Standalone and Passing IL Emissions?
Jun 19, 2008, 07:30 PM
#1
Standalone and Passing IL Emissions?
Here's my current dilemma; I want to build my car into a stupid fast street monster and that entails going the standalone route. My question is to those of you guys running standalone ECU's / what you are doing to pass IL emissions?
Here's the following options that I'm exploring:
1. Disconnect standalone and swap stock ecu back into car and have base tune on it to idle big cams and injectors (not sure of stock ECU limitations, but I'm looking JUN 272's and 1200cc to give you an idea)
2. Find somebody that lives in a county that doesn't get tested and register my car there. (don't have any friends that live in the boonies.)
3. Apply for show car / race car exemption and keep miles under 5k/year
4. Buy a HKS FCON V-Pro and still retain OBD-II functionality while keeping full standalone functionality (no big Evo tuners around here tune the V-Pro and this is an awesome standalone)
Any insight you guys could provide would be greatly appreciated
Here's the following options that I'm exploring:
1. Disconnect standalone and swap stock ecu back into car and have base tune on it to idle big cams and injectors (not sure of stock ECU limitations, but I'm looking JUN 272's and 1200cc to give you an idea)
2. Find somebody that lives in a county that doesn't get tested and register my car there. (don't have any friends that live in the boonies.)
3. Apply for show car / race car exemption and keep miles under 5k/year
4. Buy a HKS FCON V-Pro and still retain OBD-II functionality while keeping full standalone functionality (no big Evo tuners around here tune the V-Pro and this is an awesome standalone)
Any insight you guys could provide would be greatly appreciated
Jun 20, 2008, 12:31 AM
#2
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my boy worked at the emmisons since the evo is obd2 it will not be driven. as long as you didnt disconnect teh battery b4 the test and u dont have a check engine light on you are gravy. do u have the cams in the car now??
if u dont then test teh car b4 hand but basically what the test is doing is communicating with you equiptment and it looks for a signal that says one or none of your emissions components are faulty.
if u dont then test teh car b4 hand but basically what the test is doing is communicating with you equiptment and it looks for a signal that says one or none of your emissions components are faulty.
Jun 20, 2008, 12:33 AM
#3
Jun 20, 2008, 05:28 AM
#5
If you install a replacement ECU that doesn't support driving the OBD-II port, you'll need to replace it with one that does when you're called up for testing. Period, full-stop. If your OBD-II port is inoperable, you'll get a rejection (as opposed to a failure). So, you'll want to keep that stock ECU handy.
That means every change you make to the car requires you to consider whether you could have made that change with the stock ECU, because at least once every few years, you're going to be running a stock ECU.
Want to go speed-density? Keep a MAF handy (and installable). Removed the rear O2? Be ready to install a few resistors to fake the signal.
In Illinois, for a daily-driven car that's facing emissions testing soon, I'd stick with the stock ECU, frankly. Yes, you can log and control quite a bit more with a standalone, and do so in a more powerful manner, but you're still stuck at emissions time.
Two other alternatives I've heard people toss around, of questionable legal standing: registering the car as being stored in a non-emissions county (or in Wisconsin), and telling the Illinois EPA that the car is inoperable when they send the testing notice. The first trick is apparently fairly successful, if you're able to receive your notices at whatever address you've registered. The second one apparently only works a few times.
That means every change you make to the car requires you to consider whether you could have made that change with the stock ECU, because at least once every few years, you're going to be running a stock ECU.
Want to go speed-density? Keep a MAF handy (and installable). Removed the rear O2? Be ready to install a few resistors to fake the signal.
In Illinois, for a daily-driven car that's facing emissions testing soon, I'd stick with the stock ECU, frankly. Yes, you can log and control quite a bit more with a standalone, and do so in a more powerful manner, but you're still stuck at emissions time.
Two other alternatives I've heard people toss around, of questionable legal standing: registering the car as being stored in a non-emissions county (or in Wisconsin), and telling the Illinois EPA that the car is inoperable when they send the testing notice. The first trick is apparently fairly successful, if you're able to receive your notices at whatever address you've registered. The second one apparently only works a few times.
Jun 20, 2008, 08:26 AM
#6
If you install a replacement ECU that doesn't support driving the OBD-II port, you'll need to replace it with one that does when you're called up for testing. Period, full-stop. If your OBD-II port is inoperable, you'll get a rejection (as opposed to a failure). So, you'll want to keep that stock ECU handy.
That means every change you make to the car requires you to consider whether you could have made that change with the stock ECU, because at least once every few years, you're going to be running a stock ECU.
Want to go speed-density? Keep a MAF handy (and installable). Removed the rear O2? Be ready to install a few resistors to fake the signal.
