Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) Emissions Testing / Be Warned

[holmanrd]

New Emissions Testing



Just got word from a guy who moved to Las Vegas NV that he had to have an emissions check done on his CTD. He claimed that he will have to do one every year as well.



Did the yuppies in Nevada actually put this into law before the tree huggers in California? I surely thought we would have been hit first. Can any body out there give my-self and the rest of us smokers confirmation of this? Does any one know how long until they hit California.



I was considering getting a pre-check just to see where I stood. Then again I’m gonna have to put the stock cat, muffler, EGR, and exhaust manifold back on so I could pass a visual. How will a fuel plate, 3000 Gov kit and AFC kit affect the test? I guess I will get plenty of practice taking the stock parts off and putting them back on every year.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

JEEZE, and I thought I was lucky getting outta California!

 

[Forrest]

New Emissions Testing



Just got word from a guy who moved to Las Vegas NV that he had to have an emissions check done on his CTD. He claimed that he will have to do one every year as well.



Did the yuppies in Nevada actually put this into law before the tree huggers in California? I surely thought we would have been hit first. Can any body out there give my-self and the rest of us smokers confirmation of this? Does any one know how long until they hit California.



I was considering getting a pre-check just to see where I stood. Then again I’m gonna have to put the stock cat, muffler, EGR, and exhaust manifold back on so I could pass a visual. How will a fuel plate, 3000 Gov kit and AFC kit affect the test? I guess I will get plenty of practice taking the stock parts off and putting them back on every year.

yep ... they sure did. 2 parts of the test, visual & opacity. The opacity is a non-issue. They put the truck on the rollers, 15hp load & look for soot. Unless there is a BIG problem, you won't generate any smoke. It's not enough of a load to get into whatever fuel plate you're using.



If there is some kind of sticker under the hood that specs EGT equipment, then you're putting stuff back on. As for the CAT, I gutted it & had it put on.





Forrest

 

[AMink]

Yep, it's true. But only in Washoe and Clark counties. Reno and Lost Wages. Legislature says that the max they can charge you is $36 or so. Guess what it costs? $36 or so. It is really quite embarrassing to actually be AHEAD of California in stupid laws. Last year in Reno, there were only two places to get it done. I think now there are three. Last year I was totally stock. I passed and it wasn't even close. What a waste of time and money! Now I have to put the cat back on, one way or another. The only thing I worry about is if the tech has a nose, he'll smell a gutted cat!

 

[MLee]

They might get the tech for being a "Smoke Sniffer" if they see him do this. It does not give off a different oder like cars do. just hollow out the old cat, but the pipe all the way through it. Very seldom does the tech look under the truck. ours is up to $42. 50, just more ways to get REVENUE.

Marv.

 

[holmanrd]

Time to get creative?

Forrest, thanks for the Info.



I think I’ll gut the cat like you said. For the EGR, I’m just going to leave the plates on and weld some mock studs in place, then bolt that sucker down just for looks.



Thank you all for the confirmation of this sad but true fact. Not to worry it just gets our creative sides working.

 

[Forrest]

btw ... I had a muffler shop remove the Cat & put in a "test pipe". the deal was "cash only, no receipt".



when I went to have it put back on, i had it in the back of the truck. went in, asked the guy if he'd come out & ck out what I have in mind. i pointed to the "performance muffler" in the back of the truck :-laf & asked what he'd charge to put it on, right about "there", cash, no receipt. he put on that big and said "that's illegal" ... i reiterated "cash, no receipt" ... he said $40. Oo.

 

[AMink]

It does not give off a different oder like cars do.

My truck definately smells different w/out the cat. It smells a whole lot more like a diesel tractor than it did before. Would putting a whole cat back on a 4" system make a noticable difference? Ah, decisions! I ask because I rec'd my notice yesterday to get my truck registered!

 

[ABorchard]

From what I've read average pollution levels in both LV and Reno exceed any cities in Calif. That's the reason for the checks, the state may have been forced into it by the feds.

Remember just because you don't see smog it doesn't necessarily mean it's not there at high levels.

 

[desertryder]

Just had a new muffler installed yesterday in Visalia California.

Muffler man says next year in cal a visual inspection will be required by all diesel owners and by 2007 a tail pipe test will be mandatory.



Glad I left my cat on.



