California Tuners beware!

Discussion in 'The Bench' started by 12lives, Jul 22, 2021.

  1. 12lives

    12lives Control the controllable, let the rest go

    https://www.thedrive.com/cars-101/41603/california-ecu-tune-flash-faq
    "The policy itself to fail a vehicle for modified or non-CARB compliant software was adopted on 1/1/2013, however, enforcement of the policy began on 7/19/2021. We're not sure why it took eight years for the policy to come into effect."
    This will affect the ECU reflash/tune folks make when modifying their electronics. Makes a good case for no LS swaps into 1974 or newer cars in California!
     
  2. Max Damage

    Max Damage I'm working on it!

    Not sure this applies?
    I think a 1975 car with an LS swap would be compared to it's original emissions standards, not to the year of the LS drivetrain?

    Interesting though... Luckily you can just reflash before and after the emissions test if this is your thing.
     
  3. Hawken

    Hawken Hawken

    I am not sure what year was the first year with re-programmable ECUs, but I am pretty sure it would be much later than '74 or '75. Plus, a modern LS probably runs a lot cleaner than a '74-'8X year car.
     
    buicksWILD and Max Damage like this.
  4. TORQUED455

    TORQUED455 Well-Known Member

    Here in NY it’s been illegal to modify any emissions controls since the 60’s or 70’s. It was very loosely enforced until the coal-rollers came to be. The DEC is looking for and ticketing those folks. And the fines are steep! Regardless of what you think you are doing emissions-wise (IE swapping an allegedly cleaner fuel-injected LS engine in place of a carburetor big block anything), it’s still illegal to do here because you have no way to prove anything emissions-wise.
     
    bostoncat68 likes this.
  5. Max Damage

    Max Damage I'm working on it!

    Of course the car could be tested with a tailpipe probe and some rollers. Washington State used to do this... Are you saying NY they have no way to actually test?

    I seems wrong to say it's "illegal" in such a broad context?
     
    Waterboy likes this.
  6. TORQUED455

    TORQUED455 Well-Known Member

    As far as I know, there is no way to “certify” that changes made meet the emissions specs of a particular YMM. There is no mechanism in place to validate such changes. Except for the coal rollers, the NYS DEC pretty much stays out of people’s lives as far as vehicle mods are concerned. Yes it’s illegal. Emissions tampering. Us repair shop guys that perform yearly vehicle inspections are supposed to do a “visual” emissions check (is the cat converter still installed, etc).
     
  7. Mark Demko

    Mark Demko Well-Known Member

    I believe the “coal rollers” are ruining it for everyone.
    May as well just dump your garbage at each intersection for all to witness
     
    Mike B in SC likes this.
  8. Todd69GS

    Todd69GS Silver Level contributor

    Agree 100%. The smoke tunes have no doubt brought the microscope out.
    The company that tuned my Dmax is shut down thanks to all this. They wouldn't even build a "dirty" tune and said so right on their site but because they were a very large company that did a lot of tunes the epa went after them.
    My truck smokes very little and only during hard acceleration and it is fully deleted(egr, dpf and cat)
     
    buicksWILD and Mark Demko like this.
  9. pbr400

    pbr400 68GS400

    There’s a shop in the next county that was a diesel tuner and truck customizer (and had Leadfoot in their name). Then came the EPA crackdown. Now they’re a landscape, treecutting and general outdoor contractor.
    Patrick
     
    Mark Demko likes this.
  10. Mark Demko

    Mark Demko Well-Known Member

    I still cant wrap my head around people having their light duty diesels "tuned" to belch exhaust soot:rolleyes:
    Is it cool?
    Diesel engines are made to work, not look like a coal fired power plant from the 70's
    I honestly believe these kids buying diesel powered pick ups just have them for play, and little do they know they're actually beating the **** outta them with these "tunes" to belch soot.
    How many OTR truckers you see that actually tinker or tinkered with the diesel in their rigs?
    When an 18 wheeler "rolls coal" its doing it 'cause its moving weight your pee pee 1 ton diesel would blow up/apart trying to tow:p
     
