Has anyone had the new emissions test done yet? I'm hearing that the failure rate is very high. It sounds like a money making scam. If you don't pass and you have at least $350 in repairs done to your vehicle and still don't pass you can have the state retest the vehicle. If it still doesn't pass after the third test, the state will issue you a sticker for a nominal fee.

*I heard all of this second hand so I don't know how much is true.*

a friend had her van tested last week ,they told her if your car is 1996 or newer it would have no problem passing the test. thats great my truck is a 94.
she had to wait 1-1/2 hours, there are not as many places doing the test

BTW, [b]ilikelegs[/b], if you ever get pulled over by the fuzz (Gosh, that's gotta hurt!), just remember to say you [u]just[/u] that very day brought the car down from Oklahoma!

Trust me on this.[:D]

Eric The(Scofflaw)Hun[>]:)]

You know you can keep as many drivers licenses as you want.

Just don't pull them out all at the same time, cause it's frowned upon by the local Dogberrys!

Eric The(Shakespearean)Hun[>]:)]

I used to live in NJ.
Common tricks to get around an emissions test with an old clunker are: Pull the vacuum advance on your distributor. Pull your PCV valve. Another guy told me to put a bag of mothballs in the air cleaner.
If you pull the PCV valve, the engine will idle a bit high. When the inspection technician bitches about this, just slip the car in gear when he isnt looking! This worked a few times for me.

These tricks did not work on one particular car I owned, so I used to take it to a shady mechanic with a state inspection license, and slip the guy a fifty. Passed every time!

Emissions tests are a scam. I cannot afford to buy a new vehicle every five years, and I did not want to dump hundreds of dollars into a vehicle that is only worth hundreds of dollars!
Screw the bastards, find a way to MAKE your vehicle pass the test without spending the $$$.

I am now a member of the USAF, and my home of record is Florida. Florida used to do emissions testing, but no longer does, besides, I was expemted from this requirement if my vehicle was out of state.
So as long as I am in the AF, I never have to have my car inspected, no matter where I live in the US. One of the fringe benefits of being in the military!

Really?

So I could have 50 DL's , whats the catch..  So we just cant have two form the same state?

and what exactly do you mean by:


frown as in... NO..NO.. put that up....
or
frown as in... NO..NO.. put these on and get in the back seat for my car...

?

Probably only in effect in Houston, DFW, SA, Austin. Still quite a few cars and PU around here look like they are foggin for skeeters.
Lebrew

I don’t know about Texas but in Rhode Island if your car is over a certain number of years old you don’t have to pass the emission test. I believe it has to do with the fact that cars that were manufactured before a certain year were never meant to be tested and there are no emissions standards set for them. So if my truck doesn’t pass it’s test then I just might get a nice 66 Mustang or a nice mid 70’s Bronco, and let it mess up the atmosphere as much as I want it too, within reason of course.

VINCE AUT MORIRE (Conquer or Die)

You shouldn't have a problem bunghole, unless your car is highly modified or very, very old. Newer cars 90 and up, should pass an emmission test no problem. Go to a reputable shop like Goodyear. CA has had an emmission test for years. Ain't no big deal.
Luckily this went into effect in May and I got my inspection in April. From what I here this only applies for the major metropolitan areas in TX and its surrounding suburbs. I believe in will be statewide in 2 yrs.

The whole thing is just for revenue enhancement for the state because of blackmail by the fed gov. The law was written based on figures from the 80's. Todays cars burn cleaner than they did then. One teaspoon of gas spilled on the concrete at a gas station causes more pollution than a modern car in good tune produces in a MONTH!!

Check out Ed Wallace on Saturday mornings on KLIF 570 AM out of Dallas for more info on this. He did have some info on his web site [url]http://insideautomotive.aperian.com/ [/url](I think) about this. Good info on the Firestone/Ford Explorer problem too.

