08-21-2009, 03:19 PM
August 8th I took our 95 Cab to a test only Smog station. May of 2008, the previous catalytic converter failed, plugging the exhaust. The shop installed a Magnaflow CAT, recommended by the local Porsche parts supplier. The failed Cat was NOT OEM, having been replaced by a previous owner/dealer in Florida; according to Carfax our car had been through two dealer leases in Florida. Still the car passed the two previous smog tests with the wrong Cat. This time the test facility not only tested emissions but as part of their visual they checked the Catalytic converter number against the ones approved for this car and didn't get a match.
I felt like I'm stuck as I was on record as having a tampered exhaust system, modified catalytic converter, wrong catalytic converter. This incident went a long way to ruining the weekend. For those of you in California, I apologize if I have alarmed you with this story. I may have found one of the few Test Only smog check stations that is this thorough; it was also a Gold Shield repair station (that may have been my mistake).
Flash had said that his dealings with BAR Smog Check Referees had been positive. I heartily agree, and not just because the car passed. First I had the invoice, for the repair establishing the date of the Cat replacement as having occurred before January 1st, 2009. That was important to establish. Next they did a visual inspection, determined that it was a replacement Cat, installed correctly, recorded the model number and date of manufacture (2006). They proceeded to look in pre-2009 catalytic converter manufacturer's replacement guides and didn't find a replacement listed for the 968 in 2006. The referee then called his supervisor in Sacramento for a ruling....
<b>They determined that since 95 and older 968s are OBD1 that they do not have to match catalytic converter manufacturers numbers to the model of the car, all that is needed is to determine that the cat is installed correctly and functioning. </b> OBD2 cars are a different story so I guess it's a good thing that there weren't any 1996 968s. This allowed the referee to over-rule the smog check station if I passed the emissions test. This got me worried again as I had been at the HC limits in the previous test. (results below)
Speed___RPM__%CO2_%O2__HC Max_HC Ave_HC Meas_CO Max_CO Ave_CO Meas_NO Max_NO Ave_NO Meas
15mph__1727__14.0____0.4____<b>85__21_____82______0.50__0.06___0.09____ 695____150_____283</b>__
25mph__2140__14.3____0.0____50____13______26_____0.47___0.05___0.02___717____136
_____67___
The referee allowed the 968 to idle for close to 20 minutes before the emissions test, I was the first test of the day so all the test equipment was clean.
Todays smog test by the BAR Referee
Speed___RPM__%CO2_%O2__HC Max_HC Ave_HC Meas_CO Max_CO Ave_CO Meas_NO Max_NO Ave_NO Meas
15mph__1742__14.9___0.1____85_____2______16_____0.50____0.05_____0.02___696__150
____3__
25mph__1490__14.9___0.0____50____ 13______7______0.47____0.05_____0.02___717_____136___0__
I had to wait over an hour at the Smog Test Only center before that test and the test was done mid-afternoon. Both the test only and the BAR referee were at the same intersection and the car had been driven directly from my house. Nothing had been done to the car between tets, it was even the same tank of fuel. Still the difference between tests to me is striking, especially the 15mph test where the car had been over-average for HC, CO and NO att he test only Center and was well below average for all three; especially the NO measured. The emissions tests done by the BAR referee are the lowest for this car since I have owned it, I suspected that the previous Cat was failing at the the Smog check two years ago. The BAR referee tests do show that the new Cat has really helped.
For me the system eventually worked, thanks to the BAR referee.
For other 968 owners BAR established a policy that should make the smog check easier for Cats replaced before 1/1/09
For this car I also learned, have it smog checked at operating temp, turn the A/C off (per BAR referee), be the first in the morning and I may find another Test Only Station.
By the way the only cost for the BAR referee was $8.25 for the smog certificate when the car passed.
I felt like I'm stuck as I was on record as having a tampered exhaust system, modified catalytic converter, wrong catalytic converter. This incident went a long way to ruining the weekend. For those of you in California, I apologize if I have alarmed you with this story. I may have found one of the few Test Only smog check stations that is this thorough; it was also a Gold Shield repair station (that may have been my mistake).
Flash had said that his dealings with BAR Smog Check Referees had been positive. I heartily agree, and not just because the car passed. First I had the invoice, for the repair establishing the date of the Cat replacement as having occurred before January 1st, 2009. That was important to establish. Next they did a visual inspection, determined that it was a replacement Cat, installed correctly, recorded the model number and date of manufacture (2006). They proceeded to look in pre-2009 catalytic converter manufacturer's replacement guides and didn't find a replacement listed for the 968 in 2006. The referee then called his supervisor in Sacramento for a ruling....
<b>They determined that since 95 and older 968s are OBD1 that they do not have to match catalytic converter manufacturers numbers to the model of the car, all that is needed is to determine that the cat is installed correctly and functioning. </b> OBD2 cars are a different story so I guess it's a good thing that there weren't any 1996 968s. This allowed the referee to over-rule the smog check station if I passed the emissions test. This got me worried again as I had been at the HC limits in the previous test. (results below)
Speed___RPM__%CO2_%O2__HC Max_HC Ave_HC Meas_CO Max_CO Ave_CO Meas_NO Max_NO Ave_NO Meas
15mph__1727__14.0____0.4____<b>85__21_____82______0.50__0.06___0.09____ 695____150_____283</b>__
25mph__2140__14.3____0.0____50____13______26_____0.47___0.05___0.02___717____136
_____67___
The referee allowed the 968 to idle for close to 20 minutes before the emissions test, I was the first test of the day so all the test equipment was clean.
Todays smog test by the BAR Referee
Speed___RPM__%CO2_%O2__HC Max_HC Ave_HC Meas_CO Max_CO Ave_CO Meas_NO Max_NO Ave_NO Meas
15mph__1742__14.9___0.1____85_____2______16_____0.50____0.05_____0.02___696__150
____3__
25mph__1490__14.9___0.0____50____ 13______7______0.47____0.05_____0.02___717_____136___0__
I had to wait over an hour at the Smog Test Only center before that test and the test was done mid-afternoon. Both the test only and the BAR referee were at the same intersection and the car had been driven directly from my house. Nothing had been done to the car between tets, it was even the same tank of fuel. Still the difference between tests to me is striking, especially the 15mph test where the car had been over-average for HC, CO and NO att he test only Center and was well below average for all three; especially the NO measured. The emissions tests done by the BAR referee are the lowest for this car since I have owned it, I suspected that the previous Cat was failing at the the Smog check two years ago. The BAR referee tests do show that the new Cat has really helped.
For me the system eventually worked, thanks to the BAR referee.
For other 968 owners BAR established a policy that should make the smog check easier for Cats replaced before 1/1/09
For this car I also learned, have it smog checked at operating temp, turn the A/C off (per BAR referee), be the first in the morning and I may find another Test Only Station.
By the way the only cost for the BAR referee was $8.25 for the smog certificate when the car passed.
(This post was last modified: 08-21-2009, 03:40 PM by sp4149.)