BTW the new muffler isn't very loud but supposed to be free flowing.

large 4" magnaflow

165 installed.



wurty

 

[AMink]

I went to a shop today and asked how much to put my cat back on for smog test. It's not even gutted and the guy says they can't do it because it is considered tampering with smog gear and he could be fined $2500! He can put a new one on, for $850. That got me to wondering... what happens if your exhaust rusts out or gets damaged and you want to use a perfectly good cat? OK, a perfectly FUNCTIONAL cat . He said just to do it myself. Does that mean I get to catch a $2500 fine? I think I'll go to Forrest's shop. :-laf

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

It's the usual political game. Trucks over 10,000 lb aren't tested yet. All that construction equipment goes untested, belching out clouds all the time. It's all about getting numbers to appease the pencil jockeys at EPA. the smog problem in Vegas isn't from diesels, but from the huge number of cars moving there in the last 20 years. That valley can't support the number of inhabitants with air or water. Lake Mead is 'way down and water problems are just around the corner. The air over the city is always brown, has been getting worse for 20 years.



It was so disappointing for me to see how a town I enjoyed living in has gone down in livability so dramatically. No curbs on growth, no considerations of what is reasonable. It seems like one could say that Vegas has had the best city council and politicians in general that developer money could buy.

 

[AMink]

Reno/Washoe County is right behind 'em. Houses all over. They are even building houses within 600' of the end of a small private runway. And they want the runway to shorten or close!

 

[The patriot]

It's the usual political game. Trucks over 10,000 lb aren't tested yet.

I cant speak for the whole country, but they are definetly testing large trucks here in NJ. I dont know if it's just a visual test, or an actual test with a smog computer, but they ARE testing the trucks here.

They DID NOT test my puckup for pollution at my last inspection, nor did they look for my (missing) cat. :-laf

Eric

 

[Gene Arnold]

Ada County, Idaho (Boise) has an annual inspection for gas and diesel vehicles. It's a bit ludicrous when thousands of commuters per day come from other counties, all in un-inspected vehicles. The inspection itself is pretty worthless, more so with diesels than with gas burners. There is a pass/fail visual inspection and an opacity test with a tailpipe probe. I'm allowed 40% maximum opacity (whatever that means). My truck passed with flying colors with a 0. 99%. The good thing is, it only costs $15. 00

 

[Todd G]

Here in Phoenix we have to test every year to the tune of $29. 00. Everyone passes. We do the snap-idle test here. They let you do the test yourself. I "ease" into the throttle a bit and they don't have a clue... . All trucks have to test here, regardless of weight.

 

[JLEONARD]

My son just passed CT emissions in his 94 and didn't change or adjust or disconnect anything, just let them take it thru on the dyno.

Rip 4 inch exhaust (muffler but no cat),#6 plate, marine 300s, 4000 gsk, valve spring upgrade, BHAF, HTT stage III compressor wheel upgrade, auto transmission upgrades (BD parts I think).

Jay

 

[REC]

Ohio requires a opacity test for all light truck every two years. Just a revenue enhancement program. Heavy trucks are so far exempt.

 

[rrl989]

Was nice only having a NY $10 annual safety check, then 4-5 yrs. ago came the emissions testing for diesels >8500 gvwr (All dodge CTD's). Got a letter from the local gov't saying my truck now required the annual safety / emisssions test. At first only a few shops had the new sniffer gear, one was the dealer I bought from. Two years later I took it to another dealer who still did not have the equipment, they did a safety only, drove around until the next year. Personally, its a good thing. Really pisses me off to see some car blowing out clouds of blue smoke while I'm sitting in traffic, I say fix it or get off the road.



Don't have to be a tree hugger to want to breath usable air. As far as our CTD's blowing out clouds of soot, well, sorry, I feel the same way. I'm healthy, but I bet everyone knows someone with asthma, not a good thing.

For health reasons alone, I have to side against those that feel they have a good reason to "tamper" with their emissions for better performance.



I'm ready for my beating



Ron

 

[WyattEarp]

Emissions??? what is that :-laf

We have neither diesel or gas emission testing here. I think alot of places will see that emissions on a diesel is useless, unless you happen to have dirty or bad injectors and in that case you will have to get those fixed anyways or your truck won't run very well.

I agree with the comment about the emissions testing in 1 or 2 counties when pple from surrounding counties that don't have emissions testing drive through or work there, seems pointless, but then again just another way of getting more county revenue, seems these pple can't get enough seems like they intend on giving themselves a raise every other year and the rest of the county gets none.