Post OBDII Catalytic for California
 

1999 E320 sedan. The passenger side precat is noisy (coming apart inside). The two aftermarket ones offered say 49 state legal. What happens if you put one of these in, here in California? Will it pass smog based on emmissions?

The two available are DEC and A&B. Anyone know about the A&B brand?

Thank you.

Technically, you cannot pass the smog test with an aftermarket catalytic converter. Although, you may pass the tailpipe emissions test, you cannot pass the visual examination. The only emissions related exhaust parts you can use on your car are those that have been approved for use in California by the state of California. Pretty much no aftermarket exhaust makers have gone through the approval process, and so their products are not approved for use in California. That means the only legal catalytic converters are the original equipment ones.

But, in practice, the visual inspection is rarely enforced, and you will probably be able to get by as long as the car does pass the tailpipe emissions test.

Brett

^^^^^all of that is true, and I never have seen a smog test tech crawl under a car to visually check a catalytic converter to see if it was an approved one. But they COULD.

I looked pretty carefully on the DMY smog site, and couldn't find any answers about this.

In addition to the visual inspection, they usually look to see if the equipment looks like it was tampered with, and then of course, the test is performed to get the emissions readings.

Maybe you could call a "test only" station and ask them the question. It is a good one. The smog site mentions that the state does NOT control what fees the "test only" stations charge, though, so you need to find out

I ended up replacing the right side cat with the part from my local dealer. The list price was $626.75 and with my good discount it was less than the aftermarket one. Furtheremore it is a perfect drop in part. Thanks for your detailed information.

BTW, the smog only place I go to just glances under the hood, connects the OBDII to verify monitors and does a tail pipe emissions analysis at two speeds. Easy enough to pass and charges $40.

I did some digging, too. Eventually, I got into the actual statutes and read all about it. Any exhaust systems have to be approved by CARB (California Air Resources Board, I believe). If it ain't approved, it ain't legal, whether it actually works or not.

Brett

Looks like a satisfactory but predictable outcome. The California smog test inspection process is not that easy to navigate for the ordinary consumer.