If your gonna go for the inspection fill the car up and put in a bottle of RXP gas additive. Drive around for an hour or so and then go have the car tested. You should pass with no trouble. YMMV

You guys have it easy for now. Here in the PRK, they started with this $hit with encouragement(coercion from the US EPA?-it was in the court for years, and the threat of withholding of billions of $$ highway funds if you don't comply.  I know, a lot folks are asking WTF, why are the Feds taxing the $hit out out us, and for us to get some our money back you jump to these hoops?). The $350 limit will go up to later, maybe to $500,  and then it will $,1000(i.e. you will have junk your car, if you can't bring it up to standard when it rolled off the factory floor. All cars will increase its pollution emissions as ages because hoses get old, and start to leak etc, more blow-by at the piston rings etc. And that is the point of this law, is to get rid of most old junkers; of course if you have a cherry Tri-Powered '66 Pontiac GTO, it would be worth fixing). Part of your auto reg fees will go to pay your state dept of trans. to administer the program. At least that is how it works here.

The vehicle warranties on emmission parts is pretty long.

I think the emmission parts warranty on my 98 4Runner is 100000 miles:

Check your owner's manual.

Jay
[img]http://www.commspeed.net/jmurray/images/iroc-cop.gif[/img]

Lets see "Bunghole", "emissons tests"...and Habenero chili maybe?..gotta be a joke in there somewhere...

Bunghole,  the amount of money that an individual is required to pay to get  their car repaired changes with your annual income. ie: the lower your income the less you are expected to pay for repairs.  

waltx,   vehicles with OBD2 engine management computers may actually have a higher failure rate due to the fact that if there is a "srevice engine soon" code stored in the computers memory, even if the light is no longer on, your car could be flagged until the code is cleared or the offending part repaired.

ilikelegs,  if you drive into the affected counties very often and yoiur vehicles is emmiting to high an emmisions count sooner or later the roadside sniffers that are now in force will detect you and snap a pic of your plate.  Too many of these instances will land you in hot water.

pv74,  the new cars have to be hooked up to the computer so your cars computer will tell it whether or not you may pass the inspection.  So it would be very difficult for anyone to illegally pass your car.

Some simple ways to be sure that your engine will pass the emmissions test are as follows:
1. change your oil and filter before you test(the oil holds lots of hydrocarbons and releases   them into back into the combustion process)

2. put STP or other gas treatment in your gas tank  (not sure what exacxtly this helps but got me by a coupla times with a hinky car)

3. be sure the engine is hot when you get it inspected (a cold engine runs richer and the catalytic converter is not yet lit off)

4. be sure your airfilter is clean and your PCV system is functiioning properly (more clean air into the system, less dirty air out)

5. the catalytic converter needs to be replaced on high mileage cars  (these are neglected and they do wear out)

6. on OBD2  (basically'96 and newer, they actually started this system in mid '94) clear the computer of all codes

7. make sure the engine is in a decent state of tune

Gopher, I listen to Ed Wallace all the time and I love his show.  I really like all the info he  dug up after the WTC attacks also.
 

Here in Calif. the seller must have a emissions certificate before the Dept of Motor Vehcles will legally transfer the vehicle. If you sell the car, without the cert, the seller may still own the vehicle, and if it gets in an traffic collision, the seller is will be responsible.

I drive a Honda Insight... a ULEV... I bet my emissions won't even register on the equipment!  hehehe

When I do have to get it inspected (in a couple years), I'll just laugh when they say they need to test the emissions.  

We don't have to comply yet here in San Antonio, but I am curious as to what the emissions test entails.  In Colorado they used to put your car on a dyno and run it at different speeds while analyzing the emissions, this had to be done at a state contracted shop(only like 8 in the whole state).  Before that they just used to check the exhaust at any mechanics shop.  Does the new emissions in TX go as far as putting cars on a dyno?  Are the emissions check point state run or can any mechanic do the test.

usp,  
They now have to put all all vehicles EXCEPT OBD2 cars on the dyno. As for the OBD2 cars(mid '94 to present), the tech only has to  interface the shops computer with the vehicles engine management computer.  Any shop can do the emissions check if they want to spring for the $40K+ dyno which would take many many many years to pay for. Its gonna get real ugly out there, maybe.  :)

Here in west Texas we have been doing emissions tests as far back as I can remember.
If your auto is over 25 yrs old you don't have to pass the sniffer test.
If you cannot pass it there is a ceiling as far as how much you have to spend on it to make it pass-don't remember what it is right off hand.


JFP is correct in the tuneup type maintenance you should do.  I had an 89 Jeep Chereokee that used to give me a hard time and it was only 5 yrs old at the time.  Change the oil, air filter, plugs, run octane boost and injector cleaner and it passed no prob.