Hello everyone. i just bought my 2006 Ford GT last month.


Mechanical1

GT Owner
May 11, 2020
5
Unfortunately it was delivered with a dead battery. not knowing the consequences i replaced the battery. i have run cat cleaner through it done all of the drive cycle and still get EGR fail and Catalist. it has the muffler delete and an aftermarket throttle body. i bought it at auction and don't know if it has a program in it. trying to pass smog. car was from Canada now in California. any ideas?

thanks
 

GT@50

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Dec 14, 2019
852
Issaquah
What are the codes?
 

nota4re

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Feb 15, 2006
4,176
Welcome Mechanical1 and congratulations on your purchase. The Ford GTs are NOT problematic to get smogged. The catalytic converters are HUGE and very effective. We've dealt with other performance cars and getting them to pass smog is sometimes a real headache... but the GT should not be problematic.

We need a little more information from you in order to help. One of two things is happening;

1) The EGR and/or cataylst MONITOR is not set. This means that the ECU has not yet seen the conditions needed in order to run these tests. These monitors are reset when you change the battery. If one or both of these monitors are not set, then you will not pass a smog test.

2) When the internal test DOES run, the monitor "sets" - and your car is either happy (the internal test passed) or the test failed and you will get a check engine light (CEL) with a corresponding code.

Let us know which of these conditions has occurred for you.
 

Mechanical1

GT Owner
May 11, 2020
5
Welcome Mechanical1 and congratulations on your purchase. The Ford GTs are NOT problematic to get smogged. The catalytic converters are HUGE and very effective. We've dealt with other performance cars and getting them to pass smog is sometimes a real headache... but the GT should not be problematic.

We need a little more information from you in order to help. One of two things is happening;

1) The EGR and/or cataylst MONITOR is not set. This means that the ECU has not yet seen the conditions needed in order to run these tests. These monitors are reset when you change the battery. If one or both of these monitors are not set, then you will not pass a smog test.

2) When the internal test DOES run, the monitor "sets" - and your car is either happy (the internal test passed) or the test failed and you will get a check engine light (CEL) with a corresponding code.

Let us know which of these conditions has occurred for you.
there is no check engine light. i have a ode reader that is showing EGR fail and Cat fail. i have run the drive test (hard to do) 25-30-35-40-45 stop and go and egr is 0-45 hard and stop 3 times still wont reset
 

twobjshelbys

GT Owner
Jul 26, 2010
6,053
Las Vegas, NV
Do you have a custom tune? Tunes can disable (and prevent from running) EGR and Catalyst. (Mine did and I eventually reverted to factory tune.)

Do you have the Accufab dual-blade throttle body? That was the one I had and I had to return to the factory TB to get EGR to run. I believe the Accufab somehow affected the air flow over the venturi to the EGR.

If you don't have a custom tune I can tell you the catalyst is a difficult one to get cleared. EGR is easy though. Have you followed the detailed instructions in the Drive Cycle document here:


Having gotten most of them, follow the instructions for the specific tests that have failed. It can be challenging to find a section of road or highway to do the specific test. One of them says to accelerate and decelerate over some relatively short distances. The cops were curious about what I was doing :)
 

Mechanical1

GT Owner
May 11, 2020
5
Do you have a custom tune? Tunes can disable (and prevent from running) EGR and Catalyst. (Mine did and I eventually reverted to factory tune.)

If you don't have a custom tune I can tell you the catalyst is a difficult one to get cleared. EGR is easy though. Have you followed the detailed instructions in the Drive Cycle document here:


Having gotten most of them, follow the instructions for the specific tests that have failed. It can be challenging to find a section of road or highway to do the specific test. One of them says to accelerate and decelerate over some relatively short distances. The cops were curious about what I was doing :)
i guess i will be driving again this weekend. i will report back next week. thanks
 

HighHP

GT Owner
Jun 3, 2019
434
Spokane, WA
Congratulations on your purchase. If you need to take it in for a fix, "nota4re" is the guy to use. He is on this forum regularly helping owners. Cooltech is in Calif as you apparently are. Good luck with the GT!!!!!

