Maricopa County Emission Testing (Required Equipment for pre-OBD2) (1 Viewer)

[sjpitts]

So I posted this question in the 80's section

Required Equipment to pass emission test (Maricopa County AZ-- OBD1)

@OffRoadScott suggested I should post it here. Long story short, I was hoping I could remove my PAIR valve and still pass the visual inspection. Most people are thinking that the answer is no, but I remain slightly more hopeful. Slightly.

So any comments or experiences?

Jared

PS: One thing I am pretty sure of is that they look for evap canisters, and that means my little brother @sj is going to need one in his fancy 60 with a new LS if he wants to pass emissions down here.

 

[msahr]

If it's an old enough vehicle (pre-95 in Maricopa County) register it as an antique vehicle. Just need antique vehicle insurance (I use Hagerty) prior to re-registering. Go to a 3rd party DMV office such as Desert Title it's much easier. I've got several vehicles registered this way. Never have to see a testing station again.

 

[AZ80]

If it's an old enough vehicle (pre-95 in Maricopa County) register it as an antique vehicle. Just need antique vehicle insurance (I use Hagerty) prior to re-registering. Go to a 3rd party DMV office such as Desert Title it's much easier. I've got several vehicles registered this way. Never have to see a testing station again.

Exactly! Hagerty = emissions exempt.

 

[ARJMN]

I have been through this twice now in Pima County, so I will say make sure you know the rules and hold the emissions station to it if they try to go outside of them. I have had to get a referee pass on both my bi-annual checks and if Maricopa does it like Pima, they are a 3rd party company that does not always know the details. I got failed last week, when I had all the documentation that I was in the green. I submitted an official complaint and called the ADEQ. They reviewed it all and called me back the next day with an apology stating the emissions check station was wrong and that they were corrected the issue. I then got a call from the check station less than an hour later and they said to come on down and get it resolved. Less than an hour later I had my follow up visit completed and the passing paperwork in hand.

Also, with antique insurance/plates, aren't you limited to 2000 miles per year?

 

[AZ80]

I have been through this twice now in Pima County, so I will say make sure you know the rules and hold the emissions station to it if they try to go outside of them. I have had to get a referee pass on both my bi-annual checks and if Maricopa does it like Pima, they are a 3rd party company that does not always know the details. I got failed last week, when I had all the documentation that I was in the green. I submitted an official complaint and called the ADEQ. They reviewed it all and called me back the next day with an apology stating the emissions check station was wrong and that they were corrected the issue. I then got a call from the check station less than an hour later and they said to come on down and get it resolved. Less than an hour later I had my follow up visit completed and the passing paperwork in hand.

Also, with antique insurance/plates, aren't you limited to 2000 miles per year?

The more miles you state you will drive, increases the premium. They can cover your "daily driver".

 

[toy_tek]

A few thoughts…
Pima county test is different than Maricopa. What that means exactly, I don’t know. But I do know Pima is less stringent than Maricopa.

If you fail the DEQ test, you won’t be able to get the “classic” exemption from the DMV. I spoke to 2 different DMV folks about this, same answer. You need to go through the process (buy classic insurance first, get classic registration second) if you want to go that route before your emissions test is required, but they won't let you do that after you fail without jumping through all the hoops to get it to pass.

IMO passing the emissions (if remotely possible) is a better option than going with classic insurance. Sooo many restrictions on classic insurance. Plus I don’t trust an insurance company / agent any further than I can throw my 4x4. I’ve had classic insurance twice (2 different trucks) and long story short, I got my 89 LC tested in Maricopa and it passed, so I dropped the classic insurance in a heartbeat.

Also of note: collector/classic car insurance & classic registration is completely separate from classic plates. Classic plates are not required for classic insurance/registration, and classic insurance/registration does not automatically require classic plates. So, you can have one and not the other. Understandably folks get confused on that easily.

Best of luck, but if it were me, I’d do everything I could to get it to pass like it should.

(edit) I found the rules for current testing. Pretty interesting, as it shows limits for every year vehicle. I had looked for this info in the past but couldn't find it.

https://static.azdeq.gov/vecs/190222_nfrm.pdf

 

[OffGridOverland]

Supposed the emissions are state employees.
I've had my track car pass in Scottsdale and my Duramax.
Subaru making 650whp. Obdii. We forced the toon to pass. It still ran clean out the tail pipe.
Massive turbo, Cosworth engine, California would have sent me to deathrow..

