M42club.com - Home of the BMW E30/E36 318i/iS
DISCUSSION => Engine + Driveline => Topic started by: mikey on September 22, 2007, 06:53:03 PM
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:rolleyes:
I got my 318is smogged today, and it passed emissions with flying colors, far below the average values. HOWEVER, it failed visual because of the "modified" exhaust headers. The smog tech claimed that the plugged ports in each tube (which is how the manifold comes from the factory) may have been for air injection (?), and because there was no CARB sticker on the manifold, it might not be factory and thus fails visual inspection. He called his friends, who told him that they have never seen a header on a "beemer" before. Although I reassured him that my profession is to sell parts for the dealership, I was given a fail overall.
Now I allegedly have to go the the DMV and get a CARB approval sticker for my "modified" OEM headers. Is there anything that I can do to save the headache of going in person to the DMV to argue that my exhaust manifold is indeed OEM? Emissions are not a problem; the car passed with lower values the tech has seen in a long time.
I hate dealing with the DMV, especially when it comes to smog BS.
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Show them the page from the ETK that shows the exhaust manifold AND the plugs to fill the holes as original equipment.
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(http://bmwfans.info/original/images/531_z.img)
BMW part # 11 62 1 728 370
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Dated BMW cross section drawing.
(http://oldmary.lqhome.com/~jordansarette/M42cutaway.jpg)
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Any idea what they may have been used for? Only thing that comes to mind is temp sensors or air injection.
From a pollution control website,"To determine if your car has an air injection system, refer to the Vehicle Emission Control Information (VECI) label underneath the hood, which will call out this emissions subsystem if so equipped." This may serve as proof that AI was not a system installed on the car in addition to the above.
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Well, if you wanted to be really fancy, you could run independent exhaust gas temperature sensors on each cylinder...
It would be especially cool if you redid the dash to look more like a cockpit, and particularly if you bracket the 4 EGT gauges with those cool O2 sensor gauges that Autometer has, the ones that swing back and forth wildly...
And a 'KIT' lightbar behind the grill....
:D
Really, other than using the EGT sensors for tuning individual cylinders, I can't imagine what they would be for, unless BMW was anticipating adding air injection at some point.
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Thats some real bull **** right there. Go to another smog station and have it re tested then call the BAR and report the bastards.
http://smogcheck.ca.gov/StdHome.asp?TextOnly=False
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Dated BMW cross section drawing.
(http://oldmary.lqhome.com/~jordansarette/M42cutaway.jpg)
Do you have a better pic of this by any chance, with the two pages fully spread?
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I wish. Sadly no. Thats the only photo I've found of that cutaway drawing.
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you need a carb sticker? LOL, maybe the smog tech should do his research (aka, call the dealer) before he tells you to go spend money on it for stuff you dont need.
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Resurrecting an old thread from the dead. This just happened to me in CA so am wondering whether a later model exhaust manifold without ports and plugs will swap in. I can find these on ebay for as low as $70 shipped so it might be easier for me to do the swap than having to argue this point at a referee station. Anyone done this or know if it can be done?
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The solution is simple. Find a different SMOG shop. I have never once had a tech pull that crap on me in the 13 years that I have owned and operated a 318iS in CA.
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Actually, it's a financial trade off. It costs to take it to another smog shop or it costs to replace the header and get a free retest at the original shop. You are correct on principle but I need to be practical. I'm still interested in an answer to my original question.
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The cost of the headers is as much as the test, and swapping them is a pain. You will likely need to buy all new copper header bolts and replace a few studs if they are all rusty. You'll need a new header-to-downpipe gasket as well. So, $100+ for the header swap, or just go to another shop. Seems more practical to me.
You can try to convince the tech that he is wrong, but in the end they might not go for any reasonable argument. The state of CA actually spends the money to send out failing cars with undercover referees to random shops to make sure that they are not fudging anything. The fine can be enough to shut a shop down, so techs are hyper-paranoid. Ultimately we the people suffer the consequences as you are finding.
