Any Supercharger suppliers/tuners care to share their CARB status?

[BrianK]

Who is working on a CARB solution at the moment?

Where are you in the process?

From what I think I know:

Sector is about to get started.
BWR has been working on it
CharlieX is err.. well, I have no idea
What about Bemani?
Komotech?
Anyone else? Is Tripoint/pro parts still in the game?

Does anyone have at least an approximate ETA?

[Ruchmate]

Why is this of such concern...? I don't think the CHP would notice (I was told by a CHP officer they probably wouldn't notice/check/care), also I don't think your typical smog tech will think its anything other than stock, and I'm pretty sure even with the SC these cars will pass sniffer.

[ChrisH]

All it takes is one tech to realize it isn't stock. I've met some techs who knew about the Elise. Admittedly, most don't, but you can't count on their ignorance. Then you will be removing the supercharger, trying to get your ECU reflashed back to stock, and going to one of the more thorough inspection stations. Then there is all the work to put it back on and get the ECU relfashed again. And, there is the risk that you can't get the ECU reflashed to the supercharger program 10 years from now (PES or S111 out of business or simply make a business decision to not support it, Charlie hit by a bus or not caring to keep a reflash system working for an old car, etc.). I do plan on keeping my Elise a very long time. Some of us would rather risk having to go through all that. We want CARB legal.

[SIIK2NR]

It's not hard to pass smog in CA. You have to know the right people. Ask around on the local forums, go to the meets and you'll get the hookups. CARB is nice....but sometimes it's just not an option.

[Walnuts]

CARB is sorta important to me too, because MD is adopting CA emission standards (after the states get emissions waivers from the EPA again) which, to me, indicates the CARB legal items will not be an issue at MD emissions stations (state run). when i am ready to spend the money (not for quite a while yet i'm afraid), i want an end-all-be-all solution that once its on and running great, I don't have to worry about getting tagged during emissions or a traffic stop. i think a lot of other states are going to be adopting CA standards so lots of people are soon going to feel "the pain".

[Hayseed]

It's not hard to pass smog in CA. You have to know the right people.

I think you mean the WRONG people.

Some of us owners are only interested in utilizing legally recognized methods to modify our cars. I played the CA emissions-testing-avoidance-game all through the 80's and 90's, and now I just dont have the time, or the desire to develop a business relatationship with someone who is breaking the law. I must be getting too old.

My semi-informed understanding of the certification status is as follows: I think that S111 just had to restart the clock on their process due to a change in source for the ECU refleash, so barring a miracle, they're six months out. I'm not sure where BWR is in the process, but they may be ahead of S111 now. (I haven't followed the BWR thread too closely 'cause I was counting on S111 coming through sooner, but now with the S111 delay, I will be watching BWR closer) I don't think Bemani or the others even considered it. Please let me know if I'm wrong on any of this, I'm as interested as the rest of you, but don't have the time to sift through all the ET/LT threads.

Patiently waiting for the first CARB certified SC kit available.

MS

[PhoneBoy]

Screw CARB. How about just having an available kit for an '06/07?

[lbonham]

Originally Posted by Hayseed

Some of us owners are only interested in utilizing legally recognized methods to modify our cars. I played the CA emissions-testing-avoidance-game all through the 80's and 90's, and now I just dont have the time, or the desire to develop a business relatationship with someone who is breaking the law. I must be getting too old.
Patiently waiting for the first CARB certified SC kit available.

What he said...

[BrianK]

Not to sound like a broken record, but I'm not on the forums every day & a quick search for "CARB" brought up no new news.

Is anyone getting close re: CARB?

Summer is coming, and the heat seems to be what's killing my no-learn tune (bottoming out A/F on accel which completely bogs down the motor - it's much worse after heat soak which happens more quickly when the ambient temp is high). I'm in need of a new tune & willing to pay for something that will get me a CARB sticker. I'm not afraid to buy new hardware if need be (currently running the tri-point system which is as close as makes no difference to the Katana - minus Charlie's magic).

sooo... anyone?

