Bottom line here folks it does not matter what setup you have. Federal law regulates emissions in the US. So basically you can not alter the emissions away from factory specs. What ever your XJ shipped with it's gotta remain setup like that. So you can not remove any aspect of it. California has more rigid emissions regulations beyond the federal govs minimum standard. Sucsk but it's life.

Also discussion of such violates the sites rules. At this point the question has been answered and I see no need for further discussions so please move along as I don't want to have to close the thread.

 

If the OPs truck is setup like yours, its gonna throw a CEL.

Just out of curiousity, who makes the judgement call of weather or not his CATs are bad? Who's to say its functioning properly? And how would anyone confirm it was or wasn't bad?

What would happen if it rusted through, maybe had a hole in it? Then he'd need to repair those, and could convert back to the standards that the rest of the world follow, and not CA emissions.

Seems like a grey area to be, but I honestly don't care. I don't own a CA truck, not would I buy one. Sounds like quite a few extra, unnecessary parts that could break and cost me money.

 

well i took off the two under the hood and it runs fine i have alot more power

 

Nice work 00lkwdXJ!

As a response to some previous posts, you are telling me that if I "alter" my OEM emissions by replacing my original cat with a high flow cat I am breaking federal law, I have to throughout the BS flag on that. As long as you have one cat you are set. If you have a Cali emissions XJ with a multi cat set up and you remove all but one cat and can still pass your smog (if you live in Cali) there is know reason you would get hammered for that. On the flip side if you remove ALL the cats, then yes you might be in a little trouble if, and thats a big if, you got inspected by a cop.

 

Get an ECU from a non CA XJ. Problem solved regarding throwing a CEL.

 

By that logic it would be illegal for me to buy a car from outside of CA and then modify it to pass CA stricter emissions.

 

Nope: You would be retaining the OEM equipment (the main cat) and adding two more to it so you wouldn't be removing any mandated equipment. And I'm out as this topic is verboten...

 

Heeeey!

Out of curiosity, has anyone ever tried making their XJ amphibious? I might need that.

Very true. Ask all the folks who have tried to move to CA from a state with more relaxed emissions rules only to discover that (with a few exceptions) they could not register their car in California. They do not allow emissions-modified cars, period. Even if they are modified to comply with CA emissions standards.

Really? My '89 CA XJ has been no less reliable than those from any other state. The emissions system doesn't make the car less reliable. There are more O2 sensors (I've had to replace one of the five) but I'll take a couple extra sensors and a completely rust free chassis over one that's rotted so badly that half of it is missing.

That is absolutely correct. You would not be able to register that car in California. There are a (very) few exemptions for stock out-of-state emissions vehicles but there are NO exemptions for any vehicle that has a modified emissions system. Even if you had created the most amazing exhaust gas scrubber in the world that converted burnt gasoline into rose water at the tail pipe, you could not register it in California.

 

I'm a Californio, (born in California), w/a 1999 Cherokee. I also have a muffler blowing water out of a large hole in the front bottom of the muffler. Somehow there is also a large dent in the front pipe that passes from the exhaust manifold to the pre-cat.
I've been a lot of studying up on CA Air Resources Board (CARB) equivalent cats. I have priced all stock parts to replace the entire exhaust system and coming up about $150 cheaper than a 2.5" exhaust system. I have put together starting w/pacesetter #70-1190 2.5" pipe and bends from Summit to the front cat under the passenger street, Magnaflow #447106, more pipe and bends to the rear cat, Magaflow #447206, to a Walker #18406 muffler and just enough pipe to turn out just in front of the rear wheel. This is all CARB approved cats for my no-name Cherokee.
Even though I will need to smog my truck due to these changes. I live in Imperial County. Normally I would only need to recertify my CARB changes (smog it) when I sell the vehicle.

 

It is the job of all mechanics in CA and all smog techs, also the 49 state DOT insp.: To inspect the entire emissions system when doing "ANY" emissions work or vehicle insp. That being said if there is a missing piece it will be seen, and at a smog shop, during test, it is an automatic FAIL. To adress the cop remark, smog shops and insp stations are under the scrutiny of the ARB, B.A.R., and other state agencies to "DO" their jobs(heavy fines, jail time and loss of shop certs)
In CA you are not allowed to run an aftermarket anything that alters the emissions system unless it has the CARB sticker or stamp(this also drives up the price of said item 100$). You are allowed to run non CARB stamped eqip up to a certain year (79,80,81,---?)due to inproved design changes in systems.
Then there is the licensed shop install... that's another can of worms.
All that said yes things do slip through the cracks.

 

That is too many damn O2 sensors!



I'm glad I lucked out grabbing a non-CA XJ, I didnt know of these things when I bought mine.

PS adding this to the list of reasons I hate California. Too bad it's so damn beautiful.

 

Having a 88 comanche will have the heat riser tube that connects to the intake of the air box, since a cowl intake involves sealing of that front intake of the inbox which in turn will remove the heat riser tube. Could that fail visual emissions? Will a HO air box work?

 

if what you have looks nowhere near stock it "can" fail visual if the tech is paying attention. REnix does not have enough aftermarket support that a smog tech will ? what he is looking at. An HO box is the same as a RENIX box and that should pass.

 

Well the tech I go to hasn't complained about the new vacuum lines I had to install and breather line and elbow, which ditched renix's 2 piece vacuum harness. Reason I ask about the air box is that they both are just about the same. Renix has a heat riser tube while HO doesn't have it. HO parts are so much easier to find. I got lucky as when I purchased my comanche that the PO did find a rustys off road throttle body spacer.

 

RUSTYS does have the spacer but you have to look it up, he didn't sell it with a package last I looked. Does it do anything for you, I have been eying one since I saw them but don't know yet still a skeptic.
Topic- don't alter emissions systems...lol