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GTA Guys with Tunes, How are you doing with Passing Ontario Emissions Test

MLue1

Drag Racing Champion
Just did my 1st Emissions Test on my Golf a month ago and think about getting a tune done. Just wondering how other GTA Guys with Tunes, 2010 models to be exact are fairing with passing the Ontario Emissions Test.

With the test being primarily ODB, as long as we're not having a CEL or P0 code we should be OK, no?

Thoughts !
 
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Blakcard

Autocross Newbie
yep. once your check engine light is on it is an auto fail. Dont even bother to go.
As of April 1st tests are now free in Ontario too btw.... still gotta pay the stupid carbon tax with gas though....smh
 

michel

Ready to race!
I did mine in January, passed with flying colours. I'm APR stage 1 with an intake, no CEL obviously. If you have a CEL you'll fail as the above mentioned, stock or tuned doesn't matter.
 

ferrariF601

Ready to race!
i'm about to go as soon as i'm pulling my car out from storage. i too am apr stage 1 with intake

i think it should pass with no issues as i have NO CEL
 

panda_man22

Go Kart Champion
don't you need the non testpipe file from apr to be able to pass the e test?
I thought without the non testpipe file your car would show 2 sensor "not ready" and an automatic fail would be the outcome
 

MLue1

Drag Racing Champion
My OBD Tool (Innova 3100) has the Red, Yellow and Green lights, if it shows Green the car should Pass. If you have a Tune, going for emissions soon and want to scan for Readyness, let me know and I can use it to scan your car to see if it is ready.

As well, if your car is running well and want to make a backup file of your ECU, I can also help with that as well.
 

ferrariF601

Ready to race!
i'm apr stage 1 and when i did emissions back in april it passed with no issues.
i have the apr multi program tune (STOCK,91, 93, 100) and did not even bother to switch it back to stock and passed with flying colours.
 

Blakcard

Autocross Newbie
No need to switch to any file... they hook it up .. they don't bother with a visual..it's all about the check engine light.... and far as I know 2011+ don't even need a test this year in Ontario
 

MLue1

Drag Racing Champion
No need to switch to any file... they hook it up .. they don't bother with a visual..it's all about the check engine light.... and far as I know 2011+ don't even need a test this year in Ontario
+1 It's all about the check engine light but depending "what it is" you are allowed to have 1 element of the system "not ready". I've been self tuning, playing with different parameters of the ECU, limiters, timing, Injection quantity, etc. and my 2010 Golf 2.5 passed no problem this morning. It would seem that the car can run rich as long as regular maintenance and the sensors aren't sensing something major, the car will pass.

I'm starting to think that the Premier of Ontario did us a "good" when she changed the Emissions process. :clap:
 

TheHIGHLife

Ready to race!
Well, I wish I read this thread before I went for my second test.

For reference I have a 2010 GTI with APR Stage 2 tune, APR CAI, and APR down pipe. I do not have a check engine light on.

I went for my first drive clean test last week and failed on two counts. Catalyst - "Not Ready" and Oxygen Sensor - "Not Ready". The guy at Mr. Lube told me it was either a. because you don't drive enough or b. because you have a tune. So, thinking by some long stretch it may have something to do with me replacing my battery recently and not having driven enough I waited a few days and drove a bunch, and got re-tested today. Failed again, same issues.

So, now I’ve paid once for nothing and I’ll have to pay again before it’s resolved. So I’m a little annoyed to say the least but that’s my own fault for not looking into this beforehand. I figured with no engine light on and my car running fine I would have been good to go. Nope.

I was thinking the solution was to switch to stock mode but seems like that’s not the issue based on ferrariF60’s experience and Blakcard’s comments. Although I am stage 2 with a downpipe... Maybe I need to reflash to stock? Maybe the downpipe is causing the issue...

Any help or thoughts here would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks in advance.
 
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TheHIGHLife

Ready to race!
Sorry for the double post.

I called APR and got some good information.

My car is running on APRs stage 2 version 1.2 tune - test pipe file. The stage two tune prevents the check engine light from coming on so that's causing issues for the Drive Clean test. APRs suggestion is to move to the stage 2 version 1.2 - non-test pipe file. The non test pipe file allows you to switch to the actual stock mode where as my current tune version allows to switch to stock mode but it is a simulated stock mode...not the actual stock.

The rep said if I go to my APR dealer and reflash to the non-test pipe file, toggle to stock mode and go get a re-test I MAY pass. If that doesn't work I will have to remove the downpipe...

I will report back once I've re-flashed to the non-test pipe file and re-tested...
 
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MLue1

Drag Racing Champion
Sorry for the double post.

I called APR and got some good information.

My car is running on APRs stage 2 version 1.2 tune - test pipe file. The stage two tune prevents the check engine light from coming on so that's causing issues for the Drive Clean test. APRs suggestion is to move to the stage 2 version 1.2 - non-test pipe file. The non test pipe file allows you to switch to the actual stock mode where as my current tune version allows to switch to stock mode but it is a simulated stock mode...not the actually stock.

The rep said if I go to my APR dealer and reflash to the non-test pipe file, toggle to stock mode and go get a re-test I MAY pass. If that doesn't work I will have to remove the downpipe...

I will report back once I've re-flashed to the non-test pipe file and re-tested...
Very interesting, before you refresh to Non Test Pipe mode, you could put it in the simulated Stock Mode, if you're near Markham swing by and I'll use my OBD scanner to see if you have a Green light to go do the Test. There is a place near me that you can do the Test if you like.
 

panda_man22

Go Kart Champion
^^ this is what I said earlier -- I have 09 with apr stg 2
I have a stock not test pipe file and the rest are 91/93.100 test pipe

I have to switch to "stock mode" drive for 200km of so to get sensors ready and then go for etest
 
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