Massachusetts vehicle inspections what would you do? (Boston, Arlington: insurance, to buy)

[justyouraveragetenant]

ok this is a gamble . i have a vehicle that is from 2008 which means in 2023 I will no longer need a emissions test because the vehicle will be 15 years old. i had to put a new catalytic converter in and it failed from a gas station. the good news its still under warranty but the bad news is that multiple mechanics say after market convertors fail and fail emissions tests on subuaru's because subaru's emissions are very specific.

The mechanic can put a new after market one in and there is a chance it will pass but probably will fail after I get the emissions test but there is a chance I might fail either way. if I fail this year not being able to skip the emissions test next year is not a option because it will flag the state and now I just screwed myself and unless I get a dealership one which costs over 3,000 dollars for my very old car it might never pass again.

if I wait I cant drive my car for 6 months but could get by and play it safe then in January I am all set. there is a chance I could pass if he puts a new one in for a short period of time because some mechanics say as long as the check engine light is not on it will pass. the mechanic said he could get rid of the check engine light but knowing aftermarket in subaru fails so much its risky. if I do pass I don't have to stop driving my car but if I fail I could really screw myself over.

would you wait the six months or take the gamble that maybe the catalytic convertor wont go bad right away and it might be just enough time to get the inspection and pass then I never have to pass a emissions test again on my car.

i assume Massachusetts has strict emissions tests.

driving it around with an expired sticker is an option but there is no telling if the police officer will give me a warning or right me up giving my a surcharge for 6 years.

what a lovely state Massachusetts.

some states don't require a catalytic converter!!

i heard California is the worst. they are the worst at everything.

[bostongymjunkie]

Given the costs of a cat I wouldn't waste the money on a nearly 15 year old car. It's likely it won't pass and the only way you would probably get it right is to have a dealer handle it and that means $$$. If you drive it around and get stopped you will be paying the fine as well as a surcharge on your insurance, but I see you know that. The other thing to remember is if you park your car on the streets of cities like Boston, you are subject to getting parking tickets for an expired inspection sticker. Those can snowball depending on how many times you get ticketed. Lastly, depending on when you registration expires, you may not be able to re-register it if it doesn't pass.

[simplexsimon]

I was in this exact situation in fall of last year…2008 Subaru Outback that would not pass emissions due to a bad cat. I got the same feedback from mechanics. I sold the car.

[r_p]

Originally Posted by justyouraveragetenant

ok this is a gamble . i have a vehicle that is from 2008 which means in 2023 I will no longer need a emissions test because the vehicle will be 15 years old. i had to put a new catalytic converter in and it failed from a gas station. the good news its still under warranty but the bad news is that multiple mechanics say after market convertors fail and fail emissions tests on subuaru's because subaru's emissions are very specific.

The mechanic can put a new after market one in and there is a chance it will pass but probably will fail after I get the emissions test but there is a chance I might fail either way. if I fail this year not being able to skip the emissions test next year is not a option because it will flag the state and now I just screwed myself and unless I get a dealership one which costs over 3,000 dollars for my very old car it might never pass again.

if I wait I cant drive my car for 6 months but could get by and play it safe then in January I am all set. there is a chance I could pass if he puts a new one in for a short period of time because some mechanics say as long as the check engine light is not on it will pass. the mechanic said he could get rid of the check engine light but knowing aftermarket in subaru fails so much its risky. if I do pass I don't have to stop driving my car but if I fail I could really screw myself over.

would you wait the six months or take the gamble that maybe the catalytic convertor wont go bad right away and it might be just enough time to get the inspection and pass then I never have to pass a emissions test again on my car.

i assume Massachusetts has strict emissions tests.

driving it around with an expired sticker is an option but there is no telling if the police officer will give me a warning or right me up giving my a surcharge for 6 years.

what a lovely state Massachusetts.

some states don't require a catalytic converter!!

i heard California is the worst. they are the worst at everything.

