CA Smog : Passing test after re-flashing stock tune

[MetalMan]

Hi all, I'm working on a tune deal with a tuner who's coming out with B8 ECU and ZF8 tunes. I've had good experience with them in the past on other platforms.

I live in CA and of course will be subject to biennial smog testing. This ECU tune won't be CARB legal, so if I go this route I would have to flash back to stock (which is a feature of their tuning platform) prior to smog testing.

Has anybody done similar, where they went from a non-CA-legal tune and reflashed their stock tune to pass smog? I imagine it should pass just fine but don't want to spend money on this just to screw myself over in 2 years.

Thanks for any feedback!

[apeck240]

Yes you'll be fine

[MetalMan]

Yes you'll be fine

Do you have experience with this in the last 2.5 years? Asking because mid-2021 CA changed their smog test a bit, where they started verifying the ECU/tune's CVN (checksum) value against their database. Changing the tune results in changed CVN, and if it doesn't match one in their database then it's a fail for "tampered" ECU. So mostly I am being ultra-cautious that re-flashing the stock tune will also retain the stock CVN.

[shaunm82]

Never been an issue for me here. I smogged at the end of 2021, and again in 2023.

[MetalMan]

Never been an issue for me here. I smogged at the end of 2021, and again in 2023.

Thanks for the feedback. To clarify, that's flashing back to stock before the smog test?

[Allowencer]

Flashing back to stock will work and will also revert the checksum, so it should pass.

Keep in mind you should drive for 20-30 mins straight after flashing back to a stock tune to produce fuel trim data and also ensure all emission systems have the opportunity to run their functions and pass. At this time, DO NOT go into heavy throttle as your fuel delivery tables are stock and you could also throw an overboost code.

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[MetalMan]

Flashing back to stock will work and will also revert the checksum, so it should pass.

Keep in mind you should drive for 20-30 mins straight after flashing back to a stock tune to produce fuel trim data and also ensure all emission systems have the opportunity to run their functions and pass. At this time, DO NOT go into heavy throttle as your fuel delivery tables are stock and you could also throw an overboost code.

I appreciate the insight!

[MetalMan]

Well I bit the bullet. Here's to tuning I car I wasn't planning to tune LOL (I've tuned every other Audi so why not this one...).

[kngfisher]

CA is not the only state where you may run into the same issue. Same thing here in Virginia. Flashing back to stock is not possible, unless I completely lose my tune as I have an original stasis car #130 with the Revo tune. Revo was the supplier of the tunes for stasis engineering at the time. There is no going back as Stasis it out of business and Revo, if you mention stasis at all, they like many other suppliers for stasis completely, ignore any type of support.


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[Allowencer]

CA is not the only state where you may run into the same issue. Same thing here in Virginia. Flashing back to stock is not possible, unless I completely lose my tune as I have an original stasis car #130 with the Revo tune. Revo was the supplier of the tunes for stasis engineering at the time. There is no going back as Stasis it out of business and Revo, if you mention stasis at all, they like many other suppliers for stasis completely, ignore any type of support.


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That tune, from what I understand, was a tad more aggressive over stock. You can gain more with a proper tune. None the less, I believe Stasis had to pass e-tests before it could be sold. I could be mistaken though.

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[kngfisher]

The dealership sent my car to get a Dyno once it was done the first time and contacted stasis at the time with their disappointment and revo ended up creating a better more aggressive tune for the 6mt cars and then released the version 2 because of it. The version 2 was a better tune…..either way back then car would pass Va emissions without any issues but a few years back Va and other states now check if the ecu has a tune and just rejects the car even if it produces no more pollution than before. The drive by checker are more forgiving as when a car just drives by it can’t tell if a car has a tune or not unless it is either too old in their view or produces more pollution than allowed. Either way it’s not worth it to be forced back to stock.


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[Allowencer]

The dealership sent my car to get a Dyno once it was done the first time and contacted stasis at the time with their disappointment and revo ended up creating a better more aggressive tune for the 6mt cars and then released the version 2 because of it. The version 2 was a better tune…..either way back then car would pass Va emissions without any issues but a few years back Va and other states now check if the ecu has a tune and just rejects the car even if it produces no more pollution than before. The drive by checker are more forgiving as when a car just drives by it can’t tell if a car has a tune or not unless it is either too old in their view or produces more pollution than allowed. Either way it’s not worth it to be forced back to stock.


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That's ridiculous. So what are they failing like Rouch Mustangs or anything built by Shelby too? What about SLP? That seems ridiculous.

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[kngfisher]

If it came from the factory then it’s not an issue I guess. In ca and other states “If you're running an EO ECU tune, there's no need to worry about this new policy” however most of us don’t have that option.


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