MA: Any issues with state inspection if you're car has coded out emmissions?

[c5Shock3r]

I was thinking about doing a bunch of deletes for my b5 s4's evap/emmissions. Have you guys had any problems passing inspection?

If you guys could list:
Which tune/tuner?
What deletes?
Did you use any resistors?

Thanks!

[k_harley]

None here

APR
Rear o2 delete / cat delete

On a side note I wired both 02 sensor plugs together to one o2 sensor and secured it to the back of the engine because one got destroyed when I removed it. This does not throw a code on my car, but does prevent o2 sensor readiness from happening. This did NOT pose and problems the last time I went for an inspection in MA.

[Smitty2A4]

I have a TON to say on this topic but I don't have time to type it all out. But I will say YES it can pose a HUGE problem and a massive headache. I had to turn my Stage 3 S4 back to Stage 0, everything back to stock besides the turbos more or less in order to get my sticker. Basically the state inspection machines can now tell if you have certain readiness monitors adjusted, such as ones for cats (if you are running catless) or if your ECU is tuned to always be ready even after you reset a CEL. In my case I got "flagged" which means you cannot get re-inspected by a normal inspection station you need to bring it to a stare run MAC (motorist assistance center) where a state employee gives it a once over and checks out EVERYTHING emissions related. If this happens to you prepare for a major headache!

I rocked my rejection sticker for a year and a half because I didn't want to deal with it then finally bite the bullet put my car back to stock, including stock injectors, MAF, downpipes and catback of course and stock ECU. Brought it to the MAC at the start of this year, since the sticker colors change it would be a lot harder to get by unnoticed by police. First trip to the MAC the guy didn't lift the flag, he was a nice guy and didn't give me a hard time about some of my other mods but was by the BOOK, cant blame him as i'm sure her would lose him job if he let stuff slide, again a good guy, easy to deal with, ect. But I had to go to the Audi dealer, pay them $192 just to get a receipt saying the ECU was OEM Audi spec then he lifted the flag and I was able to bring the car to a normal inspection station, which I did and then failed due safety because of my window tint reading 30% LOL! I was so pissed after all I had been though but whatever I ripped the front tint off, got the sticker and just got my windows redone today haha (granted I did them 35% which is legal), all of this is soooo pointless, people who mod cars will do whatever they have to in order to get that sticker then just put everything back anyways!

That said I am so happy that next year my car is 15 years old and emissions exempt because I never want to deal with this headache again, I managed to make it a year and half with only getting pulled over for my R ONCE! And I got let go with a verbal warning, other may not be that lucky and the stress of driving the car and always praying a cop doesn't spot your year+ old sticker gave me so much anxiety but at the end of the day what am I supposed to do, not drive my perfectly running car to my job because a sticker on my windshield has an R instead of a 6??? This state kills me, and I typed more than I would have liked.


See these threads for more good info on this...

http://newengland-motorsports.com/fo...ad.php?t=45314

http://newengland-motorsports.com/fo...ad.php?t=44574

[ddillenger]

None here

APR
Rear o2 delete / cat delete

On a side note I wired both 02 sensor plugs together to one o2 sensor and secured it to the back of the engine because one got destroyed when I removed it. This does not throw a code on my car, but does prevent o2 sensor readiness from happening. This did NOT pose and problems the last time I went for an inspection in MA.

Doing this causes terrible shit to happen to fueling.

[k_harley]

Doing this causes terrible shit to happen to fueling.

Elaborate

[MCargill12]

Or find a place that will give you a damn sticker. Theres ways around everything man.

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[k_harley]

Or find a place that will give you a damn sticker. Theres ways around everything man.

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What he said, you gotta have ins. Ive skated on so many things over the years, being in the business has its perks.

[vjborelli]

Or find a place that will give you a damn sticker. Theres ways around everything man.

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In 2013, MA decided to crack down on tuned cars pretty hard. You can probably find someone to give you a sticker that looks legit, but when the cops run your plate they can tell when your last actual inspection was and what the outcome was.