My Duramax had bad injectors. It's also a scary test. You have a floor your diesel engine. I passed the test. But rolling thru their building my bad injectors smoked them out. Couldn't see them in my mirrors it was so smokey.
They did a complete inspection and looked up my truck. It was so complete I thought it was a training day.
They tested my gas cap.. checked for cat (catless) checked for egr (no egr) and anyy aftermarket parts. My truck is the last year sold without emissions on a diesel. 2004...
Scottsdale used to be the glide station.


My Saab 900 is a 1985. I exempt that.
I now after the durmax test and fear of them costing me a expensive motor. I now have everything registered to my property up north.

I had to do a P1 not long ago. Had to remove a 275k rear clamshell. I think it was more for their enjoyment. It was funny rolling in under electric. Having them tell me I don't need it. But then having them stare at the v8tt and changing their minds.
I probably could have just given them a ride and saved the whole mess.


Anyways in the app store there is a Toyota OBDi app. It helps with checking and testing things to pass if need be. I would registered as historical or up north.

Washington state disbanded their whole smog program when I was living up there two years ago.. wish we could get Az to do that.

 

[ARJMN]

Funny there. I have seen first hand a fully deleted Ram 2500 with ~525hp/~1200lbft go across the rollers in Pima and blow a .03 ppm on soot where the limit is 30ppm. I have also almost been run out of my own garage by my 96 LC exhaust that passes with flying colors.

 

[Living in the Past]

Have Hagerty on a Land Cruiser because of declared value not emissions. Have to state miles used and we have to have another registered DD for ever licensed driver in the household. Plus has to be kept in a garage.

 

[DSRTRDR]

I have been through this twice now in Pima County, so I will say make sure you know the rules and hold the emissions station to it if they try to go outside of them. I have had to get a referee pass on both my bi-annual checks and if Maricopa does it like Pima, they are a 3rd party company that does not always know the details. I got failed last week, when I had all the documentation that I was in the green. I submitted an official complaint and called the ADEQ. They reviewed it all and called me back the next day with an apology stating the emissions check station was wrong and that they were corrected the issue. I then got a call from the check station less than an hour later and they said to come on down and get it resolved. Less than an hour later I had my follow up visit completed and the passing paperwork in hand.

Also, with antique insurance/plates, aren't you limited to 2000 miles per year?

yes, limited - and no off-road driving

so why would I go for classic car insurance for those of our vehicles where the majority of miles are driven on the trail ? - makes no sense to me

and even if there was an accident with damage to any of our wheeling trucks on an asphalted road, the "classic car" insurance would still not cover it, because the trucks are lifted and modified beyond the OEM specifications their insurance rates are based on

for Michael and me, it makes sense to keep the vehicles up to shape, get them to pass regular emissions - yes, there's a tribute to pay from time to time , but hey, it's small in comparison to the loss of enjoyment from not being able to drive our cruisers

 

[inkpot]

It may of changed since I had Collector plate on the Piggy. Back then the rig had to be over 25 years old and have a collector insurance policy that states limited driving usage and an annual mileage limit. My Farmers agent was pretty cool with all this so he wrote out my policy with the limited opportunities to drive and set the mileage at 5000 anually.. DMV was OK with that. IIRC, it cost about 10-15% over the previous year's policy. I drove it pretty frequently, never had a problem with it.

 

[peacesells63]

I had a 93 and a 95 in maricopa county. The 93 sat for 7 years and passed emissions with fresh fuel. The 95 always tested really low but smells even worse than the 93. My trucks had all of the factory emissions stuff, but the visual inspection was about 20 seconds long. Worst thing is 95 and older had to be tested every year in maricopa, but I never had an issue passing.

 

[samtoddlee]

A few thoughts…
Pima county test is different than Maricopa. What that means exactly, I don’t know. But I do know Pima is less stringent than Maricopa.

