How many miles do you get before you have trouble passing emissions?
- Thread starter The motor guy
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The Lumina failed at 170k miles because CA arbitrarily lowered the maximum allowable test numbers across the board - forced replacement of converter.
The Legend failed at 405k miles - replaced converter.
The Legend failed at 405k miles - replaced converter.
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Is it based on the year? Surely an 83 pollutes a bunch compared to say a 2022 model30+ yrs and 230K on my 83 Silverado and she only failed once, gotta keep them tuned and serviced, smogged her last year and she was on the border line, tech went in and adjusted the QJET and she passed.
Yep. Emissions standards change every so often, but all prior levels are grandfathered in. Only have to pass emissions for the year of manufacture.
The states have some level of freedom on this (if they have air quality problems, they can be strong armed into adopting some sort of policy). Some states don't care one whit while others will crawl up your tailpipe. And others are somewhere between. In my state of NH, all they do is an OBDII check if the vehicle is less than 20 years old. As long as the readiness monitors are set, you're good to go. [I don't believe they are supposed to look for tampering, that the cat is in place etc, fat chance of that happening even if they were required to do a visual inspection.] I don't think NH ever did sniffer tests but other states would require you to hit some rollers and they would literally measure the emissions out; I think that largely fell by the wayside as OBDII rolled in. OBDII apparently does quite a bit of monitoring and it is hard to have all (or most) readiness flags set while grossly failing.
My jeep has 198k and the fj has 210k. Both pass the strict California emissions test.
A vehicle that is just a few years old, with low mileage, shouldn't have a CEL on, for any reason.
If it does, you bought a pile of crap.
In my garage is a 12 year old Fiat 500 Abarth, with 45k miles.
More than a few years old, with low mileage.
Do you know how many times the MIL has been on?
0 times.
I also have a 2015 Porsche Cayman, with 65k miles.
9 years old. Also has never had the MIL come on.
I don't understand why people buy cars with design defects, like the GMC Terrain thread where the engine burns over a quart of oil every 800 miles at only 51k miles, and has eaten it's timing chain, with oil changes every 3k miles or less.
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Someone has to be the ginnie pig. They don't alwaus know until they're put out for the public to drive for a few years.
I think you need to own a smoke machine if you want to past emissions above a certain age/mileage. And yes I'm thinking EVAP more than anything else.
Personally, haven't had much of an issue passing emissions except on a 2000 Camry 5S-FE.
Personally, haven't had much of an issue passing emissions except on a 2000 Camry 5S-FE.
I think everyone's idea of what constitutes an emissions test is different. Using the google machine, it appears 34 States require vehicle emissions testing.
Of the 34, I have no idea if any still do a tailpipe emissions test. I live in a PZEV State and we don't do them. Never did as far as I know.
It would be interesting to know how long a OBDII compliant vehicle could pass a tailpipe emissions test, given it's running as designed, with no MIL on, no codes, etc.
Of the 34, I have no idea if any still do a tailpipe emissions test. I live in a PZEV State and we don't do them. Never did as far as I know.
It would be interesting to know how long a OBDII compliant vehicle could pass a tailpipe emissions test, given it's running as designed, with no MIL on, no codes, etc.
My '99 Camry would have passed this fall, no CEL on. I think the charcoal cannister had been replaced 10 years ago, and I did the O2 sensors, but that was it for 268k.
But its first 12-15 years of life was in Arizona. So the exhaust hadn't rusted off nor any of the fuel lines.
But its first 12-15 years of life was in Arizona. So the exhaust hadn't rusted off nor any of the fuel lines.
I have never had trouble passing our emissions test with any vehicle I've ever owned, including the old ones in my signature.
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You mean they just check for a mil and that's it? I haven't had a gas vehicle for 15 years, so I have no idea what they do in my area
Nick1994
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I don’t think there’s a set time/mileage. It’s In Phoenix emissions is just checking if the CEL is on for 1996 and newer vehicles.
For 1967-1995 vehicles they get run on the dyno and the tailpipe sniffed.
My aunt’s 1970 Beetle stopped passing emissions a few years ago, even after a tune up at the VW shop. We had to borrow their carburetor to pass and then swap it back after the test. Though it’s specially registered as an antique vehicle now which means it doesn’t need emissions anymore.
For 1967-1995 vehicles they get run on the dyno and the tailpipe sniffed.
My aunt’s 1970 Beetle stopped passing emissions a few years ago, even after a tune up at the VW shop. We had to borrow their carburetor to pass and then swap it back after the test
. Though it’s specially registered as an antique vehicle now which means it doesn’t need emissions anymore.They put them on a dyno and measure emissions
For the pre-OBD-II vehicles, it's probably the IM240 test. The vehicle goes on a dyno with a tail pipe sniffer. The gas cap is also checked.
Here in IL, they stopped testing any vehicle older than 1996. They only do the OBD-II testing in areas where testing is required.
It's not state wide. Parts of the STL Metro East and Chicagoland IIRC.
Here in IL, they stopped testing any vehicle older than 1996. They only do the OBD-II testing in areas where testing is required.
It's not state wide. Parts of the STL Metro East and Chicagoland IIRC.
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Time to bust out the electrical tape for someone of you guys lol
This is heavily dependant on the car brand and model, maintenance history and driving style.
My 03 Toyota Matrix popped a P0420 at 60k. Fortunately under the 80K emissions warranty limit. New cat and ECU reprogram to fix dumping of unburnt fuel into exhaust while coasting. Still very disappointing.. this was a known defect but Toyota only issued a TSB, not a recall. So people whose cat bit the dust after 80K/8 years had to pay. No other issues with my Toyotas/Pontiacs after that.
The Jaguar is another story. Melted right cat at 90K, one failed wideband sensor at 100K, failed left cat at 110K, intermittent EVAP codes since 115K. Always something. Fortunately EVAP codes don't pop with tank over half full. Should've bought a VW, they just cheat right out of the factory to avoid the pesky emissions codes.
My 03 Toyota Matrix popped a P0420 at 60k. Fortunately under the 80K emissions warranty limit. New cat and ECU reprogram to fix dumping of unburnt fuel into exhaust while coasting. Still very disappointing.. this was a known defect but Toyota only issued a TSB, not a recall. So people whose cat bit the dust after 80K/8 years had to pay. No other issues with my Toyotas/Pontiacs after that.
The Jaguar is another story. Melted right cat at 90K, one failed wideband sensor at 100K, failed left cat at 110K, intermittent EVAP codes since 115K. Always something. Fortunately EVAP codes don't pop with tank over half full. Should've bought a VW, they just cheat right out of the factory to avoid the pesky emissions codes.
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