no I didn't vote for Obama
This is why we are so screwed now and even the systems in place don't work! Total waste of our tax dollars....we could have a lot better roads here if we didn't waste our money on useless emission test facilities that everyone here knows how to get around! Make it fast fine, keep it legal even better! Do both and impress everyone!

 

You should be able to find plenty of folks on this forum that are willing to trade their stock manifolds and cats for your "illegal" For-Off-Road-Use-Only headers.

 

You now know the problem, you know how to resolve it so why are you getting you panties in a bunch? If you hate the dearler that much remember your the one who bought the car fr them and didn't check the mods...

 

I love my "off road" vette! I love clubbing baby seals on my way to work too!

 

I mean you must know a fairly large percentage of Vettes get modified from stock.....calling this fraud is really quite a stretch. When buying used it is the buyer's responsibility to make sure the car is how they would like it. A set of long tube headers is a minor mod, but also completely easy to see just looking under the hood. If you really don't want the headers, I'm sure you could make a trade here on CF and even pocket a few bucks. Welcome to the Forum BTW.

 

Wow, this thread has changed it's tone since I posted the first response a few days ago

To Kevakasper (don't know your real name) : you need to decide what you feel is best for you and your car. I don't see this as being a huge deal, although the dealership should have known better than to sell a car with out cats. I live in California, and we have the strictest emissions testing in the country. You CAN have a modified Vette that passes the sniffer (true test of a vehicle's emissions), even if it really is not "legal". This is what many people do around here. They modify and enjoy their cars, but do it in a way that is environmentally friendly.

Some parts are available that carry a CARB approval number that makes it 50 state legal. This is more rare than common, though. Getting a part certified costs big $$$. But just because it does not have a CARB # does not mean the car it is installed on is going to be a gross polluter.

Unfortunately, most air intake systems are not legal. Almost any aftermarket "tune" is not legal. Moving or altering the catalytic converters is not legal. Even installing an OEM manifold/cat setup from another model car (like installing Z06 manifolds/cats) is NOT LEGAL.

I hope you get the point I'm making. I think there is something very wrong with the guys at your test station, though. The fact that they let it pass right through knowing it had no cats is an issue. That is why California has the "sniffer" test. It tells much more than a basic visual inspection.

As long as a car runs clean at the tailpipe and can pass the sniffer test, there is no problem in my mind. "Legal" or not.

Andy

 

I definitely wouldn't lose any sleep about not having some mandated emissions equipment if my car passed smog tests. Your car isn't polluting why are you so worried about bullschit commie emissions regulations?

I do question the Illinois MV code. I find it unusual that the federally mandated Illinois emissions test does not have a "visual check" requirement somewhere in the regulations. If not in the emissions test, then in the state safety inspection regulations.

Here in PA, there is a line item requiring a visual inspection that all of the factory emissions controls are installed.

Never got a chance to install long tubes on my Z28 to see how well the fed requirement of not relocating cats would have held up against the "installed and operating" clause in the inspection requirements.

 

OP seems more interested in crusading, about what I don't know or care, than driving. Government wastes money dealer not honest, imagine that!
imagine if OP bought a used sofa and discovered the "do not remove" labels weern't there

 

I think we should put a governor on all corvettes so that they cannot exceed 75 MPH - this will ensure that no vette owner violates any local, state, or federal laws regarding speeding... lets be responsible citizens people!

 

I am glad that so many people here have an opinion, lets see how you feel when the shoe is on the other foot, and YOU get screwed over.
I have taken care of the problem, traded the aftermarket stuff to someone who WANTED to put it on thier car, and and put my car back to bone stock. I have what I want now, I get the O2 sensors turned back on tomorrow, and I'm good. Thank you to all who actually tried to pass on information and not thier opinion. I never asked what anyone thought, or if I should undo what was done. To rest of the commenters out there, Go waste your time on some other thread because I could care less what you think!

 

Thanks Andy, You are one of the people here who understands what I was asking, I don't care what people want to do to thier cars, I was asking how they did this, and how I could undo it as the dealer decided not to. I wanted to make it as it was when new as emissions tests will get stricter as time goes by. I don't want to deal with trying to make it pass whem I knew it shouldn't. It was a learning experience to see how far you can push the emissions and still pass. I traded a guy for all of OEM intake and exhaust systems this morning, he is happy as he got all the stuff he wanted for free, I am happy as I returned mine to the way it should be. Mine will now pass any emission test in the future, and we all won. Thanks for helping to shed some light on the technical aspect of this thread, instead of posting smart *** comments. I appreciate it.

 

sorry you dont like other peoples opinions, keep in mind this is a forum and its centered around the idea of opinions