Now you can no longer get a sticker here in MA without at least hooking the ECU up to the inspection computer. The new inspection computers not only check the readiness code, they check the ecu for disabled readiness monitors and deleted DTC codes. If you have your SAI deleted, or O2 sensors disabled when they hook you up to the computer... You automatically get flagged and sent to MAC systems.

people that have been passing in prior years, having been failing lately because of this. Quite a few people just ended parting out their cars because they didn't want to deal with the headache of reverting back to OEM. B6Hate4 recently went through this with his 02 A4. He now owns a B8 A4.

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[Smitty2A4]

In 2013, MA decided to crack down on tuned cars pretty hard. You can probably find someone to give you a sticker that looks legit, but when the cops run your plate they can tell when your last actual inspection was and what the outcome was.

Now you can no longer get a sticker here in MA without at least hooking the ECU up to the inspection computer. The new inspection computers not only check the readiness code, they check the ecu for disabled readiness monitors and deleted DTC codes. If you have your SAI deleted, or O2 sensors disabled when they hook you up to the computer... You automatically get flagged and sent to MAC systems.

people that have been passing in prior years, having been failing lately because of this. Quite a few people just ended parting out their cars because they didn't want to deal with the headache of reverting back to OEM. B6Hate4 recently went through this with his 02 A4. He now owns a B8 A4.

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Exactly, its a nightmare now, trust me I have in's lol, and no DO NOT ask me with who as I will not tell you unless I know you face to face, but ONE there is NOTHING they can do for you if you get flagged and referred to a MAC station, ONLY the mac state employee can lift that flag and also don't try to go to a different MAC station if you thought the guy was too strict, that doesn't fly (yes I tried). SECONDLY as stated by vjborelli MA has been coming down very hard on stations passing cars that should fail, after speaking with a few inspection shop owners I learned they catch shit simply for being busy and having many cars come though the shop each day, mass assumes that means they are passing too many cars. They will then send decoy cars to the station and if the station passes the car for say having one license plate light out the shop could face a fine. Safety still comes down to the actual discretion of the shop, and if you know a guy he could let you slide, but emissions forget it, long gone are the days of hooking the ODB2 connector up to another car to "fool" the inspection machine. Many stations even require the inspector to sign in with facial recognition software.

I came very close to just giving up and ditching my car over all this headache and stress, I wont say exactly what I have spent in total just to get a valid sticker on my windshield but I will say that I will never modify a car that isn't 15 years or older and emissions except as the hassle just isn't worth it anymore. I would imagine things are only going to get worse too! So either ODB1 cars or 15+ old cars for me if i'm going to modify them in this state!

[Widebody4.2]

Exactly, its a nightmare now, trust me I have in's lol, and no DO NOT ask me with who as I will not tell you unless I know you face to face, but ONE there is NOTHING they can do for you if you get flagged and referred to a MAC station, ONLY the mac state employee can lift that flag and also don't try to go to a different MAC station if you thought the guy was too strict, that doesn't fly (yes I tried). SECONDLY as stated by vjborelli MA has been coming down very hard on stations passing cars that should fail, after speaking with a few inspection shop owners I learned they catch shit simply for being busy and having many cars come though the shop each day, mass assumes that means they are passing too many cars. They will then send decoy cars to the station and if the station passes the car for say having one license plate light out the shop could face a fine. Safety still comes down to the actual discretion of the shop, and if you know a guy he could let you slide, but emissions forget it, long gone are the days of hooking the ODB2 connector up to another car to "fool" the inspection machine. Many stations even require the inspector to sign in with facial recognition software.

I came very close to just giving up and ditching my car over all this headache and stress, I wont say exactly what I have spent in total just to get a valid sticker on my windshield but I will say that I will never modify a car that isn't 15 years or older and emissions except as the hassle just isn't worth it anymore. I would imagine things are only going to get worse too! So either ODB1 cars or 15+ old cars for me if i'm going to modify them in this state!

