Legal CA Mods?

[ooheadsoo]

Ladies and gents, new member here.

Which mods are CA street/emissions legal? Also, are any of them more likely to void a warranty than others?

In particular, I'm having trouble figuring out if any of these "pipe" mods are legal. It seems like all downpipes aren't, but what about test or racing? And what about the turbo inlet, etc?

I have a 2009 speed3 with MSCAI and JBarone SSP. This was my first new car and I don't want to void the warranty or have to deal with bolting/unbolting to pass smogs or bribing anyone because I don't have that kind of cash.

[phillyREPOphail]

i don't think anything is legal unless it has a carb sticker.
there are a few intakes that are carb legal for gen1.
aem/mscai and cobbles come to mind. so look at your instake next to the maf for a carb sticker.
in terms of doing ANYTHING to the exhaust, i'm pretty sure that's a no no.
hell, i don't even think you can change your valve.
as far as the warranty question...every dealership is pretty much different.
general rule of thumb, is that you demod before you try and go to the dealership for warranty work.
welcome to the forums.
someone will tell you to get an avatar...
donate - http://www.mazdaspeedforums.org/foru...hp?do=donation

[TongMan]

Mazdaspeed Intake is legal. Other than that, nothing else is (performance wise). No other parts come with a CARB sticker.

[phillyREPOphail]

you can get a carb sticker from cobb for their sri...i believe

[Haltech]

Car wax, thats about it.

[ooheadsoo]

Is it really that dire in CA?

As mentioned in the OP, I already have the MSCAI. What about the MSCBE? Isn't that CA street legal? I know the dealers around here sell and install them.

Will a new intercooler pass smog? (maybe that shows how much I know about cars.) Turbo inlet no go for smog? You guys are making me depressed.

[RayRayBauder]

fuck legal mods

[danems6]

you can do a catback. i have been to the emissions ref in CA 3 times and i went with a catback installed each time. they never said anything.
dealerships are really strict, i would ask your service manager before doing anything else if you really want to keep your warranty.
they questioned replacing my tensioner pulley not too long ago because i had replaced the worm clamps for the silicone boost tubes with t-bolt clamps.
im being serious.

[ooheadsoo]

Originally Posted by danems6 you can do a catback. i have been to the emissions ref in CA 3 times and i went with a catback installed each time. they never said anything. dealerships are really strict, i would ask your service manager before doing anything else if you really want to keep your warranty. they questioned replacing my tensioner pulley not too long ago because i had replaced the worm clamps for the silicone boost tubes with t-bolt clamps. im being serious.

Which dealer was that? I'm a bit suspicious that every time I go to the dealer for any service, someone will ask me what I've done to the car. Sure, maybe it's the young sales rep being enthusiastic about a riced up car, but maybe...

I think I will be getting a catback sooner or later.

Ok, setting warranty issues aside, will an aftermarket intercooler or the turbo inlet pass smog? Do they even have anything to do with the emissions?

[danems6]

take them off before smog. they are easy enough mods. if you go to the emissions ref or a knowledgeable cop pulls you over your screwed. you literally need a CARB sticker for anything you want to do legally.

that being said i ran a big turbo with external wastegate fully bolted for a few months and didnt get rolled.

i did get an emissions ticket with an aftermarket bypass valve (douche cop). then when i went to the ref i failed for a boost gauge tapped into the vacuum line off the intake manifold.

[Speed3FTW]

Originally Posted by danems6 i did get an emissions ticket with an aftermarket bypass valve (douche cop). then when i went to the ref i failed for a boost gauge tapped into the vacuum line off the intake manifold.

I hate living in California...I mean wtf. Fast and the Furious really destroyed all hope of doing ANY performance related modification to your car legally. They cracked down so hard here, its fing rediculous.

At least you're not driving an Evo. My buddy who drives an 09 gets pulled over once a month on average for "excessive exhaust volume"....and he's completely stock. Cops here are trained to find mods on your car and to profile cars that are usually modded...be prepared to pay fines if you get unlucky with Johnny Law. I'm almost 100% certain that changing or removing any catalytic converter is a steep fine...like in the thousands.

