Has anyone had any experience with the California smog test when running the pro-cats? I am kinda on the fence regarding this mod.

 

As a fellow Ca. resident, I would say that if it has a CARB California Air Resource Board approval then it will pass smog. There are many replacements for cars that are legal, check with your local smog guy that is located next to a muffler place. Between them they will know and ensure you only buy legal parts.

Or do what you want and change it every 2 years. Be warned that a new way "the Law" is cracking down on street racers- tickets for removal of certain required equipment- non-oem part number ,stuff like that. If you modify the car in any way you stand the chance of a ticket because it no longer complies with the safety standards.

So, just ask the muffler guy- he will know for sure

 

Just because it has a CARB stamp does not mean that it will pass a performance test, I am interested in someone who has experience testing with the pro-cats in place.

 

Haven't had actual experience with the pro-cats, but I do know that a shop is required to check the CARB number to see if it corresponds with the car it is on. My old shop couldn't install catalytic converters even if they were OBD2/CARB approved generally if they were not meant for the specific car they were being installed on.

It pretty much comes down to this - if the smog tech does a visual just to check to make sure a cat is installed on the car you should be ok. If they run the CARB number you probably won't be ok since I haven't been able to find anything about the pro-cats approval. There are still a few shops that ignore the visual all together.

 

A CARB approval means the State with the most stringent smog test standards has tested the unit and found that is does NOT HARM the engine or emissions or increase them.
They do not say anything about performance
My fuel magnet has one on it, so does the Tornado, and my trucks edelbrock system and trick distributor- all legal CARB stickered

And again- the person who would have tested a car with that cat would be a smog shop or muffler guy who does import sports cars.

 

I am not worried about the visual check and I am not worried about them running the CARB # for compliance, we all know that 99/100 smog shops will not identify them as non conforming. I am wondering if the actual readings of pollutants will fall within the passing parameters

 

I just haven't been able to find the approval cert. from the state regarding when the pro cats were tested.

 

so uhhhhhhhh has anyone figured this out yet? i guess the tl's are still too new so nobody needs to get the smog check done until at earliest late '07.

 

For those of you who have the pro-cats in CA you can always take your car to a shop for a pre-smog run to see how it does. I'm pretty sure shops still offer that.