CARB Certified DP/Cat?

[JWadle]

Does anyone know of a downpipe for the Mk7.5 GTI that includes a CARB-certified cat? As of 2021, Colorado requires this for all non-OEM cat replacements.

 

[StorableComa]

Best bet would be to swap to a R DP. Don't believe any aftermarket DPs carry CARB at this time. I'm in California, so I feel your pain. Though we just do Visual and ODBII now, so maybe a No CEL style might squeak you through depending on inspection.

 

[Keehs360]

I don’t. I’m also in Colorado. Essentially you’ll need a cat with a carb and epa stamp. And it’s gotta keep your smog low while your tune has to make sure none of the emissions stuff has been deactivated and finally all of your emissions readiness must be set.

gluck. There’s a carb legal downpipe for the wrx. But the tune needed to run it deactivates a sensor. So your readiness is screwed. So as u can see, not a good option if you have to pass smog.

 

[Jovian]

No CARB downpipes sadly. We have some intakes and such but no CARB downpipes.

I ended up going Stg 1 E30 and its stupid fun. If you have E85 near you get an E30 tune.

 

[GTI Jake]

Best bet is to do stage 1 (e30 if available) and an intercooler upgrade.

 

[docwyte]

I don’t. I’m also in Colorado. Essentially you’ll need a cat with a carb and epa stamp. And it’s gotta keep your smog low while your tune has to make sure none of the emissions stuff has been deactivated and finally all of your emissions readiness must be set.

gluck. There’s a carb legal downpipe for the wrx. But the tune needed to run it deactivates a sensor. So your readiness is screwed. So as u can see, not a good option if you have to pass smog.

No you don't. Besides the fact that you don't need to go thru smog here until your car is 7 years old. Then for the next 5 years they just OBD2 scan it. They could care less about what cat you have on the car as long as the monitors read set.

I ran my 996 Turbo thru smog earlier this summer with a super loud exhaust with 200 cell cats and they didn't even blink.

 

[Faceman]

Best bet would be to swap to a R DP. Don't believe any aftermarket DPs carry CARB at this time. I'm in California, so I feel your pain. Though we just do Visual and ODBII now, so maybe a No CEL style might squeak you through depending on inspection.

R downpipe won't fit.

Gut the first cat and use an O2 spacer.

 

[Keehs360]

No you don't. Besides the fact that you don't need to go thru smog here until your car is 7 years old. Then for the next 5 years they just OBD2 scan it. They could care less about what cat you have on the car as long as the monitors read set.

I ran my 996 Turbo thru smog earlier this summer with a super loud exhaust with 200 cell cats and they didn't even blink.

With my 2009 sti, they whipped out the mirrors on a stick and checked EVERYTHING under the car. And they spend 15 minutes looking at everything under the hood

same with my fox body mustang. Same with my rx8. Etc

my point is, there’s discrimination here. If the car looks fun. Or fast. You’ll get picked apart. My rx8 had to go through air care’s ref’s because the exhaust was too loud. But it’s exhaust was stock

even if you don’t have to get emissions done for 6 or 7 years it isn’t worth it. You can be pulled over and asked to go to air care ref any time.

 

[docwyte]

All those cars are older than 7 years from new. Your current car isn't, in fact I don't have to take my car thru smog until 2026 here. I've *never* been harassed here by a cop for any modifications on my car. That includes my race cars that had roll cages, race vinyl etc.

If you drive like a jerk and are a jerk to the cop, they're going to respond in kind.

The Suby's get a bad rap here and I'm sure the Smog guys see plenty of whack stuff on most of the Suby's that come thru, so they get special attention.

My R has an IE open intake and an APR catted downpipe, I'm not worried about smogging it in 6 years when the time comes...

 

[launchd]

With my 2009 sti, they whipped out the mirrors on a stick and checked EVERYTHING under the car. And they spend 15 minutes looking at everything under the hood

same with my fox body mustang. Same with my rx8. Etc

my point is, there’s discrimination here. If the car looks fun. Or fast. You’ll get picked apart. My rx8 had to go through air care’s ref’s because the exhaust was too loud. But it’s exhaust was stock

even if you don’t have to get emissions done for 6 or 7 years it isn’t worth it. You can be pulled over and asked to go to air care ref any time.

What is air care ref?

 

[Keehs360]

All those cars are older than 7 years from new. Your current car isn't, in fact I don't have to take my car thru smog until 2026 here. I've *never* been harassed here by a cop for any modifications on my car. That includes my race cars that had roll cages, race vinyl etc.