So does the 15 year thing work off model year or manufacture year

[vjborelli]

So does the 15 year thing work off model year or manufacture year

Manufacturing date of the vehicle.

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[Pizdets-b5]

i just failed emissions with a bad cat converter. now need 2 new ones great

[VVG]

Does anyone know if there would be a problem with a straightforward Stage 1 ECU flash and nothing more. Is there anything about the emission control systems that is messed with here? Looking to flash my 2014 S6 with APR, and that's it, but need it to all be emissions legal.

[SilverSline]

Does anyone know if there would be a problem with a straightforward Stage 1 ECU flash and nothing more. Is there anything about the emission control systems that is messed with here? Looking to flash my 2014 S6 with APR, and that's it, but need it to all be emissions legal.

Yes, you will be fine with that tune.

[DxC]

MAC, fun times

[rsfaux]

-15 year doesnt apply to everything 15 years or older I believe they are up to 99 and stopping there from what the registry/MAC has told us.

-it used to be you could have 2 not ready for emissions it changed a year ago to 1 for 2001 plus cars.

-THERE ARE NO INS YOUR BUDDY CANT HOOK YOU UP ETC (hence being very quiet about helping people), the state unfortunately is getting smarter and smarter they are actually tracking flag lifts etc because its becoming such an issue. PS if you passed this year with any type of non rediness you will almost certainly have a flag next year if you go in and it's the same. You can petition for an exemption or ask for a hardship extension etc etc if they really try and fist you.

-There are many APR GIAC etc etc that let you choose between test pipe and normal file, you will be fine and pass normally with a stage 1 because it is intended for stock exhaust and catalyst.

-recently had a friend sell his car keep his plate and went for inspection and he was sent to MAC with a stock car because they had his plate on file (its supposed to be by vin). gestapo style

[buzztt]

I've had issues for years passing my modded Porsche, ma is a nightmare, my tuner used to be able to force readiness but now they clear the readiness and if it goes ready again immediately without requiring a drive cycle they know your tune is messing with it and fail you. There's no way around it. The Mac center was useless, they suggested I keep removing the mods until it passes lol.

[Smitty2A4]

-15 year doesnt apply to everything 15 years or older I believe they are up to 99 and stopping there from what the registry/MAC has told us.

That would suck, but from what I understand the 15 year emissions exemption is still in effect, even the MAC guy told me to just wait another year or two until its exempt before I retune the car. Honestly at this point if I get flagged again next year i'm not dealing with the stress and headache of putting everything back to stock, going to the MAC, ect. again. I will just rock the R, as long as it isn't red it doesn't stand out.

I've had issues for years passing my modded Porsche, ma is a nightmare, my tuner used to be able to force readiness but now they clear the readiness and if it goes ready again immediately without requiring a drive cycle they know your tune is messing with it and fail you. There's no way around it. The Mac center was useless, they suggested I keep removing the mods until it passes lol.

I thought the same exact thing, that they clear the readiness to see if it goes back to ready right away. However after getting my sticker I checked my car with Vag-Com and everything was still ready after at most a 15 mile drive. So either they do not always clear it or they have some other method of checking it out.

[buzztt]

That would suck, but from what I understand the 15 year emissions exemption is still in effect, even the MAC guy told me to just wait another year or two until its exempt before I retune the car. Honestly at this point if I get flagged again next year i'm not dealing with the stress and headache of putting everything back to stock, going to the MAC, ect. again. I will just rock the R, as long as it isn't red it doesn't stand out.





I thought the same exact thing, that they clear the readiness to see if it goes back to ready right away. However after getting my sticker I checked my car with Vag-Com and everything was still ready after at most a 15 mile drive. So either they do not always clear it or they have some other method of checking it out.

That's what's my tuner told me, maybe he dumbed down the explanation for me lol.

