new to MA - emissions fail + indy (or not) service repair (mechanic) options

[tantheman]

Hi all: Just moved from CT to MA and looking to get situated...( a big thank you to ttboost and jimmy for making feel welcome in CT!)

- failed mandatory emission test yesterday as I transferred to MA plates - I have GIAC software but it is in stock setting via the hand-held flashloader. Although I got only one failed test (mechanic said normally one failure is allowed) the state now wants to inspect the car. The inspector said it could be three options a. gray market car (it is not) b. euro software (says sometimes European made cars made for US gets the wrong sofware (low possibility) c. car is tuned (yes, but it is in stock mode - inherited the GIAC from previous owner; all cats are in place, but no resonators and mufflers though:). Car passed all past four CT inspections with flying colors...?

Should I be concerned about this upcoming inspection? Any suggestions?

- what shop do you recommend for the RS6? I am in the Needham/Natick area?

- happy to gtg with fellow RS6ers any time...please let me know.

Great forum! Thank you in advance..

[lswing]

What caused the fail? Scan the car with VCDS, any CEL recently? Was it a tailpipe sniffer and maybe you're running rich?

[tantheman]

What caused the fail? Scan the car with VCDS, any CEL recently? Was it a tailpipe sniffer and maybe you're running rich?

the report says "emissions: failed". do not have a VCCDS (I know I should have one) and yes there was a CEL recently that we erased and it had not come back since last week. Not sure about what test run.

[lswing]

the report says "emissions: failed". do not have a VCCDS (I know I should have one) and yes there was a CEL recently that we erased and it had not come back since last week. Not sure about what test run.

There's one problem, you need to drive 200-300 miles for the ECU to reset after clearing faults. You really need to know what threw the CEL. So scan with VCDS. Fix the issue and then drive a while and you should be good. You can't clear the CEL without fixing the issue basically, if you want to pass.

[tantheman]

There's one problem, you need to drive 200-300 miles for the ECU to reset after clearing faults. You really need to know what threw the CEL. So scan with VCDS. Fix the issue and then drive a while and you should be good. You can't clear the CEL without fixing the issue basically, if you want to pass.

I completely agree... I am hoping to put the inspection behind me as quickly as possible and then attend to the CEL in case if it comes back. The car feels strong so I would like assume the CEL will not come back.

[EINHORN]

Hi all: Just moved from CT to MA and looking to get situated...( a big thank you to ttboost and jimmy for making feel welcome in CT!)

- failed mandatory emission test yesterday as I transferred to MA plates - I have GIAC software but it is in stock setting via the hand-held flashloader. Although I got only one failed test (mechanic said normally one failure is allowed) the state now wants to inspect the car. The inspector said it could be three options a. gray market car (it is not) b. euro software (says sometimes European made cars made for US gets the wrong sofware (low possibility) c. car is tuned (yes, but it is in stock mode - inherited the GIAC from previous owner; all cats are in place, but no resonators and mufflers though:). Car passed all past four CT inspections with flying colors...?

Should I be concerned about this upcoming inspection? Any suggestions?

- what shop do you recommend for the RS6? I am in the Needham/Natick area?

- happy to gtg with fellow RS6ers any time...please let me know.

Great forum! Thank you in advance..

I have vsds you could use if close to me. Also there is a guy on here who had some issues with his 6 sp conversion with mass inspection that should be enlightening

[tantheman]

I have vsds you could use if close to me. Also there is a guy on here who had some issues with his 6 sp conversion with mass inspection that should be enlightening

Thank you much for your kind offer. You have pm

[SteveKen]

I've had some past experience with the GIAC tune and know for sure that it turns off the CEL (even on the stock tune) where the stock ecu code would have a CEL.

I'm guessing that if you were to swap in a stock ECU, you would have a CEL or some readiness issue.

You might have an item staying "not supported" where it would normally say "failed" and the the state's requirement is that anything other than "passed" in that particular item is a no-go.

[tantheman]

Here is where we are..the state inspector says that my car has a "European tune" and will not allow the car the pass. In other words, the car does not have the factory spec flash on it. I talked the GIAC (since it was tuned by them with previous owner) and they said this has started to become an issue with MA. They (or dealer) needs to put in factory flash before it can pass emissions....Wanted to keep everyone posted and those that will come after me informed.....

[urs6ville]

Here is where we are..the state inspector says that my car has a "European tune" and will not allow the car the pass. In other words, the car does not have the factory spec flash on it. I talked the GIAC (since it was tuned by them with previous owner) and they said this has started to become an issue with MA. They (or dealer) needs to put in factory flash before it can pass emissions....Wanted to keep everyone posted and those that will come after me informed.....

