A friend of mine has a civic hybrid that he's been driving for about 5 years. He bought it brand new, and now it has about 120,000 miles on it. He says he still gets about 40mpg. But there is a big problem. He told me the other day that he wanted to sell it due to its battery problem and catalytic converter. His dealer quoted about 5000 for repairs. Since he has a check engine light on, he can't pass emissions. If the hybrid burns cleaner than most gasoline engines and still achieves about 40mpg, is it still significant and necessary to have the check engine light turned off to have it pass emissions test? So basically, all the money saved over the 5 years of ownership is going back to the car if he decides to keep the car. It just turns me away from purchasing a hybrid.
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- Thread starter LOLVO
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I don't know if the technology has improved since 5 years ago. Don't get me wrong - I don't want one either - but, I think it's fair to say that there have probably been some advancements made in the last 5 years.
in CA if the check engine light being on is an immediate failure for emissions testing, no matter what comes out the tailpipe.
The problem is not necessarily with hybrids, but with that generation of Civic hybrid. They tend to break the stuff that costs the most to replace.
Kestas
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Originally Posted By: LOLVO
... So basically, all the money saved over the 5 years of ownership is going back to the car if he decides to keep the car. It just turns me away from purchasing a hybrid.
This has been my mantra with all the expensive-to-fix features that have cropped up in modern cars.... all in the name of saving gas, e.g., 4-, 5-, 6-, and 7-speed transmissions, throttle-by-wire, $2000 ECUs. All the money you save in gas eventually goes to a mechanic and not your pocket.
... So basically, all the money saved over the 5 years of ownership is going back to the car if he decides to keep the car. It just turns me away from purchasing a hybrid.
This has been my mantra with all the expensive-to-fix features that have cropped up in modern cars.... all in the name of saving gas, e.g., 4-, 5-, 6-, and 7-speed transmissions, throttle-by-wire, $2000 ECUs. All the money you save in gas eventually goes to a mechanic and not your pocket.
I new york they don't even check the tailpipe emissions. The emissions testing here is to see if you have CEL on. If not, pass. If you do, fail. Kinda stupid IMO.
That's how they do it down here in Texas. Kinda AWESOME in my opinion!
No CEL =
No CEL =
Originally Posted By: rudolphna
I new york they don't even check the tailpipe emissions. The emissions testing here is to see if you have CEL on. If not, pass. If you do, fail. Kinda stupid IMO.
In Maryland, the car fails emissions test if it has CEL on. If your vehicle is 1995 and older, your car goes through the treadmill. So that particular hybrid is not going to pass due to its CEL no matter how much of fuel it saves or how cleaner it runs.
I new york they don't even check the tailpipe emissions. The emissions testing here is to see if you have CEL on. If not, pass. If you do, fail. Kinda stupid IMO.
In Maryland, the car fails emissions test if it has CEL on. If your vehicle is 1995 and older, your car goes through the treadmill. So that particular hybrid is not going to pass due to its CEL no matter how much of fuel it saves or how cleaner it runs.
In CA we put it on a dyno and run it at 15mph and I think 25mph too.
I was on the border of fail twice (within 1 digit out of bound), and after I replace the O2, pass with no problem.
I was on the border of fail twice (within 1 digit out of bound), and after I replace the O2, pass with no problem.
Originally Posted By: rudolphna
I new york they don't even check the tailpipe emissions. The emissions testing here is to see if you have CEL on. If not, pass. If you do, fail. Kinda stupid IMO.
If you cleared it right before you arrived at the test station, would it have time to come back before or while they checked it?
I new york they don't even check the tailpipe emissions. The emissions testing here is to see if you have CEL on. If not, pass. If you do, fail. Kinda stupid IMO.
If you cleared it right before you arrived at the test station, would it have time to come back before or while they checked it?
In Maryland, they run the car from 0 to 60mph to around 40mph then to like 20mph, then to 60mph to fully test the smog. Before they put the car on treadmill, they also turn the engine off first and then restart the car. So I would assume that the check engine light comes back on if it was on in the first place.
Originally Posted By: rpn453
Originally Posted By: rudolphna
I new york they don't even check the tailpipe emissions. The emissions testing here is to see if you have CEL on. If not, pass. If you do, fail. Kinda stupid IMO.
If you cleared it right before you arrived at the test station, would it have time to come back before or while they checked it?
short answer - NO
When they hook up to the car to check for codes they are also checking for the completion of all the OBD2 self tests. If you clear the check engine light they won't pass you because when you clear codes you also wipe out all the self test data and you have to go and drive 20-50 miles to get all the tests to run and pass again. So - no you can't drive up, clear the code in the lot and pass.
Originally Posted By: rudolphna
I new york they don't even check the tailpipe emissions. The emissions testing here is to see if you have CEL on. If not, pass. If you do, fail. Kinda stupid IMO.
If you cleared it right before you arrived at the test station, would it have time to come back before or while they checked it?
short answer - NO
When they hook up to the car to check for codes they are also checking for the completion of all the OBD2 self tests. If you clear the check engine light they won't pass you because when you clear codes you also wipe out all the self test data and you have to go and drive 20-50 miles to get all the tests to run and pass again. So - no you can't drive up, clear the code in the lot and pass.
Originally Posted By: LOLVO
In Maryland, they run the car from 0 to 60mph to around 40mph then to like 20mph, then to 60mph to fully test the smog. Before they put the car on treadmill, they also turn the engine off first and then restart the car. So I would assume that the check engine light comes back on if it was on in the first place.
I used to hate that when I lived in MD. I'd have to take my vehicles down Erdman Ave in the 'hood and watch them abuse the car on the treadmill. One time they did recognize my Buick GN as a collector car and skipped the treadmill.
In Maryland, they run the car from 0 to 60mph to around 40mph then to like 20mph, then to 60mph to fully test the smog. Before they put the car on treadmill, they also turn the engine off first and then restart the car. So I would assume that the check engine light comes back on if it was on in the first place.
I used to hate that when I lived in MD. I'd have to take my vehicles down Erdman Ave in the 'hood and watch them abuse the car on the treadmill. One time they did recognize my Buick GN as a collector car and skipped the treadmill.
Originally Posted By: PandaBear
In CA we put it on a dyno and run it at 15mph and I think 25mph too.
I was on the border of fail twice (within 1 digit out of bound), and after I replace the O2, pass with no problem.
not in every county. some, like Santa Barbara County still use the 2 speed idle test with EGR functional test.
In CA we put it on a dyno and run it at 15mph and I think 25mph too.
I was on the border of fail twice (within 1 digit out of bound), and after I replace the O2, pass with no problem.
not in every county. some, like Santa Barbara County still use the 2 speed idle test with EGR functional test.
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