Ugh. The saga of my bastard child continues. The S50 equipped E30 Vert flunked emissions twice. I took it to O'Reilly's in downtown Milwaukee. They're listed as an approved emissions repair shop. They diagnosed ineffective catalytic converters. They want to source E36 cats, fabricate the hell out of them and fit them closer to the exhaust manifold. All this for just $3600!!!

Does anyone know of a good custom exhaust shop that could source some aftermarket cats? Jeez, I can get a waiver for the emissions if I spend $450. My head is still spinning at that $3600 number. :eyecrazy

I got a universal cat welded on to my existing piping for either $120 or $150 at Mufflers for Less on 13th and National. This was on my Subaru, not the BMW btw.

Try the Meineke on HWY 59 in waukesha.

Classic Muffler did mine. I'm not thrilled with the exhaust but it is perfectly functional now for 10k and I pass emissions. The guy did a decent job, but left room for improvement.

Thanks guys. I'm going to shoot for a waiver at the DMV today. :( Otherwise, I'll be checking out your suggestions.

David

:redspot

Hahahahaha. The end of the saga is that they wouldn't give me a waiver - HOWEVER, a really 'helpful' emission tech who recognized the car from its 2 previous visits gave me some advice - I brought the car back an hour later and it passed! So, I'm good for 2 years!

Did he tell you to run it hard down the highway, and come straight there. Get in line and leave it running?

Why dont you just register your car up north and then you wont have to deal with emissions.

a really 'helpful' emission tech who recognized the car from its 2 previous visits gave me some advice

and what would that advice be?

Did he tell you to run it hard down the highway, and come straight there. Get in line and leave it running?

The advice was sort of what deanbruhn guessed above, to add some Guaranteed to Pass and then he said he would 'do what he could'. Which meant mountin the collection hose on a jackstand 3-4" away from the tailpipe.

Bottom line, it worked...

Wow! That sure saved you some BIG bucks! Congrats!
I always drive out to the testing station near the Waukesha County Airport.
It's a nice ride and gets the engine up to temp.

Why dont you just register your car up north and then you wont have to deal with emissions.

+1 Screw emissions in the first place.

The advice was sort of what deanbruhn guessed above, to add some Guaranteed to Pass and then he said he would 'do what he could'. Which meant mountin the collection hose on a jackstand 3-4" away from the tailpipe.

Bottom line, it worked...

:shifty

The advice was sort of what deanbruhn guessed above, to add some Guaranteed to Pass and then he said he would 'do what he could'. Which meant mountin the collection hose on a jackstand 3-4" away from the tailpipe.

Is the "Guaranteed to Pass" a $50 bill handed to the tech?

David's experience is a perfect example of why emissions testing in SE WI is a complete joke and a waste of everyone's money and time.

When my Ferrari was emissions tested they just put the probe in one of the tailpipes. So only half the exhaust got tested. :confused No wonder it had no detectable emissions. 0.0 for both measured parameters.

Is the "Guaranteed to Pass" a $50 bill handed to the tech?

David's experience is a perfect example of why emissions testing in SE WI is a complete joke and a waste of everyone's money and time.

When my Ferrari was emissions tested they just put the probe in one of the tailpipes. So only half the exhaust got tested. :confused No wonder it had no detectable emissions. 0.0 for both measured parameters.

No, there actually IS a product called Guaranteed to Pass. It's on the same shelf as the Seafoam and STP. The tech had recommended to use Heat(?). Either way, they both contain alcohol which will temporarily make the engine run cleaner. After he passed my, I tried to give the tech a $20, and he wouldn't take it.

screw emissions, register up north.

How do you do that if you don't have an address or an understanding friend with an address in a non-emission county?

I said that i was going to school up there and thats were my car was going to be stored. But i live down here for the summer so they would have to send the papers to my house down here. Did that with all my car.

^^ good looking car though. Very clean.

How do you do that if you don't have an address or an understanding friend with an address in a non-emission county?

Bypassing emissions is simple. When you register the car at the DMV fill out the paperwork with your current address and whatnot. There is a separate section that you need to look for. You are looking for "This vehicle is kept in the city/village/township of __________ in _________ county." Pick a city up in the north woods like Hayward or Eagle River. Circle if it's a city, village, or township (Google is your friend) and list the county that city is in. You do not need to provide an address, just the city and county. The DMV will not ask any questions. Your paperwork and license plate stickers will be sent to the address where you live, not where the car is kept.

If you are going to school you could use La Cross, Eau Claire, etc. Stay away from counties on Lake Michigan and up near Green Bay and Door County. Pollution from Chicago and Gary, IN has been traveling up the lake (hence why SE Wisconsin even has emissions), and there have been talks of making emissions testing along these counties mandatory. Also stay away from Madison. Those hippy douchebags will stop at nothing to save the environment.

...Also stay away from Madison. Those hippy douchebags will stop at nothing to save the environment.

Im so glad we are friends :D

I know elkhorn doesnt have emissions. You could put that.

I know elkhorn doesnt have emissions. You could put that.

Right now the only counties in WI that require emissions are Kenosha, Racine, Waukesha, Milwaukee, Washington, and Ozaukee Counties. Other counties in the area could soon pic them up as well.

Those hippy douchebags will stop at nothing to save the environment.

I resent that comment. I wouldn't say I would stop at nothing but am extremely proevironment.