Clean Air is Everyone's Business

Why does my vehicle have to be inspected at a Test-Only Station?

"In order to comply with the mandates of the federal Clean Air Act, the
Department of Consumer Affairs/Bureau of Automotive Repair (DCA/BAR)
began directing fifteen percent of all vehicles in Enhanced Areas to Test Only
Stations in 1998.  However, DCA/BAR has gradually increased the number of
vehicles directed to Test-Only Stations to continually improve program
effectiveness and comply with the emission reduction objectives set forth in the
State Implementation Plan, which is a master plan for complying with federal air
quality requirements."

Motorists Notification:  The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) notifies
owners of vehicles which have been selected to have their initial Smog Check
inspections performed at Test-Only Stations.  The Registration Renewal Notice
sent to these vehicles owners will say "Smog Certification Required at
Test-Only Facility."  If this statement is on your Renewal Notice and you take
the vehicle to a Test-and-Repair Station, the technician at the station will be
unable to certify your vehicle.  He will then refer you to a Test-Only Station.
Source: California Bureau of Automotive Repair

What we check for during your smog:

There are 3 areas of inspection:

What is Smog?

Smog is airborne pollution.  The type of smog that we're most
concerned about in the automotive industry is ground level ozone.  Ground level
ozone is caused by Nitric oxides and Volatile Organic Compounds.  Nitric oxides are
produced by your engine and gasoline is a Volatile Organic Compound.  Ground level
ozone causes health problems such as asthma, immune system dysfunction, and
cancer.  It also is responsible for the orange haze you see in L.A. and we're
beginning to see more often in the Bay Area.


What are emissions?

Emissions are the gases that come out of your tailpipe.  
There are five automotive tailpipe emissions:  Hydrocarbons, also known as HC,
which is unburned gas, a contributor to ground level ozone.  Carbon Monoxide, also
known as CO, which is a byproduct of combustion.  Carbon Dioxide, also know as
CO2, is green house gas which contributes to global warming.  Nitric Oxides, also
known as NOx, is a contributor to ground level ozone.  Oxygen, also known as O2,
is not bad for you or the environment.  Unfortunately, only 1% of what comes out
of the tailpipe is oxygen.  We check the oxygen levels for diagnostic purposes.

What Can I do to Reduce Smog?

Keep your car well maintained

Bring in your car for repair if the "check engine" light comes on.  This light          
indicates one of the computer sensors is reading out of range.  Most of the          
computer sensors will affect both fuel economy as well as emissions.

Make sure that you have a gas cap (Gasoline evaporates easily, if your gas           
cap is missing the gas evaporates into the atmosphere and creates smog.

Keep your tires filled (tires with low pressure increases rolling resistance,           
low tires decrease fuel economy and increase emissions)

Avoid making short trips in the car (when the car is cold the fuel economy is         
poor and the emissions is very high)

Our computer system automatically sends your smog     
certificate to the DMV.  You DO NOT have to take       
the smog certificate to DMV.

If your vehicle fails, you can repair it yourself          
or at any Test & Repair facility. 

WE DO NOT DO REPAIRS.    

RV's Welcome