[Doc-1]

Any color you want to paint your car is legal....Time to leave the arm pit of North America if you want to do anything else

[Dash08]

The problem is not the sniffer test. The car will most likely still pass even with light mods. It's the VISUAL inspection you wont pass. Which is bullshit, but they will fail you if certain components aren't stock. A TIP, forget it. I wouldn't even risk keeping the intake on there. By going back to stock, you can enjoy the security of knowing that they cannot fail you based on a visual inspection. So, if your car is running properly and you return to stock, you will pass. Then go home and put all your mods back on. You won't have to worry about it for another 2 years.

I believe suspension upgrades are legal. California really only cares about smog control devices and engine modifications. You are allowed to modify your exhaust as long as the proper catalytic converters and mufflers are in place and operational.

[phillyREPOphail]

you mean i have to take off my downpipe, ex mani, intake, inlet, valve, and egr delete off?!??!?!1/
fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

[bykeryder4life]

yeah I even think my boost gauge is illegal to have here in cali lmao

[Dash08]

Originally Posted by phillyb you mean i have to take off my downpipe, ex mani, intake, inlet, valve, and egr delete off?!??!?!1/ fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

Seriously bro. Guys like you and lenny who are heavily modded for CA. are going to need to find a "friend" who works at a test-only station. You will need someone on the inside who says your car has passed. Otherwise, you will have to go back to stock. It's a disaster man.

This is the main reason I have only done light mods.

[Fobio]

pine scented air freshner?

[johnsin55]

Yea the only "LEGAL" mods for us in Cali are a CARB approved intake and a CAT-back exhaust that leaves BOTH factory cats intact.... and suspension work as long as it doesnt drop your headlights below a certain height, not sure if that's too much of a problem for us though since we have quite a bit of bumper below em...

[danems6]

you know you live in south orange county when you get a "loud exhaust" ticket with only a catback.
ye that happened to me.


and Cam- the ref told me i could have a boost gauge if i tapped into the brake booster line. only legal spot. i think most of us here (including myself) have tapped into the bpv actuating line.

[bmorrisj]

dane and his gaping butthole...

[Dash08]

Originally Posted by danems6 you know you live in south orange county when you get a "loud exhaust" ticket with only a catback. ye that happened to me.

No dane. you didn't actually get a ticket for loud exhaust. You got one because your car looks like it wants to kill people. But, since there is no law against murdered out cars, they called it loud exhaust.

[phillyREPOphail]

i want to murder dane's car

[danems6]

i already have murdered my car.

[Zeya]

I'm sure others have posted already... Strictly speaking only OEM parts or parts with a CARB (California Air Resources Board) certification are legal, when it comes to functional parts. Those CARB certs cost a ton of money for the type of small shops that make aftermarket parts, so they're rare-to-nonexistant in most cases. For our cars, I know that there are CARB-certified intakes. The AEM one that is installed by Mazda dealerships is one, and the Cobb intake might be another. There are no carb-certified exhaust parts on the market, to my knowledge.

Really you can't change much of anything and have it be legal. But like most laws, it doesn't really matter if it isn't enforced. Sure, people will have stories, but really you won't get in trouble if you aren't being a dick. And you won't have trouble especially, if they can't tell by a passing visual inspection of your exterior that you're running aftermarket parts. That basically means exhaust noise/smell or a flashy big fart can on the back. There are hundreds/thousands of us in this state that run intakes and mid-pipes all day. I wouldn't worry too much unless you're thinking of dropping hundreds on a big exhaust overhaul.

A bigger worry with johnny law is tinted windows, exterior lights that are too blue or purple colored, stuff like that. I get a no-front-plate ticket once or twice a year (20 bucks a pop).

Keep in mind that cops are people too. Their job is more about safety than anything else. Is your part in question hurting someone? Making you harder to see? Making you hard to ignore? Disturbing the peace or causing a nuisance? If these answers are "no", then it's fine, noone cares.

[phillyREPOphail]

great point about lighting and tint.

[danems6]

Originally Posted by Zeya Sure, people will have stories, but really you won't get in trouble if you aren't being a dick.

fail. i strongly disagree with this statement. i have gotten fucked and it costs me over 1k for my tickets. i wasnt doing anything wrong other than being an 18 yr old driving (at the time).

[mtnrunner]

Originally Posted by danems6 fail. i strongly disagree with this statement. i have gotten fucked and it costs me over 1k for my tickets. i wasnt doing anything wrong other than being an 18 yr old driving (at the time).