I rocked an r sticker for almost 2 years, didn't bother me too much and I was never pulled over. I just told people r was for race car :)

[Smitty2A4]

That's what's my tuner told me, maybe he dumbed down the explanation for me lol.

I rocked an r sticker for almost 2 years, didn't bother me too much and I was never pulled over. I just told people r was for race car :)

Yeah, bottom line they def have some way of telling if its set to force readiness.

And if you think of how much cops have to look for when your car passes them its easy to see why you can go unnoticed with a black R for a long time. Different states have different style stickers and different locations so they have to ID your plate and then try to spot what color/number your sticker is and by that time you have prob already driven past them. I feel like they keep an eye out for more obvious safety dangers/erratic driving rather than the color/number of your sticker. That said there are cops who sit in a location and just look at inspection/registration stickers and pull people over if they spot one they don't like. If you pay attention to it though its hilarious how many people just completely ignore their stickers. In my work parking lot there are a few bone stock cars with black R's that are two+ years old and several other cars have stickers that are outdated by over a year haha!

[Renegade5]

For any B6/B7 JHM tuned, Catless S4's.....I passed inspection this morning w/ flying colors.

[Professor]

For any B6/B7 JHM tuned, Catless S4's.....I passed inspection this morning w/ flying colors.

That's good to hear. Has anyone had any inspection issues with mods like Renegade's? I'm planning on picking up a high flow cat and JHM ECU tune this month..

After my other car, I'm done with dealing with the pain of getting it to pass inspections. I want to make sure everything will go smoothly with the S4.

[agart]

Yeah, bottom line they def have some way of telling if its set to force readiness.

A third party device should give you the correct reading. VAG-COM will come up as all ready even with forced readiness. That was the only way I could tell when mine was good to go to the MAC.

[rsfaux]

/\ This

[rsfaux]

Does anyone agree this is monumental waste of time

[vjborelli]

Does anyone agree this is monumental waste of time

On who's part? The state, or ours?

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[New 2 EDM Whips]

I come from the Evo world. I have gone through this....quite an annoyance. The guys at the MAC center in Medford were cool as hell.

[jmcS4]

That's good to hear. Has anyone had any inspection issues with mods like Renegade's? I'm planning on picking up a high flow cat and JHM ECU tune this month..

After my other car, I'm done with dealing with the pain of getting it to pass inspections. I want to make sure everything will go smoothly with the S4.

If the readiness monitors are good I think the only issue you might have is the exhaust. Mine passed but only because the tech owned a audi. Otherwise my res delete is supposedly too loud. And my mufflers aren't straight through design.

[Smitty2A4]

On who's part? The state, or ours?

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BOTH haha! I really don't know what its accomplishing, any serious car people will do what they have to do to get a pass and then put their cars back, or just say screw it and rock an expired sticker or no sticker at all which I believe is a $50 fine (I could be very wrong). When I went to the MAC I was asking the guy how many cars they saw a week, he said sometimes only one car for weeks at a time, other weeks they might see more. I guess they must be getting profits somehow in order to keep these things alive.

I come from the Evo world. I have gone through this....quite an annoyance. The guys at the MAC center in Medford were cool as hell.

This is what I kept reading on different forums that Meford was the best location, I of course read all this AFTER I was locked in with Beverly location. Like I mentioned above once you go to one location you can’t just switch and go to another you have to work with the guys at the first.

[buzztt]

BOTH haha! I really don't know what its accomplishing, any serious car people will do what they have to do to get a pass and then put their cars back, or just say screw it and rock an expired sticker or no sticker at all which I believe is a $50 fine (I could be very wrong). When I went to the MAC I was asking the guy how many cars they saw a week, he said sometimes only one car for weeks at a time, other weeks they might see more. I guess they must be getting profits somehow in order to keep these things alive.


This is what I kept reading on different forums that Meford was the best location, I of course read all this AFTER I was locked in with Beverly location. Like I mentioned above once you go to one location you can’t just switch and go to another you have to work with the guys at the first.

