California smog legal mods?

What modifications can I make to my 2005 Legacy GT Limited wagon (MT) without running into problems with the biennial smog checks that I'll have to undergo beginning in 2010?

 

My factory warranty expires in 5K miles and I'm planning on getting Cobb sway bars and an AP. (I understand that I'll need to reload the stock profile before the smog check.) Any other suggestions?

Any other suggestions?

 

Get out of California.

Anything relating to handling.

You don't have to reload the stock profile before the smog check. Especially if you just flashed to Stage 1. Stage 1 means that you didn't remove any cats. With all the cats in place, your emissions will be fine.

You can also get the SPT Air Intake since it has a C.A.R.B. number. But you are better off without it performance-wise.

Any suspension and really just a cat back. You should be able to pass with a stage 1 map. Stage 1 will be a nice improvement in power and smoothness. What part of Cali are you in? We can meet up I also have a '05 5mt LTD wagon and I can take you for a ride. I have done suspension mod and you can see if that what you want to do. First I went stage 1 with a TDC map for my K&N typhoon. Now I'm TDC stage 2 with a catless up and 3" TBE and Hi flow cat and its much stronger. When smog comes I will swap back to stock if it won't pass smog . 2010 is a long way off.

TDC a tunign company is talking about making their own DP where you can uninstall your cat, and then reinstall it for emissions test. Google their website and go to their forums off the main page.

You don't have to reload the stock profile before the smog check. Especially if you just flashed to Stage 1. Stage 1 means that you didn't remove any cats. With all the cats in place, your emissions will be fine.

You can also get the SPT Air Intake since it has a C.A.R.B. number. But you are better off without it performance-wise.

Hey man, how is the weather out there?

^ Today its in the mid 50s...quite nice actually. Although, it was good to get some AWD action out of the subie the past couple of weeks

Any suspension and really just a cat back. You should be able to pass with a stage 1 map. Stage 1 will be a nice improvement in power and smoothness. What part of Cali are you in? We can meet up I also have a '05 5mt LTD wagon and I can take you for a ride. I have done suspension mod and you can see if that what you want to do. First I went stage 1 with a TDC map for my K&N typhoon. Now I'm TDC stage 2 with a catless up and 3" TBE and Hi flow cat and its much stronger. When smog comes I will swap back to stock if it won't pass smog . 2010 is a long way off.

I'm in Sacramento, so I'm about 400 miles north of you. I'm only planning on going Stage 1 with the Cobb AP, adding sway bars, and possibly a catback exhaust. I just got the ECU and fan relay replaced under the recall program. I plan to purchase the AP when my factory warranty runs out. It will be nice to get ride of that stumble at idle. Does the K&N Typhoon help? I've read the bad reviews of the SPT unit and I'm really not a big fan of intake noise.

^ K&N is definitely not CARB approved.

^ K&N is definitely not CARB approved.

Thanks. Okay, scratch the K&N.

Well, just save all your stock parts. Honestly though, most smog guys aren't going to give two shits about an intake.

Someone in a non CARB state should give their CARB sticker to people in CA

Someone in a non CARB state should give their CARB sticker to people in CA

 

That would be everyone not in California.

Well, just save all your stock parts. Honestly though, most smog guys aren't going to give two shits about an intake.

 

 

That's what I thought when I smogged my 240sx a couple of years ago...had to put the stock airbox back on.

Well, just save all your stock parts. Honestly though, most smog guys aren't going to give two shits about an intake.

Actually, there's a visual inspection and an emissions test. Also, I'm in a Smog Check II county, which requires a more rigorous analysis on a dyno. Of course, because my Subie is AWD, it can't be dyno'ed because most Smog Check facilities only have a two-wheel dyno. Therefore, a smog inspection will be in essence a Smog Check I inspection, involving an idle and high-speed exhaust test, but no dyno work. (The last time I smogged my truck, I asked the smog technician how AWD cars were tested and that's what he told me.)

