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CA, OBDI: Buying a used catalytic converter from another state

yhelothar

yhelothar

Lifer
The cat on my 94 miata has gone bad. I'm trying to look for a replacement but the ones in CA makes me butthurt at $360.

I see several people on forums parting out their old miata, but they're all from other states. Would they be using the exact same cat as the one that came on my California car?
 
Pretty sure you'd be fine. Its OEM so I doubt a smog tech would ever know. Atleast you don't have a '99 or '00 where there's a cat in the header.. 🙁

I'm swapping my header with the cat for an '01 header when I get the time.
 
Many states don't have sniffer emissions - I'd be a little worried about getting a used cat that's no better than what you already have.
 
its against federal law to put a used converter on a car...also, if the car is California emissions, its against the law federally and by California to put a 49 state converter, new or used, on a California car
 
The smog tech will never know the difference. Get a quality after market cat and call it a day.

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
 
allanon1965 said:
its against federal law to put a used converter on a car...
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False.

It is against federal law to put an untested used catalytic converter on a car.

As long as the used converter has been tested and verified by an appropriately licensed facility it can be certified as "reconditioned" and legally installed in a vehicle to replace a malfunctioning existing catalytic converter.

As a practical matter, most "u-pick" junkyards don't have the time, facilities, money, or motivation to get licensed for this so they just sell the converters for scrap or to other companies that do have reconditioning licenses. And, of course, some guy parting out the car from his garage won't be licensed to recondition catalytic converters either, so just buying one from a random guy off the internet would be technically illegal.

ZV
 
How would any state know you put in a used cat converter ? ? ? As far as I know, they do not have serial numbers on them and even if they did, you likely would not see it easily. Most states are only worried about either the converter being absent or the vehicle not being able to pass their emissions tests. If it is physically there and it passes what ever test the state requires, that should be the end of it. Thankfully, a lot of states, now depend on the OBD II system as a benchmark. No codes present or stored in memory and the computer / converter are doing what they should be and emissions are fine. As to the statement about federal law and installation of a used converter, that would apply to a Licensed Repair Shop and not if the owner did the work themselves.
 
gimme a break, if its reconditioned, its not freaking used! it has new substrata in it and the only part reused is the shell...jesus christ......you know better than that....you also know that aftermarket converters are not required to pass the same requirements as an OEM converter right? they each have different requirements.

and it is illegal for anyone, including the owner to remove the converter and install an untested used one as zemmer said.....period....whether or not its caught, enforced, etc... is another story, its still illegal.
 
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allanon1965 said:
gimme a break, if its reconditioned, its not freaking used! it has new substrata in it and the only part reused is the shell...jesus christ......you know better than that....you also know that aftermarket converters are not required to pass the same requirements as an OEM converter right? they each have different requirements.
Click to expand...

Again, false.

A used converter can be legally re-sold without replacing the substrata provided that it can be certified as complying with the EPA's interim enforcement policy "Sale and Use of Aftermarket Catalytic Converters" which became effective on 5 August, 1986. Though nominally an "interim" enforcement policy, the EPA has never updated this with a permanent policy and the interim policy remains in effect.

The fact that the standards my be different does not affect the fact that it remains legal to install a used converter so long as it has been tested and shown to be in compliance.

ZV
 
bruceb said:
How would any state know you put in a used cat converter ? ? ? As far as I know, they do not have serial numbers on them and even if they did, you likely would not see it easily. Most states are only worried about either the converter being absent or the vehicle not being able to pass their emissions tests. If it is physically there and it passes what ever test the state requires, that should be the end of it. Thankfully, a lot of states, now depend on the OBD II system as a benchmark. No codes present or stored in memory and the computer / converter are doing what they should be and emissions are fine. As to the statement about federal law and installation of a used converter, that would apply to a Licensed Repair Shop and not if the owner did the work themselves.
Click to expand...

Wish California would move towards this type of system when it comes to aftermarket parts. They could eliminate CARB and save themselves some money. OBDII starts next year and no sniffer test will be needed for a car 2000 or newer. Though a visual check will still be in order.. 🙄
 
allanon1965 said:
the ID number on the cat will tell the smog tech that it is not a California cat if he checks it.
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Its a pre-OBD2 car...there are no ID numbers of the cat.

Hell, on the various Subarus I've had in last 5 years I've yet to find any ID numbers on any of the cats. I should know, they've all sat in the shed at various times 😉
 
Imported said:
Wish California would move towards this type of system when it comes to aftermarket parts. They could eliminate CARB and save themselves some money. OBDII starts next year and no sniffer test will be needed for a car 2000 or newer. Though a visual check will still be in order.. 🙄
Click to expand...
What, our state government reducing waste and bureaucracy?? Are you high? What reason would Moonbeam have to raise taxes!?!?!
 
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