compucarnut

Wow, so I spend $16.5 dollars on a new car (well its an 07), Pay another $900 for the Stage 2 kit, get it installed BY GM, and now today when I went to do emissions/inspections for the first time, IT FAILED!!! I called my dealership, and the guy made it sound like I'm fucked. He said, "well you shouldn't have gotten stage 2 upgrade." ITS A GM INSTALLED KIT!!!!!! so he is basically saying that since its a performance upgrade they are not liable if it fails emissions????? Then how in the **** do they maintain the factory 60K mile warranty I bought if the kit, which also maintains the warrranty, causes my car to fail???????

The emissions guy was my friend, and he said the 02 system and evap canister system were "not ready."

I told the salesman at GM this, and he is trying to make it sound like that is related to the Stage 2 kit. He says if its related to problems with the kit that I would have to pay to get it fixed in labor hours.

TxLonghorn#1

Sounds like the dealership is wrong....but, I would go back and slap the **** out of your friend for letting your car fail.

DoubleLP

Stage II kit runs really rich and so you are going to get more coming out of the exhaust then normal. Very well known with the Stage II kit. GM makes the tune rich because it is safer for the car. Get a tune done with someone who has HP Tuners and have them lean out the car a bit and you should be fine.

Nussle

you definately should be able to pass emissions with stage2, go up there and raise hell. they wouldnt warranty stage2 for 100k miles if it would make the car fail emissions.

Red2.4SS

Stage II kit is a GM part so it is covered under warranty.
Besides it shouldn't have anything to do with the problem you are having.

Go to another dealer if you have to.

compucarnut

Its an OB reader test, not a sniffer test, so it has nothing to do with running rich, I wouldn't think. I'm very unpatiently awaiting a call back from the actual salesman that sold me the car. I'm gonna tear him a new ******* if he tells me ANYTHING other than "we will fix it."


The inspection station told me that since I got the kit installed thursday, that maybe the system hasn't had enough time to "get ready." But **** I've already put about 60 miles on the car. How much time does it need????

and my buddy couldn't have "made" the car pass, its an OBD reader test, no way to fake that.

boostedss26

move to wisconsin we dont have emissions

GTO 1

Don't jump to conclusions (yet). No one has proven the failure is due to the Stage 2 kit. It may be something totally unrelated. POLITELY, see the service manager, explain it was a GM approved part, installed at the dealer to preserve all warranties. For them to please re-check the vehicle to certify to you EXACTLY why it fails emissions. If you get the "runaround", politely leave and go to a reputable dealership, only saying it failed state emissions and you want it checked with a diagnosis so it may be repaired under warranty. No need to go into other dealers details, blah, blah... that just puts him off and leary of what to expect. See what happens, but always stay in control and act like an adult customer, ALWAYS. Will serve YOU a lot more overall, trust me.

GTO 1

compucarnut

Yeah but are they going to charge me labor fees??????????????? How in the hell is it RIGHT that you go out and spend $$$$$$ on a new car and it fails emissions, then you have to PAY to fix iT???

blackjack hotrods

NOT READY is the key phrase. You have to drive approx 100-200 miles for all of the I/M flags to show ready. It's not a big deal. Drive it around for a few days and go back. You'll pass. Any time a code is cleared or PCM reprogrammed with a TECH2 it will reset the I/M flags and you will have to run 100-200 miles for them to be ready. It keeps people from clearing a code and going straight to emissions to get tested with a possible problem still present.

GTO 1

That is true...

GTO 1

compucarnut

I just added up the mileage since I picked up the car for the stage 2 upgrade kit. Its about 40 miles so far.

idunn

SilverSS/SC

Just FYI , as long as all you have on the car are GM parts the dealer can not make you pay to have an emissions related problem fixed . If it failed a test , its their responsiblity 100% to make it right . Try another dealer , this one is jacking you around .

blackjack hotrods

Your friend at the emissions station and the folks at the dealership sevice department should have known what I explained when you asked.

AjSS

This is exactly what I was going to say. After the flags are reset, you must let the computer run through all its tests first before it is "Ready." Just drive around a few days then go back, it will pass. This happend to my friend once.