I've been to the Mac many times and never seen another car there, first time I went I was told to call first to make an appointment and was given a specific time, got there 20 minutes early and no one else was there, same thing the second time, literally have never ever seen any other car near the place. Each time I asked if they were busy and got a mumbled 'some days are busier than others' or something. They didn't assist me, they just kept saying no until I figured out how to pass.

[Professor]

I believe is a $50 fine (I could be very wrong).

It's $50, but also is worth 2 points on your license and counts as a moving violation. Which in turn, your insurance carrier will surcharge your rate. (for up to 6 years from what I've read..) So the hidden costs can add up. I've had two tickets for expired and running an "R" reg, but I've never checked to see how it affected my insurance rate.

edit: forgot to mention that one of my old insurance carriers wouldn't "guarantee" coverage if I was driving a car with an "R" sticker for an extended period of time. They told me they will only honor coverage on a car that is legal to be on the street, and that a car with an "R" sticker is not legal to be on the street if you go past the window to go to the MAC center. I'm sure you could fight that, but it's food for thought.

[Smitty2A4]

It's $50, but also is worth 2 points on your license and counts as a moving violation. Which in turn, your insurance carrier will surcharge your rate. (for up to 6 years from what I've read..) So the hidden costs can add up. I've had two tickets for expired and running an "R" reg, but I've never checked to see how it affected my insurance rate.

edit: forgot to mention that one of my old insurance carriers wouldn't "guarantee" coverage if I was driving a car with an "R" sticker for an extended period of time. They told me they will only honor coverage on a car that is legal to be on the street, and that a car with an "R" sticker is not legal to be on the street if you go past the window to go to the MAC center. I'm sure you could fight that, but it's food for thought.

Very good point, the potential insurance surcharge is what made me finally just bite the bullet, put my car back to stock and drag it to the MAC center. Esp after my insurance rates dropped this year and I only have one ticket on my driving record now. I really didn't want to deal with getting a ticket that sticks on my record for 6 years.

As far as no cars being at the MAC, I only went twice (two times too many) and my first visit I was there for over an hour and didn't see anyone else, second visit there was a modded VW Golf pulling up as I was leaving, aftermarket exhaust, stickers, ect. I wanted to say good luck buddy out the window.

[Guss]

I have a 01.5 S it has lots of mods. Piggie pipes, the main cats are junk and I am not replacing them, turbos, exhaust, etc. It's like most B5S4 out there.

I am tuned and I specifically had them not code anything out such as O2's and the like because I knew it would be flagged from what I was hearing. I had to go back and forth with the tuner to explain that this is how I needed it tuned and why. He kept telling me it's not a problem you will pass until with the code outs until I presented proof to him it would not so he did what I wanted.

With me having piggie's and the mains not working anymore I installed a pair of Wayne Angle Blocks and these things work better than anything I have ever used to pull the O2's out of the exhaust stream. I have all working O2's along with the Wayne Angle Blocks. When I need my sticker I hook up my laptop and we set readiness for the cats and make sure everything else is also ready. When everything is set I go to a friendly inspection station, one who does not care what is on the car as long at it will pass the computer hook up.

I have been doing this the past 3 years and have not had any problems at all...

What the state has done is when the test reads that everything is in ready it then resets everything. If things like your O2's come up ready again without the car running again then you have a problem as that tells them something is not right and it has been tampered with or modded. That is when you go for the visual inspection and they will go over your car with a fine tooth comb. If you have an after market exhaust it fails even if it's the same as stock.

So if you are tuning your car you must leave all as is, at least for now until your car is 15 years old, I can't wait for 15 years to come. :D

[Guss]

Actually the 15 year rule is now changed. Now they have different rules. 2000 has a set of rules and 2001 does also.

This whole thing is the biggest waste of fvcking time and resources by this fvcking state. the pols are all a bunch of fvcking idiots!

All this accomplishes is nothing. They are doing it all for the environment lol the people who believe that I have some swamp land for sale...