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California smog "issues"

G

GoBig06

NAXJA Forum User
Location
SF Bay Area California
Well I recently had to smog check my Cherokee and everything passed! But then the tech failed it for visual inspection... He said it was missing a cat and my current cat needed the O2 sensor going inside of the the cat not behind the cat... But my Cherokee is all stock and replaced with all OEM parts and has passed emissions the last 2 times with the same exact setup. How do I go about proving that my Cherokee is stock and the exhaust system is how its supposed to be. I showed the tech exhaust system diagram but he wouldn't budge... If I bring in a repair manual with a more detailed diagram would that be enough to prove my jeep is how its supposed to be? He's reading out of some book that says I has stuff listed for a Cherokee that doesn't exist. I'm not sure if he was reading from the diesel engine section or something?
 
What year XJ?
 
1999. It's got the old style head along with the old caps and rotors. I know they switched some stuff up on the late 99s to match the 00 models but it looks like mine has all the old stuff from what I can tell.
 
#S194 said:
If it is stock, have no modifications, and have not had issues with your setup in the past, I'd go to another smog inspection station.
Click to expand...

THIS

Sounds like the tech isn't getting any at home and wants to take it out on you, or your past 2 techs turned a blind eye and you actually are not in compliance.
Now how you shake it you still get screwed.
 
I believe the referees also exist just for this very reason. And they might be able to put in some meaningful feedback about your deadbeat tech if that is the case.
 
Your 99 should have an O2 sensor at the rear of the catalytic converter, if it doesn't, most likely the cat was replaced with a non-compliant cat and the O2 sensor was removed.
Every 97+ XJ that I have looked at has had downstream O2 sensors, it's required for a OBDII system.
Have you confirmed it has or doesn't have the downstream O2 sensor, at the rear of the cat?
 
The missing cat that the techie may be referring to is the small "football" looking thing that should be welded onto the exhaust crossover pipe, near to the transmission
bellhousing. At least, that's how it is on my '98 XJ. If that's gone, then you will need
to replace it.

The other OEM cat (passenger side) on OBD II cars had the downstream O2 sensor
screwed directly into the body (near to the rear) of the catalytic converter. I believe
that those cats are no longer available from MOPAR (but I could be wrong on this).

Some aftermarket replacement cats have the downstream O2 sensor bung welded onto the downstream exhaust pipe connector nipple.

There are aftermarket cats that have the O2 sensor mounted on the body of the cat,
just like the OEM part, but I’ve found them to be very difficult to find, even when contacting the manufacturers directly. Like Bigfoot, and UFOs - I've never seen one
in person, as I've found them only as photos (listed in parts catalogs, no longer
available).
 
I ran into one of these once. The exact same guy inspected my truck (2001 Ram 3/4 ton diesel) the year before. Went back and he said he could not inspect it this year because there was no cat on it. Never came with one and he wouldn't take that for an answer even though I told him he inspected it the same way last year. Some people are just...you know.
 
Update: So I went to another smog tech and he showed me his book which had the right specifications for my XJ. I took a picture of the page and showed the other technician and he let my jeep pass then. I don't have the book name or ISBN that he was using but there is a California smog book out there with an incorrect setup for XJ's. Just be aware about this fellow Cali XJ owners!!
 
GoBig06 said:
Update: So I went to another smog tech and he showed me his book which had the right specifications for my XJ. I took a picture of the page and showed the other technician and he let my jeep pass then. I don't have the book name or ISBN that he was using but there is a California smog book out there with an incorrect setup for XJ's. Just be aware about this fellow Cali XJ owners!!
Click to expand...

CA emissions Cherokees have the little mini cat, while Fed emissions cherokees don't. Maybe the tech thought you had a CA emissions cherokee?
 
sidewaysstarion said:
CA emissions Cherokees have the little mini cat, while Fed emissions cherokees don't. Maybe the tech thought you had a CA emissions cherokee?
Click to expand...

The 2000-2001 California emissions confuses some techs with the three catalytic converters. First they can't find the O2 sensor for the rear cat and then, after telling the guy there are two mini-catalytic converters connected to the exhaust header, he looks under the engine and see this.

25365510877_af98c441bd.jpg


Four of the sensors are for the two mini-cats and the other two are wide-range O2 sensors, connected to the air-fuel ratio gauge.
A small fortune in O2 sensors.
 
Heavyopp said:
WTF are we looking at -- 6 O2 sensors? What vehicle is this?
Click to expand...

It's a 2001 with the two mini-cats, each has an upstream and downstream O2 sensor. The other two O2 sensors are for the wide-band fuel-air meter, used for tuning the stroker .
Adding two bungs to the Banks header was interesting.

39870552892_87b3b84b52.jpg
 
lazyxj said:
It's a 2001 with the two mini-cats, each has an upstream and downstream O2 sensor. The other two O2 sensors are for the wide-band fuel-air meter, used for tuning the stroker .
Adding two bungs to the Banks header was interesting.
Click to expand...

Gotcha -- I have a cali emmision 200 with the mini cats -- I know I don't have 6 o2 sensors -- I see now that you added the extra set
 
lazyxj said:
The 2000-2001 California emissions confuses some techs with the three catalytic converters. First they can't find the O2 sensor for the rear cat and then, after telling the guy there are two mini-catalytic converters connected to the exhaust header, he looks under the engine and see this.


Four of the sensors are for the two mini-cats and the other two are wide-range O2 sensors, connected to the air-fuel ratio gauge.
A small fortune in O2 sensors.
Click to expand...

I was talking about this guy, since the OP has a 99

12128d1354154695-exhaust-down-pipe-dent-99-jeep-pre-cat.jpg
 
Yep. That's the "football" looking thing on the crossover pipe that I referred to earlier.
Many owners do no know what it is. As there is little info about it in the service
manuals some owners simply delete it when the exhaust system is being replaced
believing that it is some sort of expansion joint or resonator. Deleting it is a bad
move in California. It is a pre-cat, and a smog tech will ding you for not having it.
 
Dragonslayer said:
Yep. That's the "football" looking thing on the crossover pipe that I referred to earlier.
Many owners do no know what it is. As there is little info about it in the service
manuals some owners simply delete it when the exhaust system is being replaced
believing that it is some sort of expansion joint or resonator. Deleting it is a bad
move in California. It is a pre-cat, and a smog tech will ding you for not having it.
Click to expand...

But that little pre-cat only exists on CA emissions jeeps. I have a 99 Fed emissions jeep and my downpipe lacks that little cat.
 
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