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OK this has been coming up an excessive amount of time. First thing's first:

- If you're worried about passing emissions, do not modify your car.

Tuning solutions (FlashPro included) are sold as "OFF ROAD USE ONLY" products, meaning they are not there to help you pass emissions, fudge your emissions, or in any way let you sneak through emissions testing with a modified vehicle. In fact, it's illegal. It's actually illegal for anyone to even try and help you fudge any emissions testing -- there are federal and state regulations regarding emissions equipment & testing. So, having "tuning' won't guarantee you will pass emissions, but also does not guarantee you will fail emissions -- the simple fact is don't expect the "tuning" to let you pass emissions just because you "tuned" it.

But hey, we're going to modify our vehicles, so how do we pass emissions and readiness tests?

It's very simple, as long as all your factory emissions equipment is working EXACTLY like stock, readiness will set, and if that is what your emissions test requires, you will pass.

Now what do I mean by exactly like stock? This means everything on the car, primary o2 sensor, secondary O2 sensor, EVAP system, etc, all work, are all *enabled*, and none of the codes these systems throw when they find a fault are disabled in the map. If the codes are disabled, the ECU will *NOT* set the readiness. Another fun fact, is EVAP readiness typically will *not* set until the catalyst system sets. So even if you have everything *but* the catalyst tests (secondary O2 sensor off or throwing codes due to HFC/downpipes/headers) working right, you may still have 2 systems that will not set readiness.

By default we disable the secondary O2 sensor in tunes because it *will* apply trims that screw up the mapping (particularly on vehicles with aftermarket downpipes). Modern ECU's use a wideband front O2 sensor, and the narrowband secondary O2 sensor as a sanity check for lean/rich conditions. When you change the downpipe to use an aftermarket cat or no cat at all, that reading is now SKEWED and not reliable.

In conclusion, it is not humanly possible for us to keep up with all the various state emissions regulations -- this is up to you. If you're worried about emissions and want a fast car, my recommendation is to buy a Corvette, Mustang or GTR. If you are modifying a car and are able to pass emissions still, awesome, let's build a fast car. If you're modifying a car and aren't worried about emissions, hell yeah, let's build a race car?
 

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Thanks for the info Vit! For those of us who are smogging the car and want all of the emissions working properly so it will pass the readiness test, can the second O2 be activated the day of the smog? From what I understand in CA now, the car will just get a visual check, and a readiness check.
 

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Discussion Starter · #4 ·
Thanks for the info Vit! For those of us who are smogging the car and want all of the emissions working properly so it will pass the readiness test, can the second O2 be activated the day of the smog? From what I understand in CA now, the car will just get a visual check, and a readiness check.
You have to drive around enough for the ECU to hit all the test parameters, could be 50 miles, could be months. All varies.
 

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I am a little confused. Is this a Hondata specific issue? So do I just drive around until all the perameters hit, and will so a 100% readiness check, then go smog the car?
OBD2 specifications define the driving conditions that must be met in order for an OBD2 monitor to come online as "Ready". Each manufacturer (Honda included) has to implement these specifications. This has nothing to do with aftermarket tuning software.
 

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What would happen if you were to temporarily enable the secondary o2 sensor come inspection time? Would the car still be drivable (maybe with an emissions tune) and pass emissions? Im going to run a cat but just need all emissions to set ready for the obdII scan.
 

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OBD2 specifications define the driving conditions that must be met in order for an OBD2 monitor to come online as "Ready". Each manufacturer (Honda included) has to implement these specifications. This has nothing to do with aftermarket tuning software.
Thanks for the info. This is fascinating to me, learning more about this car. I think what threw me off was Vit's comment about 50 miles or months to become ready. So I could take my car in for smog tomorrow and it could possibly not be ready, and without a readiness check I wouldn't know either way, and it would fail. Do I understand that correctly?
 

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What would happen if you were to temporarily enable the secondary o2 sensor come inspection time? Would the car still be drivable (maybe with an emissions tune) and pass emissions? Im going to run a cat but just need all emissions to set ready for the obdII scan.
Would like to know this as well. My mods are small so going back to the stock tune for smog wouldn't be an issue at all. Just as long as I can do that for smog and the car would pass readiness I would be happy.
 

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Would like to know this as well. My mods are small so going back to the stock tune for smog wouldn't be an issue at all. Just as long as I can do that for smog and the car would pass readiness I would be happy.
Same here, from my understanding by disabling the secondary o2 sensor your monitors wont set ready and disabling it is the standard when having your car tuned.
 

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What year is your car? You could enjoy your mods for literally years before having to go back.


Official K24Z7 Crew #372
 

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This is a big deal to me cause I dont want to start modding my car if im not gonna be able to pass emissions.
I'm in the same boat. I'd like to supercharge but if I retain all the stock gizmos I'm worried I will still run into CELs and readiness troubles. I would keep a cat on there and keep my emissions set up. But I just don't know to what extent that will help.
 

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Most states you don't need smog for the first 6 years of it beign new.Most will get rid of the car before then

You had me excited for a brief moment until I looked it up for my state. Initially I thought this may be seperate from the "inspection" process.

It is a mere 2 years here in the state of Texas.
 

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You had me excited for a brief moment until I looked it up for my state. Initially I thought this may be seperate from the "inspection" process.

It is a mere 2 years here in the state of Texas.
Same in NY. First inspection at the end of year one is equipment only. Second inspection at the end of year two includes the sensor up the ol' tailpipe (so to speak).
 

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Same in NY. First inspection at the end of year one is equipment only. Second inspection at the end of year two includes the sensor up the ol' tailpipe (so to speak).
Literally (IMO)

A county over they have no emissions. I guess I get it, but don't have to like it!!! We are a larger county and makes more of a difference in overall smog. I really am wanting to go catless :D my buddies claim "the know people" and can still get it done... I just don't want to have to sweat it and be SOL if I can't get the same deal.
 

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Literally (IMO)

A county over they have no emissions. I guess I get it, but don't have to like it!!! We are a larger county and makes more of a difference in overall smog. I really am wanting to go catless :D my buddies claim "the know people" and can still get it done... I just don't want to have to sweat it and be SOL if I can't get the same deal.
You could always move. ;)
 

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You could always move. ;)
That is not a valid excuse (to the wifey anyways) to sell our house and move further out. I don't mind the extra drive, but she values being 5 minutes from work. I could hear that conversation now.... you wanna sell the house and move in order to skate emissions hahahahahahahaha!!!!!!
 
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