MyE28.com

Exhaust shops locally won't sell me or install a 3" catalytic converter because my car isn't on the "list" for vehicles approved.
What are you other Cali turbo guys running? I'd like to stay legal and do my part to stay environmentally friendly

Does your turbo setup have a CARB sticker?

charofire wrote:Does your turbo setup have a CARB sticker?

Yes, it does.
I even tried to explain that to the exhaust shops but they are just following the California rules, I suppose

You need to find a hot rod shop not an exhaust shop. I think the cat part nbr I sent you was Cali approved and please double check.

CARB is certification that your turbo system is smog legal, you have to get a Cat from the original turbo setup manufacturer with its own CARB-# for the catalytic converter. Most shops will not have access to a cross-reference sheet of acceptable cats - smog repair shops, performance exhaust/hot rod shops might be your best bet for a quick solution. Have you called/emailed BAR/CARB to figure out a fix? If the old cat had a number they should be able to find a manufacturer or some cat that you should be able to use that equates to the old one! If not they should be able to issue you a cat to use with the rest of your setup.

With the current crack-down CARB/BAR are being hyper aggressive towards smog shops for stuff like "Youre not failing the proper % of cars based on other areas and our figures" in places like the richer parts of the peninsula of the Bay Area - where there is the highest average income rate of almost anywhere in the US and in the richer areas they will put $2500/year for their vehicles to be maintained in as close to perfect shape as is possible. They are also marking off smog tech's scores for people's cars being perfect and UNDER the average smog values. It has gotten ridiculous.