are aftermarket downpipes smog legal in "sunny" california?

[cghms3]

I've been thinking about the best way to get more power from my '09 MS3. Right now I
have the MSCAI, MSCBE, MScoilovers, Cobb tuning shift linkage, and a SURE rear engine
mount. I'd like a little more hp/tq - I live in California, which has strict smog laws - what
is the best way to go - a Downpipe - Corksport? or a programer? (what brand) or.....?
Thanks for any input!

 

[Hapa88]

The short answer is: There is no aftermarket downpipes available that are "smog legal" in CA to fit any Mazdaspeed3.

http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/aftermktcat/aftermktcat.htm

The list of approved cats (note there is none listed for any Mazda newer than 2005):
http://www.arb.ca.gov/msprog/aftermktcat/exemptcat09.pdf


The long answer is: Most aftermarket downpipes have hi-flo cats installed. This is "better", however they haven't been given to the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for formal inspection, testing and exemption. That means, there's no guarantee that it will pass any smog test or any visual test (because it doesn't have a CARB exemption number stamped on the part).

A lot of people just remove the OEM part and replace it with the aftermarket part, storing the OEM part until right before their smog test (which is 4 years later for a new car - for you that would be around the year 2013). If you get caught in one of those SMOG checkpoints (sort of like DUI checkpoints) or get pulled over by a cop, you could get ticketed and fined.

The CA Vehicle Code section 27156 (see mostly subsection (c)) describes everything you need to know:
http://dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d12/vc27156.htm

 

[cghms3]

thanks for your very informative answer Hapa88 - ok, everyone says the corksport dp is the way to go - yes? cghms3

 

[Hapa88]

I have no experience with any Mazdaspeed3 DP, so I'm not sure. I did have one on my old 1.8T Jetta and even though it gave it a lot of full throttle power, it ran really crappy all other times, mainly because of the O2 sensor location.
For my Mazdaspeed3 I bought the Testpipe because it is after the O2 sensor. It's also cheaper and easier to install and replace.
I currently have an intake (BEGi), the Testpipe (sometimes, currently not installed), and the Racing Beat Exhaust. I've been considering adding the Hypertech tuner just because of it's ease. .

 

[cghms3]

yeah, I've thought about getting the cobb tuning Acessport - or the hypertech tuner - not sure which way to go - your thoughts on this Hapa88?

 

[HappaKineMS3]

Hey Cghms3, Im currently running a hypertech "tune" and I love it. I have no other engine mods. A lot have said this before but it makes the car run like it should have from the factory. It gets rid of the annoying (IMO) 1st & 2nd gear boost retard. It also has a "tune" specifically for your MSCAI. I was considering the Cobb AP but I decided against it due to the fact that I didn't think I would have the time/$ to fully harness it's capabilities. I wanted just plug & play simplicity and at most I only plan on getting an intake & exhaust in the future which the hypertech is more than adequate for. So jows the handling tuning going?

 

[MSMS3]

+1 on the Hypertech tune. It even works well with a downpipe catless or catted, if you should decide to try a catted one in Cal. HT gives you a nice bump up in power, does it safely, with no drama or tuning confusion, and is incredibly SMOOTH in power delivery regardless of whether you are at part throttle, light throttle or wide open. Just select the correct intake choice to match yours so that you get proper MAF correction, tell it to remove the 0-60 throttle restriction and enjoy the difference. There are plenty of other posts here for specifics on both HT and AP, so I'll not try to repeat all of that.

 

[cghms3]

good to hear from you HappakineMS3 - still have not brought it back to the shop to check the ms coilover setup - (I have
physical limitations, so I can't mess with the setup - have to have the shop check it out - low on the $$$ for now). Again,
it is great on our local hills, its when I push it up to the limiter in 6th gear it gets nervous (and me to) - the ride height is
ok, I just don't think the compression and rebound is correct for street - although it was set to factory recommendations.
Do you know of a good place for suspension setup? Or do you have any buddies with the ms coilovers who could check the
setup? also, any club meets in the san mateo area coming up. I hate to say it, but I have a heck of a time trying to navigate
the mocc site - so I use this site for info and connections - hope to hook-up sometime - and thanks for the info on the
hypertech to you and MSM3 and Hapa88

 

[cghms3]

hi - its been awhile, but did want to let you know that I got the Hypertech max power tuner, and what a difference! More
power, better driveability, and easy setup - Now if I could just afford $4.29 per gallon for premium...