What do you mean by fail? The catalytic converter is a solid piece of hardware/metal that can only get physically damaged or clogged/contaminated due to other issues with your engine, e.g., overheating, leaking of coolant into the combustion chamber etc. So you really have to address the root cause of the problem.

As for stickers I see folks driving cars with expired or no stickers all the time.

And I love California. Great weather/scenery, good food, progressive laws and motorcycle friendly

[justyouraveragetenant]

Originally Posted by r_p

What do you mean by fail? The catalytic converter is a solid piece of hardware/metal that can only get physically damaged or clogged/contaminated due to other issues with your engine, e.g., overheating, leaking of coolant into the combustion chamber etc. So you really have to address the root cause of the problem.

As for stickers I see folks driving cars with expired or no stickers all the time.

And I love California. Great weather/scenery, good food, progressive laws and motorcycle friendly

I have talked to numerous mechanics after market catalytic convertors fail. i even talked to the subaru dealership. my check engine light is on. i can drive with the convertor for a long time but I wont pass emissions meaning its not broken per say its just its not cleaning the engine anymore and wont pass emissions.

i heard California has better Mexican food. it does have better weather. it had lockdowns like Massachusetts and its a nanny state.

[justyouraveragetenant]

Originally Posted by simplexsimon

I was in this exact situation in fall of last year…2008 Subaru Outback that would not pass emissions due to a bad cat. I got the same feedback from mechanics. I sold the car.

ya used cars were more affordable to me but 6 months is not a long time to get by without a car. the price of used cars and new ones have skyrocketed.

i can get by with no car for 6 months.

what used to cost 4000 now costs 8000.

I would get more for my used car but then when I want to buy another one it will be even more if the economy gets even worse which I suspect.

[justyouraveragetenant]

Originally Posted by bostongymjunkie

Given the costs of a cat I wouldn't waste the money on a nearly 15 year old car. It's likely it won't pass and the only way you would probably get it right is to have a dealer handle it and that means $$$. If you drive it around and get stopped you will be paying the fine as well as a surcharge on your insurance, but I see you know that. The other thing to remember is if you park your car on the streets of cities like Boston, you are subject to getting parking tickets for an expired inspection sticker. Those can snowball depending on how many times you get ticketed. Lastly, depending on when you registration expires, you may not be able to re-register it if it doesn't pass.

ya I only paid 800 for aftermarket but they fail on the subaru and other cars. they should ban putting aftermarket catalytic convertors on cars by mechanics. i did not ask him to put it in and he did not tell me it was aftermarket.

the reason why the aftermarket is cheaper is because its a much poorer quality.

i don't drive in Boston but the suburbs of Arlington belmont and waltham and maybe the first month I might not get ticketed but I doubt I can go 6 months without getting a ticket and surcharge.

ya 6 months of public transit wont kill me.

[justyouraveragetenant]

ya it could be the aftermarket will fail again but it might be ok just long enough to pass. if I remember correctly it took a month at the most for my check engine light to come on.

[bostongymjunkie]

The problem isn't so much that the after market cat will fail, it's more about will the "check engine" light clear or will it pop a sensor code. If you can't get the light to clear you're screwed. I know a mechanic in VT who told me that Subaru's are known for check engine light issues in later life.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by r_p

What do you mean by fail? The catalytic converter is a solid piece of hardware/metal that can only get physically damaged or clogged/contaminated due to other issues with your engine, e.g., overheating, leaking of coolant into the combustion chamber etc. So you really have to address the root cause of the problem.

As for stickers I see folks driving cars with expired or no stickers all the time.

And I love California. Great weather/scenery, good food, progressive laws and motorcycle friendly

It's a pretty common failure in higher mileage vehicles, but especially if they are poorly maintained (ie. ignoring the check engine light and driving around with a bad O2 sensor) and/or the driver has bad habits of idling too much, etc.. And yes, some makes/models/engines are more known for it that others.