Actually, there's a visual inspection and an emissions test. Also, I'm in a Smog Check II county, which requires a more rigorous analysis on a dyno. Of course, because my Subie is AWD, it can't be dyno'ed because most Smog Check facilities only have a two-wheel dyno. Therefore, a smog inspection will be in essence a Smog Check I inspection, involving an idle and high-speed exhaust test, but no dyno work. (The last time I smogged my truck, I asked the smog technician how AWD cars were tested and that's what he told me.)

 

That's true about the AWD cars only snif test and visual inspect. I have a guy on my route who said he will test my car for me to see if it will pass the sniffer with stage 2 and 1 hi-flow 3" cat.

those that have tested with one cat and tuning pass sniffer fine. Some have reported with a hot car passing with no cats and a tune.

Sniffer is almost never the problem, the visual inspection is. Some smog guys could care less. I've told one guy that a K&N cone that I stuck on the air flow meter was stock and he believed me Another guy failed me for having the wrong kind of rubber hose on an evap line. He refailed me after I fixed that for having a tiny little crack in a breather hose . The car passed the sniffer easily. Really, if you don't go nuts with the mods, going to something like Stage 2 is not big deal. Just save your stock parts and swap them come back come smog time, which won't be for 3 years or so anyways.

 

If you are concerned about a cop pulling you over and popping the hood, then you only parts with CARB numbers or any part AFTER the cats (ie: axleback or catback) are legal. There are odd exemptions like intercoolers but for the most part you can't touch anything under the hood without a CARB number. Technically a reflash is illegal and detectable electronically as well, but with something like a Cobb AP it is easy to revert to stock when needed.

I'm going to have to pretty much agree with BoostJunkie. Always keep your stock parts, and it's easy to reflash back to stock with AP, so once every two years, you need to spend a day 'unmodding' then another day 'remodding'. All in all, not too much to ask for IMHO.

 

Although most of the stuff under the hood can be called out, if it looks fairly stock (hell, to be honest, most cops don't have that great a knowledge, especially when it comes to turbo boxer motors with top mount intercoolers), then you're okay. For stuff like turbo inlet hoses, radiator hoses, etc, stick with black, don't do flashy blue or red stuff. Even a turbo isn't much of a big deal, if it's under the stock or stock looking heatshield. If you've got the fairly nondescript looking stuff and can BS a little, you can explain how this is stock, that's stock, whatever. If you're nice about it, you've got a good chance to drive away with nothing more than a few minutes taken to give the good officer a lesson on how Subaru engines are setup.

If you are concerned about a cop pulling you over and popping the hood, then you only parts with CARB numbers or any part AFTER the cats (ie: axleback or catback) are legal. There are odd exemptions like intercoolers but for the most part you can't touch anything under the hood without a CARB number. Technically a reflash is illegal and detectable electronically as well, but with something like a Cobb AP it is easy to revert to stock when needed.

No. My only concern is with the biennial smog test. Looks like I'll plan on doing just the AP and catback. Obviously, suspension and brake mods aren't an issue.

Get out of California.

Actually, just register it in a non smog county. Most of the foothill counties(Amador, Calaveras, Alpine, etc.) do not have a smog check at all. I haven't smogged a vehicle in California(except for title transfers) in years.

The SPT exhaust and intake have CARB numbers, and I think the the Borla (or Bosal?) exhaust. If you flip through the CARB pages, it lists out every part by number what is "legal". Doesnt mean you wont get pulled over and ticketed though. You can still get a fix-it ticket for messing with your car. You're just covered by emissions.

The SPT exhaust and intake have CARB numbers, and I think the the Borla (or Bosal?) exhaust. If you flip through the CARB pages, it lists out every part by number what is "legal". Doesnt mean you wont get pulled over and ticketed though. You can still get a fix-it ticket for messing with your car. You're just covered by emissions.

The SPT exhaust is listed as only fitting the GT sedan, but my local dealership claims that it also fits on the wagon. Do you know if this is true? Will it clear aftermarket sway bars like the Cobb swaybars? Also, the SPT exhaust is like $1000, kinda spendy, IMO.

Any catback is CA smog legal as it fits after all the emissions controls devices (sensors, cats etc..) . The SPT catback will physically fit the wagon, but the tips will be too short and be a bit far under the bumper.