bsp-tC

I'm going to have to get an emissions test on my '05 tC this next week, so I can renew my plates by the end of September. Ugh! I've never had to do an emissions test with it (ever!), so I'm a bit nervous if it will pass now that the car is just over 7 years old.

So, we swapped out the Fujita Cold Air Intake for the stock setup already... but is there anything else that anyone suggests should be done for the test? I heard something about the gas cap needing to be replaced before I get it tested too.

It has a TRD air filter in it now too (since we took off the CAI and we removed the K&N filter/box). So hopefully it will be ok with that stock stuff in place?

I also heard that if I got just 5 gallons of E85 to run in it and went out for a long drive before going in for the test that it might help.

Any thoughts?

sizzlinscion

With all that stuff on your car you should have pass anyways. Even my vr6 GTI with the exhaust and intake passed easily, and it is 15 years old. I would say if you car isn't throwing any codes then you will be fine.

goldtoaster

I had to do mine at the start of summer. I did it with my Weapon R sri on and it was fine. As long as you're running on the stock ecu you'll be fine. I would say put your cai back on and disconnect the battery for a few minutes before you leave when you reconnect it the car will run lean for about 400 miles then drive like a bat out of hell on your way so that the cats are hot when they do the test. FYI all emissions tests are done at the new site on W 29th st by the Harley Davidson dealer.

sizzlinscion

even on an aftermarket ECU, you should be fine. My GTI made with an aftermarket ECU on it.

djhax

You should be fine, no need to worry.

I had to get emissions on my tC for the first time already. I left the Injen CAI on mine, and even then it still passed by a huge margin.

As far as I know, the only place a CAI should cause you to fail would be California.

bsp-tC

Ugh...I just knew it wouldn't be that easy for this test!

I went in yesterday for the e-test at the Air Care Colorado facility in Loveland. But they wouldn't even test it because the guy said the car is too low.

He tried to blame it on the tires being "flat" on the front, and said, "These are not the stock wheels" (said in a very thick spanish accent that I could barely understand. When he said stock wheels it sounded like, "esstockay wheelce") So, I argued that the tires are just low profile and NOT flat. He insisted that I go get air in the tires and come back. I had to back out of the bay and then drove all over looking for an air station to put more air in the tires. I got pretty frustrated because the tires already had the correct tire pressure!! I knew he wouldn't run the test if I went back to him again then.

So, I went home and we switched out the aftermarket wheels & tires for the stock ones last night. The car still sits just as low though, because the stock wheels and tires are the same size as the aftermarket ones.


Guess what though?!? Their own website says:
Tire Sizes and Dynamometers?

djhax

That's awful!! I'm sorry they are giving you such a hard time!

I don't understand why they are being so hard on you, but the EcoTest location in Broomfield gave me no trouble at all. Even with my car being lowered and having 18s on it.

Good luck when you go back. Don't let them give you a bunch of crap!

bsp-tC

Yeah, I'm going to rely on their own verbiage where it says, "Only vehicles with manufacturer-equipped undersized or oversized tires that do not fit safely on the dynamometer will be authorized by the state to undergo an idle test instead of a dynamometer test." That would be my car! I will even show him the door sticker that says my car came with this size wheels/tires!

goldtoaster

Do the test at the Greeley location. I'm lowered and have 17" wheels and they didn't give me any crap about them and they didn't do a dyno test only a snif test and OBD2 test.

bsp-tC

OMG... I took it back to the Loveland place today at lunch to show him that I had returned the wheels/tires to the stock ones, as he requested yesterday... and I had the same guy tell me that he couldn't do the test now because they "HAVE to run it on the dyno, unless the State representative signs off on the "OK to have it Idle Tested", and it still couldn't run on the dyno today with the stock wheels/tires on it! Seriously? I tried to tell him yesterday that it wouldn't be any different with the stock wheels/tires on it today, but he had to make me do it for nothing!

They said for the dyno test it still couldn't be done because of two reasons:
1) Vehicle lacks sufficient ground clearance (instability on the dyno)
2) Modifications may cause unsafe testing condition (vehicle has non-original condition)

Ugh... So I am taking it to the Greeley location on the way home tonight to see if they can just run it there without any problems.

Otherwise, I have to have their State representative look at the car (by appointment) to sign off on having the Idle Test done instead of the Dyno Test. THEN I can finally have the Idle Test on the car?

Word to the wise? Get your emissions done waaaay in advance of your plates expiring, in case they make you do all this stuff too? Now I have two more days to get this done, and I feel like I am dis-assembling the whole car just to pass emissions!

djhax

That's ridiculous!!!!

I'm so sorry they are putting you through all this!

bsp-tC

If it doesn't get tested at Greeley tonight without problems, then I have to put on the stock side-skirts and front bumper/airdam for the State representative to look at Friday morning...and then MAYBE he will ok the Idle Testing....
Wow, what a great system we have now that the State of Colorado requires we go through these places to get emission done, huh? (can you sense the sarcasm?)

sizzlinscion

I cant believe you are having this much trouble. That place sounds like a bunch of hard a$$'s. When i got my GTI done, my oil pan was hitting their dyno and they didnt even say anything about it, and they ripped one of my side skirts off. Hopefully you had better luck in Greeley!

bsp-tC

UPDATE!

The emissions testing place in Greeley had no problem at all with doing my car yesterday evening! So, I guess it was just the guy running the place in Loveland that had a problem doing it.

...and it passed with no issues. Yay!

There's two more years now before I have to do it all over again?

djhax

Awesome! I'm glad they got you taken care of.

Yeah, sounds like the guy at the other location was on some kind of power trip. At least you know where NOT to go now! Too bad it was after you changed out parts though :/

nnj

had my mercedes done at an alternate testing place in denver. has a saftey shutoff when put on a dyno. called them up...got booked in...then all they did was idle the truck and made sure it had no check engine light...commical. didnt need anyone to sign off just told them why and they realy didnt care...oh and it was free

bsp-tC

You got lucky nnj! That's great they did it for free too!
Sheesh! I guess I was just going to the wrong place from the beginning. So, word to the wise? Don't go to the emissions place in Loveland! Ha!

Dade

Colorado doesn't have cold start emissions tests do they? A friend told me to always run the car pretty good for a while, make sure she's nice and hot. Assuming you don't have a CEL, you should always pass. I know some Evo guys who always swap DP or exhaust when getting it checked out. Maybe they don't need to?

kyle28phillips

iTrader: (1)

great info

xaxdect

Go to just about any parts store and get a bottle of, I think its called"Always Pass".

Change your oil and make sure the engine is hot before you test.