I just got the title, sticker, paperwork to my new '89 IROC-Z. Being a California car, it has RPO YF5 California Emissions Requirements for $100.

What's the difference from 49 state cars?

 

I'm not sure what the difference is. I thought that the LG4 and L69 California cars had different PROM's compared to the LB9 & L98 cars. I'm not sure if TPI cars got a specific tune for smog in CA.

 

My '92 has it as well, always wondered the same thing!

 

I don't know for sure, but...

At best, it probably means a testing or certification fee for CARB with your car being no different from a 49-state car. It may have even been a "regulatory" tax type deal - the cost of selling a smog-producing product.

At worst, it probably means minor hardware and software differences that positively impact emissions performance while negatively impacting vehicle performance so as to comply with CARB.

For the worst case, it's probably differences in software.

This is still a complicated topic today. Here's a 2014 GM memo taking about different emissions code for fleet sales:

http://www.gmfleet.com/content/dam/g...s-bulletin.pdf

Here's a CTS-V forum discussion about how California V's might be slower. No real evidence, just talk:

http://www.cadillacforums.com/forums...lower-yf5.html

 

I bet you're right. It's probably an additional certification fee and is mechanically identical to all the other 49 state cars.

 

A number of years ago, I asked a friend of mine who at the time worked for a catalytic converter manufacturer this exact question, and he said the California converters have more precious metals in them then the 49 version. Platinum or whatever.

 

I almost replied to this immediately after it was posted, but I didn't want the first reply to be disgruntled sarcasm, so I waited to see what other people might say about it. But, yes... SCAM.

I brought my Formula into CA in 1989, and, according to my local Pontiac dealer, it supposedly would not pass a smog test, though I didn't get to see any proof that it had failed. So it cost me $300 for them to make it "California Legal," yet I couldn't see that they had changed anything. Then it cost me additional huge $$$ to register it.

Since making it "legal," through 2003, the car never failed a smog test, always passing easily. Then in 2004, I installed a new exhaust system, a new cat and a new PROM. But when I opened up my ECM to change the PROM, guess what I found... it still had its original Federal PROM. So all of those years, it was passing its smog tests with its original Federal programming, just as I suspected. And since 2005, with its new exhaust, cat and PROM, it's been passing flawlessly. So, obviously, ECM programming had nothing to do with CA emissions, nor did anything else. So let's call it what it is... S C A M.

This smog/registration scam was eventually brought to light around the turn of the year 2000, and people were supposed to get their money back. Right. I've yet to see anything, and I never will.

CARB should be eradicated. The organization is completely crooked. "CA Legal" is merely a financial scam for funding CARB's political existence. And the new laws regarding CA catalytic converters is further proof that CARB has nothing left to do except to continue trying to come up with new ways to fund itself. An extreme overhaul is necessary in Sacramento, especially regarding auto regulations. And if I'm elected...

Government is supposed to be "for the people." But the people would not knowingly vote for this kind of stuff. Scam + Cover-up = CARB. They should all go to jail. The industry is cleaner than CARB ever imagined it could be, and input from Lame Duck organizations like CARB is no longer necessary. We could deport them to Germany to serve-out their sentences, where I hear its industry could use some schooling in the art of the scam.

 

I brought a car that was 49-state certified (Washington) into CA back in 2000.

I brought it to an inspection station (it passed the enhanced - dyno/sniff test) and filled out the title change and registration paperwork.

The DMV told me that they would have to look at the car before giving me a title, registration and license plates. All they did was look at the paperwork for completeness and at the VIN on the car and I was good to go.

So yes, it is a scam in that it's all a game in order to be eligible for Federal money that they then squander.