#emissions test

Since failing the very first inspection at the end of April, 2 weeks after it was due, we have been busting our arses to get the van fixed enough to pass inspection. Initially, it failed both the safety and emissions inspection. In fact, the DMV wasn't able to read the van's computer which we later learned was due to a burned out fuse.

The fuse was replaced, and we took the van back to the DMV just to get the codes from the computer so we would know what needed to be fixed. There were several codes. More work needed to be done.

We had the van in the shop. Once it was put on the lift, it became clear that the back right brake cylinder was shot. That isn't such an overwhelming issue if the van wasn't old as dirt. Unfortunately, the van is 26 years old. The parts needed for the repairs are not in stock at any of the auto parts store.

We thought we found the part on Amazon. It was listed as being for the make, model, and year of our van. We quickly learned that it was the wrong one.

Realizing that we only had a certain amount of time on our second 15 day temporary tag to get the van fixed, it was decided to rebuild the whole brake system. I am not a mechanic, so I cannot give specifics. What I do know is that both back brake cylinders were replaced.

The exhaust has been a pain in the ass. One of the codes says that too much oxygen is getting into the motor. We thought is was due to a piece of the exhaust that had fallen off. That was repaired this past Monday.

The check engine light went off and all the repairs that were listed on the print out from the DMV were done, or so we thought.

We took the van back to the DMV yesterday. Wouldn't you know it. The check engine light went back on. Instinctively, I knew it was going to fail again.

I was right!. It passed the safety inspection which was a relief. However, it failed the emissions test. Three codes printed out and all of them have to do with the exhaust.

So, we need to replace the entire exhaust, the whole damn thing. This is going to be difficult. The van is 26. The parts are not in stock anywhere.

So, while I hope to God if we can get the van fixed and inspected, I am raising money for another vehicle. It's needed. I don't care the make, model, or color. I just don't want one that is ancient. I just need a safe reliable vehicle that I can get in and out of and that will fit my wheelchair.

@helly-watermelonsmellinfellon

So I learned about something called a PEMS (Portable Emissions Measurement System) and it is genuinely such a smart idea once you understand it.

Basically, for years vehicles were tested for emissions in a lab. Controlled environment, smooth driving cycle, perfect conditions. A vehicle passes the test and gets certified as “clean.”

But here’s the thing. Real roads are NOT a lab. Traffic, hills, weather, stop and go driving, none of that matches the lab test. So a vehicle could pass beautifully in a lab and behave completely differently on an actual road.

🚗 A PEMS fixes this by literally attaching to a vehicle and measuring emissions WHILE it drives. Real roads. Real traffic. Real time.

Why this actually matters:

📊 It shows what a vehicle is REALLY producing right now, not what it was certified to do years ago

⚠️ It catches problems early, before they turn into a failed audit or an expensive repair

✅ It helps fleets stay ahead of emissions regulations instead of scrambling when they tighten

The wild part is most people (myself included before this) have literally never heard of this technology and it has existed for a while. Companies like Enviro Test Transport (envirotesttransport.com) actually provide this kind of testing to transportation fleets across North America.

California's emission tests, which you have done before renewing registration, are called "smog tests" because they started as a means of reducing smog. Pollution controls (including, but not limited to, smog reduction measures) are why on most days now, I can see the Sierra Nevada and Coast Range mountains from my spot in the center of the Central Valley. In my childhood, seeing the mountains on the horizon was an unusual and exciting phenomenon. Apparently, we were breathing toxic soup back then.

"Taking the car for its smog test" quickly evolved into "taking the car to be smogged." I've used the term for my entire car-owning life. Authorized smog test centers enthusiastically refer to what they do as "smogging." People in the California subs on reddit use the term.

So I was startled when I mentioned to a colleague in another state that I'd been having the car smogged, and they had no idea what it meant. I used to live in their state; I have taken a car to the big drive-up center to be tested (that car failed because it needed a new gas cap). I took my car for the $15 cash-only tests in Connecticut, too. This is apparently "emissions testing."

Emissions Test in Ottawa - Jim Tubman Chevrolet