Thanks for pointing this out. Everyone thinks you must have been doing something wrong to get pulled over. Recently my friend driving an evo 9 with a catback and bov (only mods on the car at the time) was pulling out of an in n out and got pulled over and received a ref ticket. keep in mind this is no tint, front license plate on the car, and the exhaust was completely legal.

I mod my car knowing the risk of getting pulled over and reffed. I personally take the risk and just be nice to cops when i get pulled over, but dont let anyone tell you that you will for sure be fine by modding your car illegally. You may be but that is a risk you yourself are taking and you could have the best or the worst luck.

[Zeya]

Hmm, I did forget the crime of driving while teenaged. That will get you pulled over sometimes.

[ooheadsoo]

So I guess this means that an intercooler wouldn't be legal? How would they know it was aftermarket if you de-badged it? Same with the turbo inlet, if it had no badge, how would they know it wasn't stock?

[mtnrunner]

Originally Posted by ooheadsoo So I guess this means that an intercooler wouldn't be legal? How would they know it was aftermarket if you de-badged it? Same with the turbo inlet, if it had no badge, how would they know it wasn't stock?

They might not know that its aftermarket and it is very possible that you can get away with it. The problem arises when the cop does realize or think it is aftermarket and gives you a ref ticket for it. The referee will almost 100% for sure know what he is talking about and know what should and should not be on the vehicle.

[Godspeed]

CARB Sticker = bribe to CARB...it's all a money grab based on global warming or any crazy theory that will let them control business regulations. You think it's bad now, just wait for AB32 to get fully implemented. About AB 32 | Get California Back to Work! Suspend AB 32

Anyway, it's your ride so mod it however you see fit. Just realize we live in a nanny state and if you're unlucky you'll have to a pay a ransom (fees) and possibility demod for the state ref.

[myt_tuf1]

I'm pretty sure you can get a catback without any trouble... But anything that messes with the cats, forget it, unless (as stated before) you can get a CARB certified piece.

[Zeya]

Originally Posted by Godspeed CARB Sticker = bribe to CARB...it's all a money grab based on global warming or any crazy theory that will let them control business regulations. You think it's bad now, just wait for AB32 to get fully implemented. About AB 32 | Get California Back to Work! Suspend AB 32 ref.

Hmm. From that website:
"AB 32 regulations will attempt to force Californians from their trucks, minivans, SUV's, muscle cars and classic cars in favor of vehicles that are smaller, more expensive to purchase and less safe."

What the hell does that mean? Is our car a "muscle car" or a "vehicle that is small"? This can't be good.

[pat failman]

i lived there and enjoyed the weather, but fuck california.

[Dash08]

Originally Posted by mtnrunner They might not know that its aftermarket and it is very possible that you can get away with it. The problem arises when the cop does realize or think it is aftermarket and gives you a ref ticket for it. The referee will almost 100% for sure know what he is talking about and know what should and should not be on the vehicle.

I was going to mention this as well.

All the officer needs is suspicion of a part to send you to a ref.

[cmlewis04]

[quote=pat bateman;449500]i lived there and enjoyed the weather, but fuck california.

Agreed!

[SBspeed3]

yes cobb sri has carb sticker

[skawt01]

Well after reading all this, I emailed Cobb re: their SRI for 2010 MS3, and there is no CARB EO# (aka, not CARB legal), and then went to the AEM website, SRI listed as not CARB legal.

Are you guys talking about older model years being legal? And if so, is it a safe bet that the 2010 MS3 SRI's from COBB/AEM will receive CARB EO#'s down the road?

[danems6]

if they want to pay for the carb testing on the 2010...

but with our (mazdaspeed community`s) track record with cobb.. i wouldnt hold my breathe unless they decide that the market is big enough to spend a few grand on getting certified.
they should.
will they? i dont know. send them an email and push for it.

[ericm979]

Mazdaspeed and AEM CAIs, and Cobb SRI, for Gen 1 cars have CARB stickers. You can mod the exhaust after the cats all you want (from an emissions standpoint; you may run foul of noise laws if you go overboard).

Sometimes the CARB EO list is more up to date than manufacturers web sites.
Database: Aftermarket Parts Database of Executive Orders

Each manufacturer has to figure out if the cost of CARB cert is worth the extra sales for each part. There's no way to tell for sure without getting a confirmation from the manufacturer (and they may abandon the process partway through). I'd wait until its on the EO list if you want to sure you will be legal.