D4u2s0t

you didn't fail for emissions, per se, you failed because the o2 sensor is not reading. like mentioned, keep driving. if it's a new car, why did you have to take it through emissions? doesn't it get inspected before you buy? or if it's used, maybe the previous owner turned the sensors off.

compucarnut

God I hope you guys are right. The entire reason I bought this car was to have a daily driver that was fun/fast and NOT have to worry about the emissions ****'s. If I wanted another headache I would have just kept my mustang as my daily driver.

blackjack hotrods

You'll be fine. I'm kinda amazed you would have to take it through emissions too. Even here, cars that are 5 years old or newer don't need to be tested at all.

D4u2s0t

i passed emissions with an exhaust, stage 2, 2.9", intake, etc. so there's nothing to worry about as far as actually passing emissions. any time i remember someone actually failing emissions on here was because of a bad cat or something like that.

in new jersey, if you buy a car new you don't get it inspected at all, it comes with the sticker on it. a used car, you have to get inspected right away. i have a 3 year sticker on mine. but it's different in every state.

06blackSC

I am a licensed emissions inspector. There is nothing wrong with your car. Your car needs to complete its drive cycle tests on its emissions monitoring system. There is no set mileage for you to travel for it to "complete". It is literally a series of drive cycles (key on, driving up to operating temperature, key off, etc, etc, etc...) The failing isn't any fault of the dealer, the inspector, or yourself. You just need to drive the car.

compucarnut

is there any way to know for sure that the car has completed its "drive cycles" that way I don't waste another $40 at the emissions place? I don't have any kinda hptuners, but I could get it OB checked at Azone I guess........

06 GM CobaltSS

Was your car nice and hot when you had the test done? Usually I would drive the car on the highway for a good 20 min. or so for the cat and motor to get to full temp. Then you leave the car on until you get tested. This ensures that the motor and emission systems are hot enough to burn off excess emissions.

blackjack hotrods

This is from one states website about emission testing FAQ's:

For vehicles that are "not ready," the OBD system was unable to complete its systems check for the OBD test. This is usually due to recent repairs or a recently disconnected battery. Usually, at least a week of combined highway and city driving will reset the OBD system so that it will be "ready" for the OBD test.

This is from Missouri's Emissions tes FAQ (that's where you live right?):

What is required for retesting my vehicle?
If your vehicle has been repaired, it’s time to get ready for a retest. Retests are required until your vehicle passes or until you obtain a cost-based waiver from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
Once repairs are completed, the vehicle must return to the initial testing station within 20 business days to qualify for one free reinspection. After 20 business days, you will be required to pay the full emissions test fee again.
The vehicle owner must present a completed repair data sheet that is filled out and signed by whomever repaired the vehicle. This information will be used to provide performance ratings for Missouri Recognized Repair Technicians as well as facilitate cost-based waiver issuance.
Before you retest...drive your repaired vehicle normally for several days before returning to the station that initially performed the emissions test. Doing so can help reset your vehicle’s readiness monitors. For more information on readiness monitors, see the On-Board Diagnostics (OBDII) fact sheet available on the department’s Web site at http://www.dnr.mo.gov/env/apcp/docs/obdfactsheet.pdf.


Now, you didn't need any repairs but I bet you can still get retested for free. Most states will perform a retest for free. Check the paperwork they gave you the last time you were there.

Google Ftw!!!

06blackSC

This info would be correct for vehicles that pre-date the OBD-II system. All vehicles that are 1996 model year and newer use computer tests to check emissions. all 1995 and prior require testing emissions at the tail pipe. Driving a car in hot could help for a car that is older, but not in this case. also, bringing in a car that is hot from running for a long time can also hurt your chances of passing emissions testing. If the catalytic converter is beginning to fail, you will increase your out-put of NOx (oxides of nitrogen).

Again to the OP. Just drive your car for a while. Does your state offer free emissions testing after the initial failure within a required amount of time?

Edit:
BlackJack answered my question on free re-test.