California Legal Intercooler (Mk7)?

[Mooseman]

I've been scouring the web and I haven't been able to find a definitive answer on if upgraded intercoolers are legal in California.
I asked a few auto-parts dealers and got two answers as well:

EQT:
Intercoolers don't need CARB compliance because they sit ahead of the engine.

034:
There are no legal intercoolers, but if you get one that is black it'll look stock and you might pass visual.

Do we have any law experts here that can put this debate to rest?

 

[Wastegate13]

I doubt any inspection shop would be able to tell the difference between any stock replacement and OEM.

 

[Handguns4heaRTs]

I have a stock location (APR) IC, and I have a hard time seeing it even when I’m looking for it. Not a chance any smog shop will even know to look for it

 

[daconchslop]

Get a factory mount one. Only another sharp eyed GTI owner would be able to spot it.
Edit: Or R owner

 

[StorableComa]

Neuspeed says they are CARB exempt, but I can't get the page to load with the order on the California site.

Personally i've never heard of anyone having an issue with an Intercooler in CA.

https://neuspeed.com/products/neuspeed-front-mount-intercooler-stage-2-481045

 

[Mooseman]

I'm considering this Wagner one, but I'm just not sure.
https://store.034motorsport.com/wag...oler-kit-for-volkswagen-audi-1-8-2-0-tsi.html

I'm still 2Y out for my next smog inspection, but I'm just generally a cautious person.

 

[StorableComa]

I'm considering this Wagner one, but I'm just not sure.
https://store.034motorsport.com/wag...oler-kit-for-volkswagen-audi-1-8-2-0-tsi.html

I'm still 2Y out for my next smog inspection, but I'm just generally a cautious person.

I'm 99% sure you'd be fine with that one. It's an OEM location replacement, and it's black. I doubt anyone would know you had it installed.

 

[victorofhavoc]

Technically any change to the car's air, fuel, or precat exhaust flow is illegal for Cali smog check/test, unless it has a carb exemption. Even an intake is illegal.

I don't know of any carb exempt intercoolers for the mk7. I know Wagner has carb exemption on a couple bmw platforms that are older, though. The Wagner intercooler is a nice product.

This being said, with the ecu adjusting for the cooler manifold air you'll be emitting and burning the same or less. It's one of the silly things about carb that I think makes zero sense. It makes sense to catch people removing cats and putting in high flow fuel systems, but intercoolers are just silly to control. Like others have said, a stock location black part will be basically impossible to notice unless someone really knows what they're doing and what to look for.

 

[Mooseman]

Technically any change to the car's air, fuel, or precat exhaust flow is illegal for Cali smog check/test, unless it has a carb exemption. Even an intake is illegal.

I don't know of any carb exempt intercoolers for the mk7. I know Wagner has carb exemption on a couple bmw platforms that are older, though. The Wagner intercooler is a nice product.

This being said, with the ecu adjusting for the cooler manifold air you'll be emitting and burning the same or less. It's one of the silly things about carb that I think makes zero sense. It makes sense to catch people removing cats and putting in high flow fuel systems, but intercoolers are just silly to control. Like others have said, a stock location black part will be basically impossible to notice unless someone really knows what they're doing and what to look for.

You think there's merit to the argument that an aftermarket IC doesn't need an exemption because the car has one stock?

 

[DarkArrow]

EQT:
Intercoolers don't need CARB compliance because they sit ahead of the engine.

Clearly BS, because an intake is ahead of the engine and these 100% require CARB EO to be legal in CA.

034:
There are no legal intercoolers, but if you get one that is black it'll look stock and you might pass visual.

Since there are CARB EOs for intercoolers (for example, EO D-759 is for a Mishimoto intercooler) I am lead to believe that legally speaking an intercooler is illegal in CA without an EO number. I didn't know of any company, but it looks like the Neuspeed FMIC StorableComa posted above has an EO#. If you google carb EO# D-236-21 it comes up with an CARB document that says it's legal and lists both the mk7 GTI and R. IMHO, even though that has an EO#, I would guess that a factory location intercooler would pose less of an issue than that FMIC since the average tech wouldn't even notice it.

 

[StorableComa]

I don't think even FMICs really pose an issue, granted I haven't had one under the change from sniffer to ODBII scan. I know the big thing they look for is Downpipes and intakes and now ECU flashes.

 

[Chogokin]

I have a Neuspeed and it has a CA EO number. I have a GTI...but I'm 99.9% sure that the Golf R has one too.

 

[StorableComa]

Found this with a quick google:

https://www.audizine.com/forum/show...oblem-passing-visual-smog-check-in-California

It's an older thread though, so I looked up the current posted BAR inspection stuff:

https://www.bar.ca.gov/pdf/2017_Smog_Check_Manual.pdf

So it looks like so long as your car is Gasoline and came with one from the factory, doesn't matter.

 

[Mooseman]

Found this with a quick google:
View attachment 239819
https://www.audizine.com/forum/show...oblem-passing-visual-smog-check-in-California

It's an older thread though, so I looked up the current posted BAR inspection stuff:
View attachment 239821
https://www.bar.ca.gov/pdf/2017_Smog_Check_Manual.pdf

So it looks like so long as your car is Gasoline and came with one from the factory, doesn't matter.

I gotta print this out and keep a copy in my glovebox just in case. Thank you.

 

[StorableComa]

I gotta print this out and keep a copy in my glovebox just in case. Thank you.

Could also call up Eurocode tuning or any other well known tuning shop in CA and ask them. They're not far from me, and would know best as anything they sell that is Smog related have to have an EO number I believe with the big crackdown. Which is why a lot of companies won't ship certain things to CA.