bfg111

Hey Guys...Im a bit confused here about the emissions on this truck so maybe you guys could help me out and explain what Im missing here!

I purchased my truck last year unaware it needed Cats done..The engine light was apparently turned off prior to me buying it...about a week later there it was...I got the code and brought it to the mechanic who told me it needs cats.. His cost $1200!

Now with being unaware of my lovely states (NY) and Cali regulations I tried to buy cats from magnaflow off ebay which are about $500 cheaper..Unfortunately, They are stated to be illegal in both NY and cali and many if not all sellers of these aftermarket cats will not even ship them to these two wonderful states!

My neighbors son works for advance auto looked under my hood and said this truck is Federal emissions not California emissions..He also went on to tell me that I can buy the aftermarket cats and put them on the truck and it will turn my engine light off and pass the emissions in NY..

From what I understand NY and Cali have stricter emissions regulations but if there is only a California emissions and a federal emissions shouldnt a car that passes the federal emissions pass the NY emissions? Or has NYS adapted their own emission standards now that cars marked with federal emissions will not pass?

Im very confused with this! Any explaination of this whole deal would be appreciated.
Thanks!

dave1123

Okay, after 1998 (I believe), NY required any NEW car being sold in the state be equipped with CA emissions. If the vehicle was originally from another state, it only had to have Federal emissions. There should be a decal on the radiator support showing which emission standards it had at production. My 2000 WJ was produced for the NY market, but was originally sold NEW in PA. It has CA emissions.

I just checked my go-to parts supplier, rockauto.com and you are right. they won't sell them to a NY buyer.

Most local state inspectors don't use a tailpipe sniffer, so you might be able to get away with a cheap pair, IF you can get them.

Basically, if your vehicle doesn't have CA emissions, you don't need to change it to meet CA emissions.

bfg111

Thanks for your reply.. Im going to call my mechanic and ask him if he does the tailpipe sniffer deal..If not I think I will be good to go as long as it turns the engine light off...So in other words even if your car has no engine light on and passes all tests except for the tail pipe emissions in NY and Cali they will still fail it? Or is the computer set up in NY and Cali to where if the proper cats with the emissions standards of Cali & NY arent installed the engine light will come on? Thats where Im getting a bit confused..Usually when your engine light is on you have to get that remedied before they will pass the car and usually if there is no engine light you are good as long as tires, brakes etc pass..

dave1123

Basically, what my inspector told me is his computer is hooked up to the diagnostic terminal on your car and is fed directly to the State's computer via the internet. If their computer doesn't detect a problem, it passes. He has no say in the matter.

I'm thinking if your CEL is off, it shouldn't trip a fault on the State's computer.

IDK about your 07, but my 00 only has 2 02 sensors and no downstream sensor at all. There's a round can just before the muffler that I think is just a resonance chamber because it has no sensor in it or heat shield on it.