If you drive like a jerk and are a jerk to the cop, they're going to respond in kind.

The Suby's get a bad rap here and I'm sure the Smog guys see plenty of whack stuff on most of the Suby's that come thru, so they get special attention.

My R has an IE open intake and an APR catted downpipe, I'm not worried about smogging it in 6 years when the time comes...

I’m in Aurora. When I was sent to the ref it was a castle rock cop. I did the yes sir no sir and I have disabled veteran Purple Heart plates on all my cars. I am always respectful when pulled over. I also don’t drive like a dick. I’m 38, don’t look threatening and my crazy driving is only at high plains track.

the rx8 had two guys on her that determined the exhaust was indeed oem. So no issues there.

and yeah, subbies definitely earn a shitty rep here. My god. They really do make it hard for others with Subaru’s.

regardless. If you’re in a heavily policed and enforced city in Colorado. I wouldn’t do a downpipe. My friends mini Cooper earned him 20k in fines bro. His was heavily modified and had no cats too. But what tipped the cop off was the sound. That’s how it started.

can we agree on “do it at your own risk” then?

 

[Keehs360]

What is air care ref?

Let’s say you got pulled over because your car is too loud. The cop can give you a fix it ticket. You’ll have to present yourself at the emissions testing place. It’s called air care. For the ref you need an appointment. The ref picks through your car. Marking down modifications etc. they even look at the ecu too and they can tell if you’re currently on the stock tune too

 

[jimlloyd40]

Let’s say you got pulled over because your car is too loud. The cop can give you a fix it ticket. You’ll have to present yourself at the emissions testing place. It’s called air care. For the ref you need an appointment. The ref picks through your car. Marking down modifications etc. they even look at the ecu too and they can tell if you’re currently on the stock tune too

So they have equipment to read every brand of ECU that's available?

 

[Keehs360]

So they have equipment to read every brand of ECU that's available?

From what I’ve gathered. Yes. Good ol carb hooks them up with tons of info on what a stock downpipe and exhaust look like. What bin numbers should show up on stock ecu etc. auto manufacturers have been forced to send this type of info to carb for almost a decade now.

they can’t tell if you reflashed and went back to stock mind you. But they can tell if you are currently not on the stock tune.

though it seems like they don’t always perform these checks. My buddy with a stage one 4.6 v8 mustang went through air care without an issue. His intake was carb certified. They do look up the carb numbers and compare the pic of the intake with what’s under the hood.

 

[bicycle019]

No you don't. Besides the fact that you don't need to go thru smog here until your car is 7 years old. Then for the next 5 years they just OBD2 scan it. They could care less about what cat you have on the car as long as the monitors read set.

I ran my 996 Turbo thru smog earlier this summer with a super loud exhaust with 200 cell cats and they didn't even blink.

Are you sure about this part? I don't see on the Air Care Colorado site that's called out. It seems that that once you move into the cars 8th year they require an emissions test, which can be waived if you pass the Rapidscreen roadside tests you see setup near highway on ramps and such. Not sure where it indicates that an OBD scan alone does it. Everytime I go to AirCare I see cars run on the dyno and either fast pass in the 3 min test or move onto the full 10 min test, either way they all run on the rollers.

Currently running full stage 2 with APR catted downpipe on a '16 GTI, which if I read the Aircare site correctly "Most vehicles do not require an inspection until they are eight years old." https://aircarecolorado.com/faq I'm guess I'm not getting tested hood up on rollers until '24?

BTW anecdote about the CO referee process...I have an '84 Jetta GLI with full 2.0 ABA motor swap including '96 OBD1 management. Car has full Techtonics 2.25" exhaust with Bosal 4/2/1 long tube headers with a tiny half sized Magnaflow pre-cat instead of a full sized one located about 18" behind the stock location. Definitely not stock. I went through the normal emissions line a few times over the years and just played dumb and it worked. Got some static once during the visual and the inspector brought his supervisor over and they said "let's see what it does on the rollers" and the car passed.
After I sweated through that I decided to do the full referee procedure and decided to get the car certified emissions wise as a '96. I scheduled an appointment at the Broomfield AirCare facility (heard the ref there is a car guy and swap sympathetic, if done right) and sat in a room while the inspector went over the entire car for about 30 min, including running on his emissions dyno. I have the OBD scan port hooked up, all evap stuff hooked up, and as mentioned the micro-cat, logo and serial # side down for visibility, and it passed. Guy complimented me on my swap and passed the car. Next emissions test I have to bring the paperwork he gave indicating it's a '96 as far as the inspector is concerned and I run through the regular line.