[flash]

you may or may not know this but.........



since 1990 it has been against federal law to tamper with, remove, or alter any emissions equipment on any vehicle - this means you may NOT install a test pipe, hi flow cat, or whatever - you must run the OEM cat or an approved replacement - you cannot even replace the cat in the first 50000 miles without legitimate documented need - this is in ALL states



most states already have emissions testing, and the standards get tighter every year, in compliance with EPA law, which tests the air quality area by area, and establishes "pollution zones" that require more stringent inspections - as more people crowd into an area, the air quality goes down and the standards go up - so, while you may currently escape testing, next year you may not - they aren't granting free passes either - since the cash for clunkers program, the states are motivated to get the cars off the road, and are not as inclined to allow things to pass - you may soon find that you need to get special registration for an older car - implementation of a new law is currently under review that would require special registration of older cars (pre OBD2) and cars that do not meet the standards - under this law these cars would have limited access to use of highways, much as cars with collector plates in most states have now





while currently each state has its own specific sets of laws regarding inspection and emissions standards, this does not supersede the federal laws



so, regardless of whether or not your state inspects your car for emissions, you still have to run the OEM cat - some states have implemented "on the road" inspection stations in an effort to raise revenues (not just california either) - if they happen to pull you over, they can impound the car, and force you to restore the equipment at their facility, at your expense - the fines are pretty hefty too - each state that participates in this program gets additional federal funding, so they are motivated to do this - given the economy, i would not expect this movement to subside very quickly either



shops that install such illegal components, and/or alter these systems are subject to heavy fines, loss of the business license, and the EPA can even shut the business down



proceed at your own risk

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[94SilverCab]

This may be the case in the People's Repulic of California but does not apply in Pennsylvania, particularly with regard to vehicles driven less than 5,000 miles per year.



Hopefully, the oncoming bankruptcy of California will reduce the influence of this intolerably Leftist state.



Jay

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[flash]

oh yes it does - read up - you won't be happy - this applies to ALL STATES!!! the laws regarding alteration and removal are FEDERAL - states have no jurisdiction on this



the only thing the states have jurisdiction on is emissions testing, and even that is dictated by biannual EPA testing and the determination of what a specific area qualifies as



the times they are a changin

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[benspeeder]

MMmmm - not sure that's correct Flash - you can get a collector inspection sticker in NJ and they could car less what type of exhaust you run. If there is a dispute between the states and the feds - that might exist but enforcement is at the state level...

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[flash]

ok - the thing you guys have to understand is what you can do today is NOT necessarily what you will be able to do tomorrow - it is already a federal law - the states are implementing new standards area by area as each area gets dirtier



just because a specific state does not currently inspect for emissions does not mean you can alter the equipment





the states cannot override federal law - they can have laws that are in addition to but not in contradiction of federal law



OBD2 standards are about to get very strict nationwide - fortunately we are OBD1, so it won't be as bad, but if you live in an urban area, you can expect change to happen fairly soon

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[biotechee]

Fortunately, Jay, you and I don't reside in a State... Hooray for the Commonwealth!



Not that I intend to mess with the cat or muffler or any other aspect of the exhaust system, but what is the intention of this doom-n-gloom post? Are we, as a collective community of enthusiasts, worried that some of us will end up in the slammer?



I guess when the Feds start setting up roadside inspection stations I'll worry...

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[flash]

lol - the point is primarily to inform people as to the changing laws - this is an informational site after all - it wasn't really about doom and gloom as much as a "heads up"



as a result of going through the CARB and EO certification process for the supercharger, i have been forced to read up on all of the laws, both california and federal, regarding emissions equipment and testing - it has been a painful, boring, and confusing process, involving hundreds of pages of very dry legalese - the changes are pretty dramatic, and not what most people think - the prevailing attitude of the masses is that "it won't happen here", and that just isn't true - they just haven't been told yet, or it hasn't hit their area yet



and to answer the question, yes, it is very possible that other states, motivated by funding, will also toss people in the slammer over this (though car impound is more likely) - while rare, it is already happening, and spreading - i expect the real crackdown will be on shops that do these things - there is some ambiguous language about buying a car with something already done to it and the buyer being essentially exempt from prosecution - i think this is because it would be hard to prove that the owner was lying - essentially anyone making such a change is at risk, but having a car with such a change already on it is a loophole they have yet to close up



regardless, forewarned is forearmed



i knew it would be entertaining though

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[chudson]

I have only scanned this thread but flash is correct; emission laws are Federal, not state to state. The inspection process and compliance laws DO vary state to state.



Here in good 'ole SC we have NO state inspection and haven't since 1995. You can pollute to your hearts content, and run all the risk you want of traveling down the road with faulty brakes, suspension, steering, tires, whatever you desire!!! We're kinda backwards that way (you may also remember our movie "Deliverance")!



When and if SC moves into the new millenium, a lot is going to change but as of now you can remove the catalytic converter from your brand new car (not leagally by Fed standards, but you can) and no SC institution or governing body will know, check, or care at this time. I also believe that "grandfathering" or waivers for the older cars will be lobbied for hard, if not already arranged, when/if SC steps up. To continue to receive Fed highway funds, we will likely soon have to.



Flash is correct - it's not supposed to be tampered with. Even though SC has no laws, as an automotive professional, I won't even disconnect a vacuum hose!

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[flash]

yeah - in places like that, where there just aren't that many people densely located, it is unlikely that things will change any time soon - if and when they do, it will start in the major metropolitan areas first, and likely never reach the rural areas



as for removing the cat, shops still get nailed there - i remember not long ago hearing about one that got shut down due to a pissed off race competitor informing on them - sore loser i guess



ya just never know

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[Cloud9...68]

Thanks for the informative post, Flash. When I build my "barely streetable track car," I guess I'm going to have to pay careful attention to how the mods may impact my ability to pass inspection in future years.

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[flash]

lol - i'm already there - join the club - we're having jackets made next week



i swear i'm going to get back in to MGBs

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[Chris Vais]

"...emission laws are Federal, not state to state. The inspection process and compliance laws DO vary state to state." Absolutely correct. At one point in my career I worked as a U.S. EPA investigator. It is not the governments intent to turn us all into criminals, but as those of you who live in areas where air quality is a recurring problem, these requirements are intended to protect your health.



As to the concern over people being put in jail for the criminal violation of an environmental law, I wouldn't be too concerned. I developed a number of criminal cases for EPA whebn I was an investigator and I soon discovered that it was next to impossible to get the U.S. Attorney to take these cases because they were not able to judge the outcome. The US Attoneys are like any other prosecutorial entity in that they don't want to bring a case into to court that they are not certain they can win. There are very few certainties about environmental cases onless it is really eggregious, not having the proper cat on your car doesn't even begin to qualify. If you are a repair shop that knowingly and willingly does illegal installations or deletions it might be another story. But again from the US Attorney's perspective, bringing a juicy drug case into court and winning is so much sexier than bringing down a muffler shop.



I have been witness to the detrimental effects of air pollution in the former Soviet Client States in eastern Europe. I read an article recently about the impact on Chinese industrial productivity that results from air pollutions impact of the health of the work force. Sadly, the health effects are real and we'll all end up paying the consequences one way or another if we don't keep it at bay.

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[flash]

fortunately the laws regarding removal are pretty much in every state too - they may not test or inspect, but the state laws still prohibit the removal, which allows the more local enforcement when it comes to shops



heck, even texas has a law against removal, and until recently you could drink and drive and carry a weapon in your car

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