Illinois Emissions Question

^^^^Dealing with the same sitch except I failed and its past due. Go me. Contacted apr about the non test pipe file and will def be looking into getting that spacer. Let me know how it goes dude.

g60_corrado_91 said:

Every 4 years. License stickers are every year though. This state blows.

What part of Chicago are you moving to? Did you not end up selling the GTI? Cody was telling me you were trying to sell it and I saw the thread.

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Yeah, ended up keeping my car because I didnt get any legit offers. Moving to Ukrainian Village/Wicker Park area. I also realized this weekend I am going to have to raise my coilovers big time.

Would it be a bad idea to keep it registered in Dayton(my sister will still live here)?

EDIT: Also while ive got all you Chitown guys here. I have my windows tinted 20% all around except windshield. Its illegal here in Ohio but in 2 years I have never caught flack from an officer. Will cops in Chicago pull you over for tints very often?

No. I dont have tints but my buddy has 30% and hes never gotten any flack that I know of. So you should be good.

GTIfox101 said:

^^^^Dealing with the same sitch except I failed and its past due. Go me. Contacted apr about the non test pipe file and will def be looking into getting that spacer. Let me know how it goes dude.

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Does your readiness pass? If it fails, that could be the issue, even if you don't have a CEL.

TSiUG said:

Yeah, ended up keeping my car because I didnt get any legit offers. Moving to Ukrainian Village/Wicker Park area. I also realized this weekend I am going to have to raise my coilovers big time.

Would it be a bad idea to keep it registered in Dayton(my sister will still live here)?

EDIT: Also while ive got all you Chitown guys here. I have my windows tinted 20% all around except windshield. Its illegal here in Ohio but in 2 years I have never caught flack from an officer. Will cops in Chicago pull you over for tints very often?

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The only time that'll be an issue is when you get pulled over. Then you have to lie that you live there and are visiting. And if the same cop pulls you over 6 months later when you said you were visiting...they'll get suspicious real quick. Then it's a fix it ticket.

Within the same state is one thing, but two states over? Risky IMO.

And yeah, you'll probably get screwed with the tint by meter maids if you park on the street. Cops driving in the city won't care too much as mine are the same % as yours (with limo on the hatch). It's the parking meter maids that nail people for no front plate and tint on the front windows. Chicago itself still follows the old rule where you can have limo on the back windows, but nothing up front.

The suburbs of Chicago have different rules, but they tend to have nothing better to do than give you equipment violations. I should know. That's 99.5% of what my tickets were. Tint, no front plate, and a couple of loud exhaust ones.

How low are you right now? My car does fine in Chicago at 24.5" FTG (super sport springs) with a Votex lip. Even 23.75 or 24" would probably be fine, IF you're not following your friends and racing around like a maniac.

Meter maids will give you tint tickets!!!!!!! WTF!!!! That is shitty as hell. So in Chicago you cant have any tint on the front windows at all??? If thats the case I will just go fishbowl style. That blows. Also if I decide to get my drivers license in Illinois and plates soon after moving do you know how long it will be before I have to get an emissions check done?

I have 35% tints. Never got any crap for them.

It may be that you have to get an emissions check done as part of the registration process. Ive never done it so I dont know. If not, Im assuming itll be the normal 2 year interval.

Where exactly in Chicago are you moving? The CPD in certain areas will ticket you for tints and other minute things if you happen to get pulled over. If youre in the northern suburbs (other than Morton Grove and Niles) you should be okay.

Driving low is sometimes a hassle. Im at roughly 24-24.5 ftg and I have a tough time with some higher than normal speed bumps, curbed driveways, and large dips in the road, but you get used to it quickly.

Dont sweat it too much. Youll likely have a similar experience here if you were in a remotely metropolitan area in Ohio.

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Exactly. Chicago cops won't hassle you for tint alone and hell, they don't even really look for speeders either, unless you're driving totally reckless. It's if you do get pulled over, they can add all that stuff up. With that said, that's more common in the suburbs.

There are some areas that are notorious. Sheriffs tend to be looking for any equipment violation, Elk Grove Village, Niles, Morton Grove (going off what HereticByDefault said), etc.