Where in CA are you? If you are in the Bay Area, I can recommend the shops that I use with reasonable techs. I JUST went through SMOG earlier this week as a matter of fact. Needed a new cat and O2 sensor (stupid wideband controller crapped out which made me run rich...killing the cat and failing the first run at the SMOG shop). It was like $85 for the tests (including evap system) and the cert.
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I'm in Ventura County. I also failed for excess HC and CO and got labelled as a "Gross Polluter". The visual fail for air injection was just icing on the rotting cake. I have to take it to another CA Star Certified test & repair shop to get the emissions within specs. I suspect the original cat is finally dead. I'll ask the other shop's tech for his opinion on arguing the air injection fail.
I recently replaced the exhaust gaskets at the head and collector as well as all the copper coated nuts so am comfortable with doing that myself. It's a one-beer job in my book. Maybe two if I have to admire my work when I'm done.
I appreciate the feedback.
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Plug your SMOG results into this calculator and report the AFR's.
http://www.smogsite.com/calculators.html#lambda
It sounds like you are running rich if CO and HC are really high. Does the exhaust smell rich/gassy when idling with a fully warmed up engine? Is your fuel economy 20MPG or less? If so, you may have a new O2 sensor in your future. A new CA-legal cat should run you $250 (cat + welding it in). If the original one is still in there, well, it sure made it a looooong time!
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The mechanic is wrong. There are exemptions for BMWs with exhaust headers. The Dinan M5 has an Executive Order:
EO: D-176-24 View PDF (http://arb.ca.gov/msprog/aftermkt/devices/eo/D-176-24.pdf)
EO Date: 2004-01-27
Manufacturer Name: Dinan Engineering, Inc.
Device: Header System
Device Type: Exhaust System / Exhaust Modification
Part_Number: Model_Specification: Modification_Allowed: Remarks:
D360-6500 2000-2003 BMW M5 4.9L The Dinan Header System is a pair of long tube headers manufactured out of 16 gage stainless steel. The headers are designed in the configuration of 4:2:1. The oxygen sensor remains in the stock location at the collector of the exhaust system.
D360-6510 2000-2003 BMW Z8 4.9L The Dinan Header System is a pair of long tube headers manufactured out of 16 gage stainless steel. The headers are designed in the configuration of 4:2:1. The oxygen sensor remains in the stock location at the collector of the exhaust system.
I know it's not for the M42, but if Dinan could get an exemption for what is absolutely a "performance header," there must be some room for common sense here. It's easy enough to find a few listings for the early-style header. I'm willing to put up a valid Ebay posting for you if you need one.
If that fails, can't you also file an appeal on the Visual Inspection? I found this site (http://www.bar.ca.gov/80_BARResources/04_Miscellaneous/Consumers/Regarding_Complaints.html), permitting reports to be filed for this sort of gross incompetence:
You may call DCA at 800-952-5210 to speak with a consumer information specialist about filing a complaint or to obtain pre-printed complaint forms.
Other Complaint Related Links:
- Standard BAR form to complain about an auto repair facility or smog check station (http://www.bar.ca.gov/80_BARResources/04_Miscellaneous/Consumers/file_complaint.html)
- Form to commend, or complain about the performance of DCA, BAR, or any of its employees (http://www.dca.ca.gov/online_services/complaints/citizen_complaint.shtml)
- California Lemon Law information (http://www.dca.ca.gov/acp/#California%27s%20Lemon%20Law)
- Consumer Complaint Resolution Program (http://www.dca.ca.gov/online_services/complaints/index.shtml)[/l][/l][/l][/l]
Might be worth a half-hour or so, if just to resolve one point of your emissions test. I'd suspect that the "burden of proof" is on the mechanic, not you. Personally, I'd get a lawyer buddy to write an official letter for me. I'd be completely willing to waste a day in small-claims court if the shop refused to back down. In my experience, bullies will always step down if the costs are too high, especially bureaucratic ones.
California is really odd about these sorts of things, aren't they?
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Topic split for RomeoMike's new problem. New topic is here:
http://www.m42club.com/forum/index.php?topic=18215.0