NY emissions

[erc385]

Hey I live in New York and wanted to put headers on my 03 spec V. I already have a thermal cat back exhaust, has anyone had luck passing emissions with out a cat?

[nametakennow]

Without a cat you will throw a code and fail an OBDII test even if you did somehow past a sniffer. Get a high-flow cat from http://brmusa.com/.

[erc385]

Ok thanks

[LuKA]

Which CAT? The one on the header or the lower one? I've heard from quite a few people that the secondary CAT on the header isn't nessicary and the car will pass inspection without it. However, you will throw a code. Try myspecv.com for more information about the exhaust. I'm also in NY, just haven't made an attempt to throw a header on yet.

[nametakennow]

If you relocate the second O2 sensor to behind the "second" cat, you can pass, assuming there is no visual inspection.

The cat on the header is referred to as the precat. The cat in the exhaust stream at about the middle of the car is referred to as the cat.

If both the precat and the main cat are removed, you will fail regardless. If the cat is removed, as long as there is no sniffer and no visual, you can pass.

This is all about avoiding the SES light. As long as the reading for the second sensor shows cleaner air than the first by whatever amount the ECU is looking for, there will be no code and you will pass, again assuming there is no visual inspection of the exhaust system and no sniffer test.

Here in GA the visual is purely of the engine bay itself and OBDII cars are not sniffed.