Rapidpass emissions testing stations - Page 1

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Rapidpass emissions testing stations

Posted: 3/10/2017 8:50:19 PM EDT

Anybody else unfortunate enough that your vehicle doesn't get a reading? I've made over a dozen passes at five locations and not once has it recorded my truck passing by.
So get to go pay for it tomorrow.

If it doesn't work for you either, what are you driving?

Posted: 3/11/2017 2:04:26 PM EDT

[#1]

Um..you still have to pay either way. I believe Rapid Pass is just a couple of bucks cheaper. I do not work for them but I think I know how it kind of works. So here are some guesses why you may be having an issue.

1st-you probably need to be going close to the speed limit-ramp speed.
2nd-you probably should not be too close to other cars.
3rd-your license plate probably needs to be centered and normal car height-nothing obstructing it or making it hard to read.

I pass these things all the time. Some times I see a light up display read out on, other times I see the sign there but not on. I wonder if the system is on the entire time they are sitting there

Posted: 3/11/2017 2:22:02 PM EDT

[#2]

I've passed by them several times. Sometimes they flash green on the sign, sometimes they do nothing. A few months ago I passed by one and some asshole in a brodozer about 150' in fornt of me decided he was going to roll coal on it. When I pass through, the sign was flashing red.

It was shortly after I renewed my registration, hopefully it doesn't cause issues in the future.

Posted: 3/16/2017 11:45:19 AM EDT

[#3]

Holy cow. I live in VA and have never heard of this. How strange. Its like you guys live in a different state, like California.

Posted: 3/16/2017 6:51:53 PM EDT

[#4]

Used it on a renewal recently. You get a letter in the mail about a month or two after rolling over it and then only if you have renewal that requires emissions coming up. Cost is the same whether you use RapidPass or your local gas station. Simply makes it more convenient.

Posted: 3/16/2017 7:35:14 PM EDT

[#5]

Quote History

Quoted:
Used it on a renewal recently. You get a letter in the mail about a month or two after rolling over it and then only if you have renewal that requires emissions coming up. Cost is the same whether you use RapidPass or your local gas station. Simply makes it more convenient.

View Quote

I passed one on my way to work this week, the report is useless for me, my county does not do emissions

Posted: 3/17/2017 12:59:28 AM EDT

[#6]

I've used it for two cars now. The first I got the letter. The second car I never got the letter. You can go to their web page and enter your tag number and it will tell you if you pass or not.

Posted: 3/17/2017 7:58:35 AM EDT

[#7]

Quote History

Quoted:
Holy cow. I live in VA and have never heard of this. How strange. Its like you guys live in a different state, like California.

View Quote

LOL! It is NoVA after all.

Heck, we don't have emissions testing of any kind down here.

Posted: 3/17/2017 9:34:13 PM EDT

[#8]

I am actually surprised more places do not require emissions. I spent my pre-high school years living in Oregon in the late 80s. Growing up, I remember going with my dad several times to have our cars emissions done. When I moved to VA for high school, I thought it was strange not to have the emissions testing done.

I like the whole rapid pass thing. I had no idea what it was at first but since I have used it, I found it a time saver. To bad they cant figure out a way to do safety inspections the same way.

Posted: 3/18/2017 7:18:53 AM EDT

[#9]

Seems like overreach being sold to the masses as convenience. Emissions inspections are done at the same places that do safety inspections.

Posted: 3/18/2017 12:02:02 PM EDT

[#10]

Theoretically, I could pass an emissions inspection through rapidpass even if I have a check engine light on?

Posted: 3/18/2017 3:57:10 PM EDT

[#11]

Quote History

Quoted:
Theoretically, I could pass an emissions inspection through rapidpass even if I have a check engine light on?

View Quote

Tag for later reference, in theory yes, since they cannot read the MILs and see the light.

What code are you getting and is it staying on? I get random misfires in the truck, but they clear up as i drive.

Autozone, Advanced etc have readers you can borrow. if you're in the Dulles area I can read most codes. Don't clear the codes, if you do usually have to drive 50-100 miles to reset.

Posted: 3/19/2017 7:24:48 PM EDT

[#12]

Quote History

Quoted:
Theoretically, I could pass an emissions inspection through rapidpass even if I have a check engine light on?

View Quote

Interesting question. I would say it is possible to pass depending on why the check engine light is on. The system reads the amount of emissions your vehicle produces as it drives by. The system does not read what is wrong with your car.

Posted: 3/19/2017 7:32:45 PM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:
Seems like overreach being sold to the masses as convenience. Emissions inspections are done at the same places that do safety inspections.

View Quote

How is this over reach? Well besides the anti gov. argument here. Nobody is forcing anybody to use this. You can still take your car to an inspection station for the emissions testing. It is convenient as hell for me. I do not have to go down to an inspection station which on a good day seems to be at least a hour of my time. If there is a line, it can be two hours. My safety inspection due date is not the same month, or even close, as my emissions due date.

With rapid pass, I do my emissions while I sit in my living room after the kids go to bed drinking a beer and watching TV.

How is this not a win?

Posted: 3/20/2017 3:14:01 PM EDT

[#14]

Quote History

Quoted:

How is this over reach? Well besides the anti gov. argument here. Nobody is forcing anybody to use this. You can still take your car to an inspection station for the emissions testing. It is convenient as hell for me. I do not have to go down to an inspection station which on a good day seems to be at least a hour of my time. If there is a line, it can be two hours. My safety inspection due date is not the same month, or even close, as my emissions due date.

With rapid pass, I do my emissions while I sit in my living room after the kids go to bed drinking a beer and watching TV.

How is this not a win?

View Quote

Actually, you are being forced to do the emissions checks. It's overkill, and unnecessary in an area like NoVA. You know, with all those old junkers driving around.

Posted: 3/20/2017 9:33:50 PM EDT

[#15]

Quote History

Quoted:

Actually, you are being forced to do the emissions checks. It's overkill, and unnecessary in an area like NoVA. You know, with all those old junkers driving around.

View Quote

And there it is.

Posted: 3/29/2017 10:04:59 PM EDT

[#16]

I hated having to take my diesel Ram and Jeep thru the emissions cash grab.

There are no testing standards to meet, every space had 'N/A' printed in it by the machine.
The mechanic/tech used to grin at me as he took my money and handed me the sheet and receipt.
Bastage.

Posted: 4/4/2017 11:00:00 AM EDT

[#17]

Quote History

Quoted:

Tag for later reference, in theory yes, since they cannot read the MILs and see the light.

What code are you getting and is it staying on? I get random misfires in the truck, but they clear up as i drive.

Autozone, Advanced etc have readers you can borrow. if you're in the Dulles area I can read most codes. Don't clear the codes, if you do usually have to drive 50-100 miles to reset.

View Quote

Unless your car is equipped with a CAN3 system?

Posted: 4/12/2017 4:41:02 PM EDT

[#18]

Quote History

Quoted:

Actually, you are being forced to do the emissions checks. It's overkill, and unnecessary in an area like NoVA. You know, with all those old junkers driving around.

View Quote

But if we have to deal with the emissions - the upside to Rapidpass is that you can renew a registration w/o going for your inspection. The DMV doesn't care if your safety inspection is up to date, only tour emissions. This helped me mightily when I had an appointment to have work done (and the safety inspection) but it was going to be cutting it close to the registration renewal. Having the emissions pre-done via Rapidpass meant I could renew weeks earlier to account for DMV mailing time.

-shooter

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Rapidpass emissions testing stations

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