[krazymaan]

Here in Minnesota we had no emissions until the 90's. Then the State built a butt load of emission testing stations which were huge drive in buildings. You know, because of the snow and cold. Then when Jesse Ventura became Governor of Minnesota he abolished them. Thank god for Jesse. Ever since the mid to late 90's we never had emission testings again. Buildings were knocked down or sold. Ya gotta love it when the Governor says get rid of those ridiculous things. Partially based on the theory that back in the 90's and earlier you really didn't have any old cars in MN because they rotted away due to road salt and the unprotected steel that was used back then.

 

[ghnl]

In NC it can vary by county but most places are OBD2 self-check for vehicles so equipped (1996 & newer?) and basic safety inspection for pre-OBD2 cars. In theory they are supposed to check under the hood of these older vehicles for the presence of all factory installed emissions items but since most shops barely know what an Alfa Romeo is - let alone having ever worked on one - that has not proved to be much of an issue.

 

[Greg Gordon]

Nothing in Oklahoma. In the 90's they had a "safety" inspection and an underhood emissions equipment check. Thankfully they abolished the whole thing about 10 years ago. It was a total waste of time and money.

Greg

 

[alfasrule]

Not here in Vermont. Waist of time and money. They just do a visual ans for 95 or older a system check. No exhaust check

 

[Pat Braden]

Does Your State Have Emissions?

California is the strictest in the nation; we're the one state that created the 49-state car ...maybe we could elect Jesse Ventura? Anything newer than 1974, I believe, is subject to bi-annual emissions inspections, submitted electronically. Currently, they have stopped the rolling date of exemption. The system is getting harder and harder to get around.

Michigan has emissions in some places as does Washington.

 

[75evo]

I support emission tests, but they need to abolish the visual inspection part of it because it is scam. If my car meets emission standards why should anyone care about what is under the hood. You can have a car which passes with flying colors but they will fail you because you have aftermarket exhaust of plug wires.

 

[papajam]

New Jersey recently switched from an annual emissions and safety inspection to a bi-annual emissions test only (to include a visual check for a cat and, if equipped, an OBDII download). There are emissions standards for all passenger vehicles 1968 and newer.

 

[krazymaan]

In MN there was never a visual under the hood check. Only a mirror looking for the converter. It must just suck dong knowing you can't change anything whatsoever under the hood. Unless you hide it in stealth mode.

 

[alfaparticle]

Nothing in Oklahoma. In the 90's they had a "safety" inspection and an underhood emissions equipment check. Thankfully they abolished the whole thing about 10 years ago. It was a total waste of time and money.

Same in South Carolina except we only had safety - no emissions. We are a rural state and our air quality is good enough to keep the Feds off our backs.

 

[Brendan_LS]

in B.C., Canada too

and its a pain.

1992 and newer vehicles are driven on a rolling road at 100km/h for 3 minutes, and then the average emissions are evaluated...horrible pain! if your car has a different motor installed, then you dont have a honest chance, as your emissions requirements are based on that 'factory' engines levels

the older vehicles are driven at 40 km/h, then there is an idle test.

the only visual inspection is to check to see a catalytic converter is there

what i do:
1. get like 3 or 4 catalytic converters (likely removed from the car previously )
2. weld them into a crappy exhaust line
3. install on car (really badly), then pass test
4. remove and reinstall a proper cat-less exhaust
5. repeat every year, and drive your modified car happily

 

[Bill]

Here in the Independent Republic of Texas a mans pickup is his castle so we have annual "safety" inspections to insure that they have lights that can illuminate a country road at least 20' ahead of you so you know where the deer you hit landed (turn signals not necessary or used very often), a horn that sounds like the Santa Fe Chief, a suspension that can carry 20 illegals in the bed comfortably, and brakes that can stop it within a football field length at 30 mph. Almost everything else is optional.

Counties and cities can have emissions requirement testing (diesels exempt) and some of the major cities do like Austin, parts of Houston, Poteet...

 

[Alfastruns]

I did not know so many states had no inspection !

Vehicle inspection in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[75evo]

Brendan_LS,

That may not be too bad, you still have some hope. In CA they may fail you for having more cats than necessary.

 

[NMMilano]

In N.M. We have testing on 74 and newer. You can make any change as long as it passes the tail pipe test ( turbo,cams etc ) except you have to have a catalytic converter.

 

[slyalfa]

As they run on a dyno here any ways. And there is no way to pass with out a working cat. I think there should be no inspection at all.
I think it should be unlawful for the state to open the hood of a car with out a search warrant. It should be a black box. Air goes in and stuff comes out the tail pipe. and as long as the stuff coming out test OK that should be all they care about.

 

[75evo]

Slyalfa,

You are correct, the people who make the laws for this particular issue have no sense at all. They should just require the cars to pass the standards set by the state per the SAME standard attached to the car when it was released. They should stop tightening it. Heck I would even volunteer additional fees to avoid pesky technicians probing my car.

 

[superloaf]

My milano passed CA emissions so easily I was amazed. I think as long as the cat is ok, you will pass. They clean up the exhaust a lot. I don't know the history of my car other than it has 132k and looks like the oem cat.

Although one thing I did was to add acetone to the fuel. I have to test my porsche again next jan and it will barely pass so i'm curious to try acetone on that car and see if it truly makes a difference. Since the porsche is motronic, there's nothing I can really change to improve emissions.

Anyways, for pennies it is definitely worth a try. Google it to learn how it works. Not really a downside.

 

[Brendan_LS]

oddly, ive heard of people unplugging an injector or two on certain stand-alone injection systems, and doing the test. I guess that cylinder is not even firing, and thus not contributing to emissions...if you did that on an oem system, it would wig out!

 

[DPeterson3]

Contrary to my fellow Texan's above posting, most of the more populated counties in Texas have mandatory emission and safety testing. The safety inspection has been around forever, making sure that all the lights work, etc. On the whole, no real complaint with that. If you've ever lived in a state where they don't have at least the safety inspection you see a lot of really ratty cars that you'd rather not be following or have behind you.

The emission testing is another thing entirely. If you fail, there are very limited choices, and most dealers flatly refuse to work on anything pre-ODB2. Theoretically, if you do everything you can and it still fails, the state will buy your car for something like $500, but you will have spent $1,500 or more in parts trying to get it working before that happens. As it is something of an unofficial law that every Texan must own a really ratty pickup truck, we seem to have a contradiction in cultural goals.

Given that any air pollution blows downwind to Louisiana, I can't see why we bother. Texas toxic waste would still improve the average in that misbegotten place.

I moved to Nevada. Reno has emission testing, but Carson City 20 miles south (where I live) does not. As we've got nothing but desert and Mormons downwind of us, I assume the emission testing is to prevent California cars that don't pass from being dumped into their market. Wish they could find a way to keep Californians from being dumped into Nevada as well.

 

[AlfaVeloce]

No emissions testing in AL. No one I spoke with seems to object to a safety inspection but they still don't have one. Never follow behind an Alabama car close enough that you can actually see the other car, and you'll be fine. Barring the ability to do that, just assume the tail lights/stop lights don't work. That way, you may be pleasantly surprised, but never disappointed.