Passing Your Vehicle's Smog Test

Posted on: 17 April 2017

In an effort to help reduce the amount of pollution that enters the Earth's atmosphere each day, most state governments require drivers to have their vehicles tested for smog emissions. The exhaust created by your vehicle while it is in operation must not contain high levels of toxic gases and particulate matter that will contribute to air pollution levels.

If your vehicle fails a smog inspection, here are three simple things that you can do to try and help it pass the next time it is inspected.

1. Drive your vehicle around for a short period of time before visiting a testing station.

In order to obtain an accurate measurement of the particulate matter and gas concentration being produced by your vehicle, the car or truck should always be tested when it has been completely warmed up.

Taking the time to drive your vehicle around before you visit the smog testing station will ensure that your vehicle is operating at maximum efficiency. If your vehicle failed the first smog test because it wasn't sufficiently warmed up, then driving around for a short period of time before your second test could help your vehicle receive a passing score in the future.

2. Use a fuel additive before having your vehicle smog tested.

Many vehicles fail a smog test because they have significant carbon deposits within their engines. As the combustion process occurs, these carbon deposits can increase gas concentrations and particulates within a vehicle's exhaust, causing it to fail a smog test.

Placing a fuel additive into your vehicle's gas tank that is designed specifically to break down and remove carbon deposits can be a beneficial way to help your vehicle's engine run cleaner. Running through an entire tank of gas that has been treated with a fuel additive could be the answer when it comes to getting your vehicle to pass a smog test.

3. Check your vehicle's tires.

Many drivers are surprised to learn that the quality of their tires can significantly affect smog emissions. If your vehicle is running on tires with low air pressure or an uneven tread wear pattern, then your engine could be working harder than it should be to power your vehicle properly.

This excessive workload could be increasing your smog emissions, causing your vehicle to fail a smog test. Consequently, inflating your tires properly and replacing worn tires could be a simple and effective way to get your vehicle to pass a smog test.

When you are able to identify some ways in which you can get your vehicle to pass a smog test after it has failed the initial test, you can keep your car or truck on the road more easily in the future. For information on smog testing, check out websites like http://www.westcoastsmogtest.com.

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