    OldDrummer55 likes this.
  11. pbr400

    pbr400 68GS400

    They don’t care; it’s all about appearance. They put on really badly offset wheels and stretched tires, CB antennas on with no radio, hitch but never tow and drive around with their tow mirrors out. Some are squatted even though they’ve never left the pavement (other than to park on a lawn) much less run through pluff mud. Apparently there’s a dress code, too; around here it’s a flat brim hat worn across the nose or high atop their tangled pile of hair.
    Patrick
    upload_2021-7-23_9-5-48.png
     
  12. knucklebusted

    knucklebusted Well-Known Member

    If anything should be illegal, it is coal rolling. That is uncalled for and flaunts respect for your fellow man. A tree hugger I am not.
     
    bostoncat68 and FLGS400 like this.
  13. Mark Demko

    Mark Demko Well-Known Member

    The one ton dually's ALL STOCK are the coolest.
    Not the freaked out Tonka lookin' trucks
     
  14. Hawken

    Hawken Hawken

    One early example of the EPA's negative heavy-handed tactics involve a 1973 or 1974 visit to Don Yenko and a threat to fine him a six-digit number for every (then) further hi-po engine conversion of a new car. And, ..... that was that.
     
  15. Mister T

    Mister T Just truckin' around

    I'm sure there's some owner operators running 18 wheelers who've removed the pollution controls. I believe there's huge fines involved if they're caught, plus the truck can be impounded until it's been made factory correct.

    Those big rigs you see spewing smoke are likely older ones without pollution controls. Many around here haul gravel and other aggregates. In fact, many new rigs don't have an exhaust stack. :eek:
     
    Mark Demko likes this.
  16. 436'd Skylark

    436'd Skylark Sweet Fancy Moses!!!!!

    The diesel scene these days has replaced the tuner crowd. Right down to the stupid wheels.
     
    FLGS400, 1973gs and Mark Demko like this.
  17. Mark Demko

    Mark Demko Well-Known Member

    I seem to remember having heard or read YEARS ago before diesel emissions became a “thing” that the EPA wasn’t concerned about diesel emissions being they’re low volume compared to gas engines. But I have noticed since diesel power has become more widespread, and ABUSED (tuners) the diesel garnered the emissions spotlight.
    I LOVE diesel power, but I wouldn’t own one unless I needed the torque and longevity, and relatively decent economy for hauling HEAVY loads.
    I remember the school busses in the 70’s, some were late 60’s also in my school district, I asked our bus driver what size engine, (I was 7 or 8 maybe) she said 427 Chevy, they were all big blocks in some form with manual transmission, wasn’t long before they were huffing oil from the exhaust, gas engines are just too overwhelmed moving heavy loads for long periods.
     
    Mister T likes this.
  18. John Codman

    John Codman Platinum Level Contributor

    Massachusetts applied some common sense to emission inspection a few years back, only OBD2 cars and trucks (1996 and up) are emission tested. Cars built before then that are daily drivers are few and far between and collectively (from the pollution standpoint) don't amount to a flea's pee in a boxcar. The same is likely true in Californicate.
     
  19. FLGS400

    FLGS400 Gold Level Contributor

    What is this emissions equipment testing you speak of?

    As you all may know... Florida doesn't seem to care. As long as no one is drilling for oil off of the coast, we're good.

    We used to have emissions testing many years ago, but I think it was costing the state more than they were making off of it so they did away with it. Given the junk I drove back then, it was a major relief.
     
  20. bostoncat68

    bostoncat68 Platinum Level Contributor

    I think many folks would be stunned by the rigor of the MA inspection. They use the car’s computer to determine emissions, no tail pipe test. The entire process is videotaped and they take digital pics of the plates, old sticker and something else. I think it would be very hard to find a shop that’s going to fake it… Obviously the Wildcat just gets the lights, seat belts and wheels checked. I drove down to MD few weeks back and one thing that caught my eye was the number of cars I saw in other states that were in horrendous condition. If you asked me to pick, I’ll take the yearly $35 fee and a better shot the idiot next to me has lights, brakes and tires. Sad that you can’t count on folks to be responsible to protect themselves, their family and the guy in the next lane.
     

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