In Illinois, for a daily-driven car that's facing emissions testing soon, I'd stick with the stock ECU, frankly. Yes, you can log and control quite a bit more with a standalone, and do so in a more powerful manner, but you're still stuck at emissions time.
Two other alternatives I've heard people toss around, of questionable legal standing: registering the car as being stored in a non-emissions county (or in Wisconsin), and telling the Illinois EPA that the car is inoperable when they send the testing notice. The first trick is apparently fairly successful, if you're able to receive your notices at whatever address you've registered. The second one apparently only works a few times.
That means every change you make to the car requires you to consider whether you could have made that change with the stock ECU, because at least once every few years, you're going to be running a stock ECU.
Want to go speed-density? Keep a MAF handy (and installable). Removed the rear O2? Be ready to install a few resistors to fake the signal.
In Illinois, for a daily-driven car that's facing emissions testing soon, I'd stick with the stock ECU, frankly. Yes, you can log and control quite a bit more with a standalone, and do so in a more powerful manner, but you're still stuck at emissions time.
Two other alternatives I've heard people toss around, of questionable legal standing: registering the car as being stored in a non-emissions county (or in Wisconsin), and telling the Illinois EPA that the car is inoperable when they send the testing notice. The first trick is apparently fairly successful, if you're able to receive your notices at whatever address you've registered. The second one apparently only works a few times.
Jun 20, 2008, 08:39 AM
#7
Sorry to steer you off topic Chris, like it hasn't already happened, I'm curious about the race/show car plates. I dont drive my evo over 2k miles a year and am now set up on 110 leaded. No way will I pass emmisions. Got any links or other info?
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Jun 20, 2008, 08:06 PM
#8
I have heard that all you need for the exemption is to fill out the form, send in a letter, and provide pictures of the car at either a racing event or car show and you should get the exemption. You may also have to change your auto insurance to reflect this and provide proof. I'm going to look into this option as well since I don't really drive the Evo much anymore.
Jun 20, 2008, 08:08 PM
#9
Actually try this link as the forms work here: http://www.epa.state.il.us/air/vim/forms.html
You shouldn't have any problem passing emissions running 110 octane as long as your car isn't throwing any CEL and the OBDII port is functioning. They no longer do the sniffer test and just plug into your OBDII port to see if you have had any recent codes.
You shouldn't have any problem passing emissions running 110 octane as long as your car isn't throwing any CEL and the OBDII port is functioning. They no longer do the sniffer test and just plug into your OBDII port to see if you have had any recent codes.
Last edited by Creamo3; Jun 20, 2008 at 08:13 PM.
Jun 21, 2008, 06:34 PM
#10
I never pulled the trigger on a stand alone, and almost 100% for this reason. Have you talked to AMS about possibly supporting the HKS FCON V-PRO? I'm sure there are many who have the same concerns as you, and its a safe bet that OBDII testing isn't going away and is going to expand more. . . so it may be a good thing for them to look into?
Jun 22, 2008, 07:43 AM
#12
I never pulled the trigger on a stand alone, and almost 100% for this reason. Have you talked to AMS about possibly supporting the HKS FCON V-PRO? I'm sure there are many who have the same concerns as you, and its a safe bet that OBDII testing isn't going away and is going to expand more. . . so it may be a good thing for them to look into?
Jun 22, 2008, 08:33 AM
#13
Yeap, not only that but you may need to get tuned twice every time you make a change(depending on what you change) as you'll still have to have the car be drivable to the point you can put ~150 miles on it without tossing a CEL in order to pass emissions.
Have you looked at the MAFTPro? That and the Tecra(I believe it was)patch/mod were two things I was looking at in order to ditch the MAF before I sold the car.
Have you looked at the MAFTPro? That and the Tecra(I believe it was)patch/mod were two things I was looking at in order to ditch the MAF before I sold the car.
Jun 23, 2008, 09:50 AM
#14
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There are many places about 2 hours west of chicago that are emissions exempt. Just find a town and get a p.o box at the towns post office, and register your car to that address.
Jun 25, 2008, 08:31 AM
#15
Chris, I would either look into doing a MAF translater pro or just keeping an extra fuel rail with stock injectors laying around for test time. All you would really have to do is hook up your car (30 mins) throw in the injectors (30mins) and plug in the stock ecu (5 mins).
Not too bad considering you only have to do it once every 2 years.
I guess the main question I would have would be how fast are you looking to go?
oops, this is Justin
Not too bad considering you only have to do it once every 2 years.
I guess the main question I would have would be how fast are you looking to go?
oops, this is Justin
Last edited by eve-slow; Jun 25, 2008 at 11:42 AM.