Vehicle Emission Inspection Clinic Program
How, exactly, do they test my car? I drive up and ...
The driver is greeted with a package filled with information about transportation-related environmental issues and car economy. The driver is also given a brief survey to fill out which offers insight into drivers' attitudes towards transportation related environmental issues and their vehicle use and maintenance practices.
Relevant information about the vehicle is then recorded. This information includes the make, model, year, engine displacement, odometer reading, and operating fuel.
While this information is being gathered two additional tests are conducted. The tire pressures of the vehicle are checked with pressure gauges
- Underinflation of tires reduces your fuel economy, thus increasing emissions. Underinflation can also lead to premature tire wear and can be a safety hazard.
- Overinflation can also lead to premature tire wear and can affect handling and traction.
The seal on the gas cap is tested under pressure using a fuel cap tester. This simple pass/fail test checks the ability of the gas cap to hold a certain amount of pressure.
- This ensures that no evaporated fuel is escaping into the air.
- The escape of evaporated fuel is harmful to the environment and reduces fuel economy.
Once these tests are done, a digital four-gas analyzer is used to test the vehicle's tailpipe emissions of hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide. A probe is inserted into the exhaust pipe and, with the vehicle in neutral/park, the driver is asked to bring the engine speed up to approximately 2500 rpm. Emissions levels are recorded at this engine speed and again when the vehicle is running at its natural idle speed.
Once all the tests are done (and the probe removed) the driver receives an explanation of the test results and a copy of the results. If the vehicle should fail the emissions test a quick "under-hood" inspection of the vehicle is performed.
This visual inspection is performed to verify that the components of the emission control system are present and have not been tampered with or removed.
Any questions that the driver may have are gladly answered and the test comes to a end!
This is a great opportunity to get a free, no fees, no fines emissions test that gives drivers a chance to see how their vehicle is performing environmentally. It is also a great opportunity to come out and do your part in cleaning up the air by educating yourself on the issues, finding out how to reduce your transportation related emissions and save some money while doing it. Drivers can come out to learn about the environmental and human health impacts of driving their vehicle and get some helpful information about how they can reduce these impacts.
