Well I've done a lot of work to my car over the Winter/Spring season including going FI, building the engine, lower compression piston heads, Haltech ECU, etc. Now it's finally coming time for my state inspection. I'm wondering if anyone has attempted to take their inspection with an aftermarket ECU. In theory, it should work, as Haltech will report all sensors as "N/A" for legal reasons (as far as I know MA OBD2 inspection is only concerned with ready or not ready statuses).

If not I see two possible options with the stock ECU:

1 (preferred): An uprev tune to handle the bigger injectors/lower compression ratio heads. The drawback is obviously being I have to pay someone for a tune I'm going to use for only a few days out of the year.

2: Run the stock ecu\tune, but replace the injectors with stock, take off the gilmer belt to my supercharger, and hope it runs well enough to pass. Downside being that's a lot of work to do every year for inspection.

Thoughts?

 

Did you get it inspected last year? I was under the impression that you only need to pass emissions obd2 reading every other year and safty every year. As for what I would do is go to the smallest local shop no chain places (stay away from midas firestone Spartan whatever) and just bring the car the way it is and see what happens and what they say if it doesn't pass. If you still have catalytic converters and your exhaust isnt too obnoxious you have a chance. Or if you normally go to any shop I would go there and ask. Good luck. Inspections are the worst and I need one again next month.

 

I know of a local shop that is pretty lenient. My concern though are the bits that the shop has no power over such as reading OBD2 codes. Obviously having an aftermarket ECU just makes it all the more risky, and I don't want to get flagged for a MAC.

 

As long as you dont have any code, your car should pass the OBD2 inspection. I have the Haltec for a very long time now with built engine, twin turbos, etc. Nothing on my car is stock. I don't even have cats and passed the OBD2 inspection every year in New York. The scanner can't detect the Haltec.

 

Just be glad you're not in California.

 

I was tuned with uprev and failed. It all has to do with bypassing your sensors. They have to be functional and show readiness. If they are bypassed or your ROM is flashed with new serial # (loaded Rom) you will most certainly fail. De-mod or detune and remove test pipes if you have them.

 

You shouldn't need to detune. I past this year and the 2 previous years on " UPREV" tune but made sure all my sensors where "ready" past a few years back also past with the Stillen SC and custom tune. key is sensors have to be ready

 

So if I have a reflash im not going to pass next year? Seems a bit excessive for such a small change.

 

If the rom has a different serial # from stock they can detect it. If the readiness sensors are bypassed by the tune, then they will fail you. I was sent to a Mac center and spoke with the inspector about it. Straight from the horses mouth. I detuned and removed my test-pipes after failing the inspection and had to go in with exhaust only to the MAC.

 

I had a place tell me any aftermarket exhaust and I would fail. And others say if its loader then stock it will fail. I always go to the same place and they seem fast and fair and dont seem out to fail people like some shops. They passed me this year with a semi noisy exhaust leak. Car sounded mean before I fixed it. ( bracket broke off stock muffler.)