[andrewgotanelise]

Originally Posted by PhoneBoy

Screw CARB. How about just having an available kit for an '06/07?

bwr and s111 both offer it now...

[ChrisH]

Originally Posted by andrewgotanelise

bwr and s111 both offer it now...

No, they don't. They are pursuing CARB approval. They don't have it yet, and with CARB approval, you should take the attitude of "don't believe it until you see it". Just look at the big setback S111 has had.

I am waiting for a kit that actually has CARB approval.

[andrewgotanelise]

Originally Posted by ChrisH

No, they don't. They are pursuing CARB approval. They don't have it yet, and with CARB approval, you should take the attitude of "don't believe it until you see it". Just look at the big setback S111 has had.

I am waiting for a kit that actually has CARB approval.

i was referring to the 06 + kits

[Westrock]

Actually with the Exige, most poeple are suprised when I tell them mine isn't supercharged. So I think an Exige would pass no problem with a visual test....just ground down the greddy part or have a metal decorative plate made to go over it....some like the "Designed By Group Lotus"

[Bavarian Motorist]

Originally Posted by Westrock

Actually with the Exige, most poeple are suprised when I tell them mine isn't supercharged. So I think an Exige would pass no problem with a visual test....just ground down the greddy part or have a metal decorative plate made to go over it....some like the "Designed By Group Lotus"

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Then just remove it after inspection


Seems like a really silly problem that people are requiring such a complex solution for.

[BrianK]

Originally Posted by Bavarian Motorist

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Then just remove it after inspection


Seems like a really silly problem that people are requiring such a complex solution for.

don't know if you're joking or not, but it only takes one smog inspection guy (or police officer having a bad day) noticing something's a miss to really ruin your day.

I do have a cover over the SC, but... as someone who's failed a visual inspection (on another car) and has had to go through the referee process, I can tell you it's something I'd rather not do again. It's not that it's difficult, per se, but it's a pain, it's time consuming, and it's costly.

[ChrisH]

I am getting the feeling that none of the vendors is seriously pursuing CARB anymore, no matter what their product pages say. There has been no recent news on this, and the last real datapoint was Sector111 going a different route to get CARB approval rather than working with CharlieX as they were before, with only some vague talk about Charlie might supply some software to their new tuner. That certainly didn't sound like a new tuner simply setting the tune parameters in Charlie's software (which seemed to me to be something sensible to do), but something else entirely. It took years, and a whole lot of testing, for Charlie to get his software package to the point it is today. Was there something fundamental in Charlie's modifications that would prevent CARB approval?

This is all very dissapointing. I want an affordable, quality, won't-destroy-my-engine CARB approved SC kit. I even convinced my wife already. I have the money reserved. Sigh

[Cali]

Is the Lotus supercharger going to be available soon? Maybe wait for that one...

[Overlander23]

Fred has always said that the '06 kits were the stepping stone for BWR's CARB approval because it would essentially grandfather in the '05s. Why go through the process twice if you don't have to. Now that the '06 kit has been released (very recently) hopefully CARB approval is not far away.

I think CharlieX contributed to a thread in which he went into a little more detail regarding what CARB approval was all about. It was quite complex... And contrary to popular belief, it doesn't just involve the visual or emissions. If the ECU has been modified, they'll know... Ahh here's the link

http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/show...7&postcount=13

j

[ChrisH]

Originally Posted by Overlander23

Fred has always said that the '06 kits were the stepping stone for BWR's CARB approval because it would essentially grandfather in the '05s. Why go through the process twice if you don't have to. Now that the '06 kit has been released (very recently) hopefully CARB approval is not far away.
...

The '05 kits can't be simply grandfathered in. It is a completely different ECU, and uses a throttle cable rather than throttle by wire.

[Overlander23]

Fair enough, my mistake. But this is what has been said regarding WR and CARB...

http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/show...1&postcount=20

j

Originally Posted by ChrisH

The '05 kits can't be simply grandfathered in. It is a completely different ECU, and uses a throttle cable rather than throttle by wire.