Second.
State Ref failed..
- Thread starter AFLOCOBRA
- Start date
Second.
Ok, you guys are just too funny.
In California, I have not personally seen tuned cars go in for a smog, and the tune itself trigger a ref visit. I am NOT saying that doesn’t happen. But I’m my experience, it has not. There’s usually something else going on. Questionable parts, monitors wont reset, monitors turned off (rear 02’s) etc.
In my experience, most of the ref inspections I have seen are triggered by someone doing something like street racing, getting pulled over, having the cop whip out his flashlight, telling you to pop the hood and the rest is history. Literally saw a C6 Vette have this happen this past Sunday night.
I also have not personally heard of someone getting a ref summons simply because their registration says they OWN a Mustang or Camaro.
So unless this is something NEW, or just now starting to happen, I have never personally seen it. Not saying it doesn’t happen, just saying I haven’t seen it.
And IF this is starting to happen, then as I said, the tuned car will go the way of the Dodo. In that case I’m happy to have the cars I have.
What’s your problem with my personal experience?
RE-READ my posts.
In the meantime, I remembered my CPA’s husband works for the state ref. I’ll bend his ear a bit and get some definitive answers.
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My personal experience is exactly like yours but hey, guess what they reffed mine and I haven’t driven it in years due to it. No street racing, but the car was SCT tuned. Before SCT “may have” sold out some shops doing tuning. Now there has been made ways to bypass smog none of which ill mention here that doesn’t require “a guy” as those don’t work anymore as they are cracking down hard on people.
Issue now is becoming to try to find a stock mid pipe that isn’t retarded expensive. Hell if any people have them could rent them to people as junkyards cut the cats out of the GT’s before you can get the mid pipes.
Thanks. So was it a canned or dyno tune? On my last Terminator I had my favorite tuner outside Sacramento keep my rear 02’s on with my stage 7 port. I had a Magnaflow cat-X, but would make sure the stock mid was on for smog. The drive back and forth, no boost, had no issues passing.
Had the same tuner work on my ‘09 GT500 with a TVS swap. Stock cat pipe, and passed with no issue. Have the OBD tests been updated to recognize tunes even with all monitors in ready state? Is that’s what’s happening?
No what is happening is when a car is tuned with a software it rewrites the code showing the car is tuned. California doesn’t care if all sensors are working or not; if it isn’t a CARB approved calibration or OEM it fails and triggers a Ref.
Now if you know someone who is a ref you should ask them about some of the issues this car is having for parts availability and how that will effect the smog in the future. Parts such as replacement fuel pumps or injectors are getting harder to find new and I’m unsure of any drop in replacements; not to mention they will get harder to find with age like the mid pipes for example.
And that’s why I’m asking if this is something new. My previous dyno tuned cars did not fail smog, and did not trigger a visit to the ref.
Both cars utilized SCT software.
This started for smog year 2019/2020. My car is a 04.
Thank you!! That’s what I thought. I sold my last tuned Terminator in ‘15 or ‘16 (can’t remember). Never had a problem. And as I mentioned before, if a simple tune is going to trigger a visit to the ref, then that’s a big bummer.
@nrmustang in my case i purchased the car not knowing the previous owner was refed by going to a smog shop with a "smogable tune" but still failed due to this new coding that happened to the pcm with a tune or tuner..So it sure is a fairly new way of stopping our beloved hobby unfortunately..
@me32 Today my car has finally passed the ref inspection, new pcm with factory calibration all montitors on and working after 10 months of headaches and hassling..
@909venm i just ordered a bassani catted x pipe to conserve my oem mid pipe/4 cats... they are extremely over priced these days and cost more than aftermarket so why not.
Thanks @AFLOCOBRA. I sold my last Shelby about a year and a half ago, and just now got back into one. Haven’t been on the boards in awhile, and certainly haven’t had to deal with this. Since reading this thread, I’ve read up and found this really is happening a lot. Big bummer. But glad you got yours smogged. Congrats
thanks bud yea im done with the dealing with smog/Ref meticulous bs here, got me a 69 Camaro that i can do practically whatever i want to, for the Cobra i will appreciate it as it is, still have love for the car but boy O boy just not worth modifying here in cali lol. If you know the right people you can get away with alot, personally i dont so too bad for me lol. Cant go wrong with a Shelby! enjoy!
Totally understand. Would love to have a ‘69 Camaro. I do have a ‘67 Mustang coupe 347/5 speed car. Glad I never got rid of it. That’s the tinker car. Feel really fortunate to have a ‘14 that I don’t feel the need to mod. Miss my Cobra’s, glad your keeping yours. Saw an ad in the market for a guy here in CA that’s letting his go because it’s not worth taking it back to stock.
Who knows, maybe we’ll start to see blower companies carb certify upgrade kits. Be better than nothing.
Who knows, maybe we’ll start to see blower companies carb certify upgrade kits. Be better than nothing.
Companies like VMP are working on more carb kits. But its a long process. But at least we are seeing them try.
that would be awesome to see, keep that 67 its a hassle free guarantee!!
Why did it need a new PCM? Wouldn't a dealer reflash serve the purpose of a 'factory calibration' for the Ref?
If you go back a couple pages he said when he went to ford to flash the PCM is came up as a 99 cougar.
Makes sense, thanks.
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