"nota4re" is Cooltech; www.cooltechllc.com
 

twobjshelbys

GT Owner
Jul 26, 2010
6,053
Las Vegas, NV
Also, check with your emissions guys whether you are allowed to have a not-ready and still pass. When I had mine here in Nevada we were allowed one not-ready and I did get a pass with the not-ready Catalyst and all others green. CA was reportedly changing this to allow one not ready but that it would only allow the evap system to be not ready since it can be difficult to get cleared depending on temperatures and altitude (for which I can also vouch, I had to go for the evap test drive at 5AM).
 

Tomcat

GT Owner
I think we can have two not readies in North Carolina. Also, a buddy's GT (he's not on this forum) had long tube headers that required a Torrie Tune (after discussion with Torrie) to clear and keep the CEL off and get the car inspected. My GT has an Accufab, dual blade throttle body and an H-pipe (GTGuys install) and the GTGuys used a Torrie Tune to tame the CEL beast.
 
Oct 14, 2009
367
Alberta, Canada
Unfortunately it was delivered with a dead battery. not knowing the consequences i replaced the battery. i have run cat cleaner through it done all of the drive cycle and still get EGR fail and Catalist. it has the muffler delete and an aftermarket throttle body. i bought it at auction and don't know if it has a program in it. trying to pass smog. car was from Canada now in California. any ideas?

thanks
Congrats on the new ride.

QSS
 
Last edited:

nota4re

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Feb 15, 2006
4,176
I think we can have two not readies in North Carolina. Also, a buddy's GT (he's not on this forum) had long tube headers that required a Torrie Tune (after discussion with Torrie) to clear and keep the CEL off and get the car inspected. My GT has an Accufab, dual blade throttle body and an H-pipe (GTGuys install) and the GTGuys used a Torrie Tune to tame the CEL beast.

Most if not all states have abandoned dyno testing and instead are relying on the OBD2 compliant internal tests that the OEMs are required to incorporate into the ECU software to insure that the vehicle remains compliant over its lifespan. In brief, there are one of 3 "states" that the emission tests can be in:

1. Monitors not set: This means that the ECU has not yet encountered the right conditions in order to run the test
2. Monitor set and no CEL: This means that the ECU has run the test and that the test has run successfully (*).
3. Monitor set and CEL: This means the test has run and failed and the CEL is alerting the error to the driver with an illuminated CEL.
(*) Note: Tuners have the ability to suppress a CEL. Those of you that have aftermarket cats or no cats may have a tune where you never "see" a CEL. However, it is only because the programming has suppressed the light. If you go in for an emissions test where they connect to the OBD2 port, they will quickly discover that there is an active catalytic error (failure) condition, and you will not pass the test.
 

twobjshelbys

GT Owner
Jul 26, 2010
6,053
Las Vegas, NV
Most if not all states have abandoned dyno testing and instead are relying on the OBD2 compliant internal tests that the OEMs are required to incorporate into the ECU software to insure that the vehicle remains compliant over its lifespan. In brief, there are one of 3 "states" that the emission tests can be in:

1. Monitors not set: This means that the ECU has not yet encountered the right conditions in order to run the test
2. Monitor set and no CEL: This means that the ECU has run the test and that the test has run successfully (*).
3. Monitor set and CEL: This means the test has run and failed and the CEL is alerting the error to the driver with an illuminated CEL.
(*) Note: Tuners have the ability to suppress a CEL. Those of you that have aftermarket cats or no cats may have a tune where you never "see" a CEL. However, it is only because the programming has suppressed the light. If you go in for an emissions test where they connect to the OBD2 port, they will quickly discover that there is an active catalytic error (failure) condition, and you will not pass the test.

Nevada copies California with rules lagging by a year or two. MA also now has pretty much adopted the California rules. Colorado when I started used a pure tailpipe test but when I took the GT in for the first time they specifically asked if it had the headers that have bumps for the cats and were prepared to verify it (so they know that config, and a tell-tale is that the catalys OBDII monitor is disabled). I was in CO last fall and took my daughter's car in for a test and it was a pure OBDII test for her car but the car in front of her had they dyno test. I don't know what determines which test is used...

There is a 4th state: A tune can "disable" monitors as I mentioned above. As with your footnote, there is no CEL. But the monitor is in a "disabled" state and the test is not run at all. This also is an emissions failure mode since the testing agency knows which monitors are present and expected to be ready. This was the case for my catalyst and EGR.

Best advice is if you buy a car where you have OBDII emissions testing get a cheap bluetooth OBDII reader (Amazon for about $20) and check before you go in.