Yea, MA has been tricky as of late. I have VCDS as well. Mine will not pass emissions either, even though it passed last year in NYS. Would be interesting to know what the ready monitors say that is causing the issue. Happy to meet up and check it.

[ttboost]

Good luck Tanner!!! And you're supposed to move South...not North!!!!

[tantheman]

Yea, MA has been tricky as of late. I have VCDS as well. Mine will not pass emissions either, even though it passed last year in NYS. Would be interesting to know what the ready monitors say that is causing the issue. Happy to meet up and check it.

I had evac system "not ready" (I assume the I did not complete a decent drive cycle after the CEL code was cancelled) which I was told was not the issue (one "not ready" is acceptable but two of them are not); but got "fail" for the emission test. I am convinced that any flash that is not factory (including the "stock map" of any aftermarket tuner, unless it is an exact match to factory emissions) causes "fail" for emissions.

Will be happy to meet up and see what your vcds says. Will send pm.

[tantheman]

Good luck Tanner!!! And you're supposed to move South...not North!!!!

Ha ha! Now that explains why CEL came on (for heading in the wrong direction...:-) You take care Mike!

[nubcake]

Could be they've built a database of acceptable software versions as reported by the ECU and are rejecting based on that. Most of the aftermarket tuning is done based on 366304 version, which indeed initially is european.
Could surely be "deeper" than that, but this is an obvious giveaway.

[Urbo]

You can hit up your local GIAC dealer and have them flash it back to stock (and flash back after passing)(if that is the issue). I did it under similar conditions and they charged me an hour each.

[tantheman]

You can hit up your local GIAC dealer and have them flash it back to stock (and flash back after passing)(if that is the issue). I did it under similar conditions and they charged me an hour each.

Already have an appointment for next week to do just that. I hope that will take care of it.

[urs6ville]

Already have an appointment for next week to do just that. I hope that will take care of it.


sorry, missed your email. Will be around Friday of this week (9/2) if you haven't already had the coding swapped. If you did, interested to hear how it went.

[tantheman]

sorry, missed your email. Will be around Friday of this week (9/2) if you haven't already had the coding swapped. If you did, interested to hear how it went.

No problem..still awaiting a call from GIAC dealer to schedule the factory flash. If not done by Friday, I will be happy to meet up to codes on the car..Will keep you posted. Thank you for your support.

[Jimmy]

Good luck in MASS Tanner !!

....I have free passes to this weekends Lime Rock Park Sunday Show btw..... lol. Glad you still have your car !!

[tantheman]

Good luck in MASS Tanner !!

....I have free passes to this weekends Lime Rock Park Sunday Show btw..... lol. Glad you still have your car !!

Thank you Jim! Glad to hear from you. I would have taken you up on your kind offer if I was closer..:( Let me know if you are ever in my new neighborhood..

[Jimmy]

I have plenty of buds in MA (I'm from there actually) with aftermarket tunes and they pass emissions up there.

The SAI system and EGTs will commonly throw the CEL...those were my gremlins on my RS6 with about the same miles as yours. Your 02 sensors good? You don't need to drive 2-300 miles though after clearing codes...just until the readiness codes go green which is like 20-50 miles in many cases. You need the VCDS if you own an Audi, and you already know that !

Anywho, just talking out loud here. I'm sure you will get it thru Tanner.

My son always plays in the Needham Soccer Tourney every summer...let's hook up next year if you are still there....you can take the Black Series for a rip and contemplate jumping ship to a much simpler car that is all motor with the same HP. :hahahehe:

[tantheman]

I have plenty of buds in MA (I'm from there actually) with aftermarket tunes and they pass emissions up there.

The SAI system and EGTs will commonly throw the CEL...those were my gremlins on my RS6 with about the same miles as yours. Your 02 sensors good? You don't need to drive 2-300 miles though after clearing codes...just until the readiness codes go green which is like 20-50 miles in many cases. You need the VCDS if you own an Audi, and you already know that !

Anywho, just talking out loud here. I'm sure you will get it thru Tanner.

My son always plays in the Needham Soccer Tourney every summer...let's hook up next year if you are still there....you can take the Black Series for a rip and contemplate jumping ship to a much simpler car that is all motor with the same HP. :hahahehe:

Jim - Sounds like a plan! I am getting my son into soccer this year so that could work. Regardless, I can always be interested anything black series ( I assume it is clk63 but I might be wrong..)

Do you (or your friends) know of a great mechanic in the framingham-newton area (or beyond) area that I can rely on and does not charge too much?

Thank you much!