Questioned about emissions test
 

Hey guys, need some clarification on WA state emissions testing. I've been in Texas now going on 2 years so I've been able to get "out of state" exemption for emission testing for my Z. I'll be coming home this March and I'll finally have to take the Z in to get it tested.

I'm getting ready to get my Z tuned at Uprev out here in Austin TX. I'll be running test pipes and the tuner says he can go ahead and completely turn off the loop to the O2 senors so I'll never get a CEL. That may be all fine and well for Texas, but I told him that my Z is registered in WA. Will I be able to pass emissions since they hook up to the OBll port? He doesn't seem completely sure as Texas has different testing standards.

If the 02 senors are basically turned off... even without a CEL won't it still show on their scanner that the catalytic converter are N/A, not ready or something like that? I thought the sensors have to be in a ready status or something to pass?

Would it be best just to tell the tuner to not turn off the sensors, and just run extenders instead to prevent or try to prevent any CEL?

I'd go to WA's DMV (or equiv) and look up the emissions test procedure.

I'd be willing to bet $0.05 that, as you suspect, they will use the OBD-II data to check the system and verify that it thinks it's ready. Ie, the O2 sensors have to be in working order and giving good readings, not just present.


Edit:
http://www.dol.wa.gov/vehicleregistr...emissions.html. If I read that right, your car has to be 5 years old before you have to test and then every two years. Nothing about testing procedures, but some links that might get you there.

I've done emission testing in WA for years, just never done it with test pipes. Yes they only hook up to the OBll port, no visual inspection or sniffer test.

Test pipe people want to chime in?

I thought we didn't have to do emissions testing for something like 5-7 years after the car was built...?

5 years and emission testing is done in only 5 counties in the state. So if you live outside of the five then you dont have to get tested. So I guess the question is what county are you moving too? Might also be able to get dummie sensors that just read right so as not to disable the loop and everything still read right.

I live in Pierce county. So yes I need to get emissions. I bought the car last year in Texas. So on a brief visit back home to WA last year, I was able to register it there and everything, just had to fill out a "out of state" emissions form since my car was still there in Texas.

I guess when you bring a car to WA state that was bought elsewhere, you have to get it emissions tested to make sure its up to WA standards.

I do have O2 extenders which isn't always full proof. If I could I would like the tuner to close the loop to those two sensors so I never have to worry about a CEL. I'm just wondering if our emission testers 0Bll scanner will see that the senors have been "turned off".

Guess it just depends on what county you are in up here. I recently moved to Kitsap county from Florida and have had no requirement for emission testing at all so far. For me the only requirement was that the vehicle either is imported to the state with greater than 7500 miles or meets California emission standards. The emissions standards for them are attached to the MSO number on the vehicle and is either compliant or not. Became quite and expert when I bought a 2012 Pathfinder in Florida, brought it here and found out about all this as I was being told I couldn't register in Washington. Hope any of that helps. :tup:

I'd like to know as well, I have some HFC that throw a SES every several hundred miles. I have been using a ODB2 Bluetooth reader with my iPhone to clear the code so it's easy, but annoying.

Since our 370Zs are all 2009 and newer, we are forever exempt from emissions testing as Washington is phasing out emissions testing, which was never meant to be a permanent program when it first started anyways. So test pipe away!!!

WAC 173-422A-060: Exemptions.

Thanks a lot for the info! Is this just a proposal, or is this set in stone?

You got some rep for that one. I have looked and looked and all that I cam across was 5 years or older. First I have ever heard of the 2009 or newer WAC.

Good news!!

It went through Legislature back in 2011 IIRC....it became active last July and made some news, but yeah, I probably never would have stumbled on it either had I not seen it in the news.

Sweet!!! No more worrying about my test pipes...