[cmac2012]

I haven't complained about California emissions standards before but this could actually cost me some money. The low cost aftermarket cats no longer legal in Cal, nor the high cost ones for that matter. I finally found a site that has one for my Bimmer that is 50 state certified: $425.

The cheapo I put in two years ago is just a bit over the allowable on the test today and I had been thinking to put in a quality unit this time. Looks like it's been mandated by law.

To make matters worse, I'm going to have to buy the rest of the exhaust train out through the muffler as this one is bolt on and when I cut and welded the previous unit in place, I destroyed the necessary bolt on portion. The existing bolted connection was squeaking all time anyway. Wasn't sorry to see it go.

Anybody know if legal weld-on units are available?

 

[sde30]

in cali i think only OEM is acceptable now. nvm my co worker had a magnaflow high flow cat installed and it was legal

 

[Ryan...]

Considering all of California's issues, why are they worrying about the brand of your catalytic converters????

 

[markseven]

A "universal" CA certified bolt-on or weld in unit should pass as long as it's an OBD II unit.

 

[downhiller]

Considering all of California's issues, why are they worrying about the brand of your catalytic converters????

because only in cali everything gives you cancer.

 

[cmac2012]

Considering all of California's issues, why are they worrying about the brand of your catalytic converters????

A lot of low priced after-market cats will enable you to pass smog with flying colors only to wear out about a year into the two year test rotation. I had my first $100 cat welded on at a garage in '05. Two years later, failed smog again - I bought a welder (I had taken some classes the year before) and welded on a unit that cost me just under $100 in '07. I just barely failed a few days ago - NOX at low speed - though I was close to the limit in HC also.

Surprisingly, Kragen says they have a weld on unit that's legal for California for around $180. However, they don't have a photo of it on their website and you have to buy it at the store before they special order it. So it it's the wrong part, much hassle. My mind goes there because they're talking about a single oval inlet on the Kragen website and this after I entered 325i in the profile. That's more adventure than I had in mind, making the oval fit with the two pipe arrangement.

 

[cmac2012]

A "universal" CA certified bolt-on or weld in unit should pass as long as it's an OBD II unit.

Ah yes, the Kragen units use that notation. I don't know why I had so much trouble the first day I was looking. I was looking at maybe $700 or so for the factory part and the new rear pipe, when I could just put in the $200 model in and weld it myself. That's what I'll likely do, though I'm going to buy a new muffler with connector pipes attached cause it's going sooner or later - small cracks in one part. Probably easier to weld to new pipe that what'll be left when I cut the old cat out.

 

[bimmerguy055]

A lot of low priced after-market cats will enable you to pass smog with flying colors only to wear out about a year into the two year test rotation. I had my first $100 cat welded on at a garage in '05. Two years later, failed smog again - I bought a welder (I had taken some classes the year before) and welded on a unit that cost me just under $100 in '07. I just barely failed a few days ago - NOX at low speed - though I was close to the limit in HC also.

Surprisingly, Kragen says they have a weld on unit that's legal for California for around $180. However, they don't have a photo of it on their website and you have to buy it at the store before they special order it. So it it's the wrong part, much hassle. My mind goes there because they're talking about a single oval inlet on the Kragen website and this after I entered 325i in the profile. That's more adventure than I had in mind, making the oval fit with the two pipe arrangement.

So are you are saying those high-flow weld-on ebay cats will only work for a year? I just moved to cali and in a yr I will have to switch over to ALL the retarded regulations they have here.

Do the smog test centers care if the car's exhaust has been moded? as long as it passes all other tests? do they measure for a dB? can they fail you if your exhaust is to loud? I heard CHP will give a ticket out for exhausts higher than 95dBs? :irate:

I have been doing research about how to pass the strict CA smogs w/out cats, and apparently people have been using denatured alcohol in their gas tank to pass.. fact or fiction?