I never like parking on the streets of Chicago though. That's where you can get a hefty ticket for having any tint on the front windows. If it's a private area i.e. a parking lot, they can't do anything. But, I don't like parking and leaving my car in Chicago for other reasons too. Hit and runs, etc. Since I'm from the suburbs, I'll either ride with someone else or take the train if I'm planning on staying in Chicago overnight. Or, park in a private parking lot (hotel parking).

Well this all sounds shitty compared to driving in Dayton Ohio, and I will be street parking in wicker park/Ukrainian village. Guess ill go fishbowl if u truly cannot have ANY tint on the front windows. And that also sucks if i want to get my car registered in Illinois i will have to eother throw the stock downpipe on temporarily or get spacers installed.

Many VW get togethers in or near Chicago?

TSiUG said:

Well this all sounds shitty compared to driving in Dayton Ohio, and I will be street parking in wicker park/Ukrainian village. Guess ill go fishbowl if u truly cannot have ANY tint on the front windows. And that also sucks if i want to get my car registered in Illinois i will have to eother throw the stock downpipe on temporarily or get spacers installed.

Many VW get togethers in or near Chicago?

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There's a Tuesday meet in Schaumburg every week. I don't go to it anymore though really. And Schaumburg is far enough in Chicago traffic.

You'd probably pass with a spacer. As long as readiness is okay and no CEL. IL doesn't do a visual.

Passed my emission test today without any problems. Apr K04 non test pipe file, billy boat catted dp with the rai j spacer. Torque cell phone app helped me to make sure all the readiness sensors went from incomplete to passed. Takes a few miles of driving when you switch to the non test pipe file from the regular 93 octane file. Also, you can use vagcom but it's much easier with the cell phone. Not my picture, but the layout is the same.

Dave, why change the map and not just leave it? as far as I know, APR said there is no difference in power between non-test pipe and test pipe, it just enables the sensor/readiness or not, and using the spacer helps pass.

I didn't have to re-flash my ecu for this. I have my ecu flashed as this: stock (non test pipe file), 91, 93 and 100 octane (test pipe files). I remember asking Arin if that was possible when I went K04 and few days later he said the file was ready and in the system. Also, even with the spacer you still might get a cel light most of the time and Ain't Nobody Got Time for That!

dave80 said:

I didn't have to re-flash my ecu for this. I have my ecu flashed as this: stock (non test pipe file), 91, 93 and 100 octane (test pipe files). I remember asking Arin if that was possible when I went K04 and few days later he said the file was ready and in the system. Also, even with the spacer you still might get a cel light most of the time and Ain't Nobody Got Time for That!

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oh i see, my k04 93 file is a non-test pipe file. I've only gotten a CEL a time or two on the track only, never on the street.

Still waiting for arin to send the non test file and also waiting for an 02 spacer, but DD doesnt have them in yet.

So here's a quick account of my adventures in Illinois emissions testing, hopefully it will help others in the same situation.

This summer I installed a 42dd TBE, resonated with high-flow cat. Stage 2 APR tune (testpipe). I foolishly went to get tested with the testpipe file, and failed due to sensors not being ready.

I got re-flashed (at GRD) to the non-testpipe file, and was getting CEL for two codes - P2196,P0137. These are for sensor 1 - sensor signal stuck rich. And, sensor 2 - Sensor circuit low voltage.

I installed some off-brand o2 sensor spacer, and drove around for a while and got a CEL in under 50 miles, same codes. 42dd o2 sensor spacers were on backorder, so I'm like well fuck - now what. I waited and finally got one, and when I went to install it, noticed I had a MASSIVE exhaust leak post-cat/pre-sensor. When I fixed this and installed the 42dd spacer, I passed the test, no CEL after 50 miles, and the car is driving better than ever, including gas mileage.

I can't say whether or not the 42dd spacer is the miracle cure, as I did fix that huge leak at the same time, but I passed regardless. I should note that after you clear your codes, you should drive around for 40-50 miles to make sure the sensors go back to 'ready' state. They are not ready immediately after clearing codes, so you'd fail the test if you just clear the codes and get tested right away.

Hopefully having all this info in one place will be helpful for someone, I know I found it to be a pretty stressful experience.

TL;DR version - 42dd high-flow cat TBE, 42dd o2 sensor spacer, stage 2 (APR) non-testpipe file = PASS.