If you fail the DEQ test, you won’t be able to get the “classic” exemption from the DMV. I spoke to 2 different DMV folks about this, same answer. You need to go through the process (buy classic insurance first, get classic registration second) if you want to go that route before your emissions test is required, but they won't let you do that after you fail without jumping through all the hoops to get it to pass.

IMO passing the emissions (if remotely possible) is a better option than going with classic insurance. Sooo many restrictions on classic insurance. Plus I don’t trust an insurance company / agent any further than I can throw my 4x4. I’ve had classic insurance twice (2 different trucks) and long story short, I got my 89 LC tested in Maricopa and it passed, so I dropped the classic insurance in a heartbeat.

Also of note: collector/classic car insurance & classic registration is completely separate from classic plates. Classic plates are not required for classic insurance/registration, and classic insurance/registration does not automatically require classic plates. So, you can have one and not the other. Understandably folks get confused on that easily.

Best of luck, but if it were me, I’d do everything I could to get it to pass like it should.

(edit) I found the rules for current testing. Pretty interesting, as it shows limits for every year vehicle. I had looked for this info in the past but couldn't find it.

https://static.azdeq.gov/vecs/190222_nfrm.pdf

I'm in this same boat with my 62 right now here in Maricopa Co. Had it in shop etc for starting issue since earlier this year. Meantime registration expired. Now won't pass emissions test and having to look into a potential cat problem. Can't get classic without it passing emissions first as the registration had expired.

 

[inkpot]

I had a 93 and a 95 in maricopa county. The 93 sat for 7 years and passed emissions with fresh fuel. The 95 always tested really low but smells even worse than the 93. My trucks had all of the factory emissions stuff, but the visual inspection was about 20 seconds long. Worst thing is 95 and older had to be tested every year in maricopa, but I never had an issue passing.

The 1995 model is an oddball. Toyota made most of them fully OBD 2 compliant, but the Feds did not require it until the 1996 year model. So the 95 gets tested like an OBD 1. I have heard, but never seen, that there were a few 95s inn the US that are actual OBD 1.

 

[peacesells63]

The 1995 model is an oddball. Toyota made most of them fully OBD 2 compliant, but the Feds did not require it until the 1996 year model. So the 95 gets tested like an OBD 1. I have heard, but never seen, that there were a few 95s inn the US that are actual OBD 1.

Yep, it has been a blessing and a curse. Blessing since I have passed emissions with an egr CEL on for years… also a blessing because I can put boost to the factory ecu. Come to think of it, the only downside is the 1 year emissions.

Toyota was way ahead of the game with obd 2, a few of the Lexus cars were full obd 2 in the early 90’s.

 

[DSRTRDR]

I'm in this same boat with my 62 right now here in Maricopa Co. Had it in shop etc for starting issue since earlier this year. Meantime registration expired. Now won't pass emissions test and having to look into a potential cat problem. Can't get classic without it passing emissions first as the registration had expired.

you may want to consider an old-school shop that knows what they are doing - send me a PM if you need a contact

I will need to smog my 40 again this summer, and since it barely passed last summer . . .

 

[toy_tek]

I'm in this same boat with my 62 right now here in Maricopa Co. Had it in shop etc for starting issue since earlier this year. Meantime registration expired. Now won't pass emissions test and having to look into a potential cat problem. Can't get classic without it passing emissions first as the registration had expired.

What are the numbers that are failing?

 

[samtoddlee]

What are the numbers that are failing?

I believe it's the carbon. thinking that one of the two cats I replaced about 2 years ago has failed. Number is about 500 ppm on standard of 20 ppm.

 

[toy_tek]

I believe it's the carbon. thinking that one of the two cats I replaced about 2 years ago has failed. Number is about 500 ppm on standard of 20 ppm.

Anything is possible but I’d be surprised if a cat really failed in 2 years. Did you mean 220ppm? 20 seems low. Also is the failed reading at idle, acceleration or at speed? I know if it’s close that HC reading can actually be reduced with a fresh oil change, as Hydrocarbons build up in oil. Yours may be too far off for that alone to get you under the threshold.

Here’s a good guide for things to check & confirm before you throw more money at cats= What Causes High Hydrocarbon (HC)? | SmogTips.com - https://www.smogtips.com/failed-high-hydrocarbons-HC.cfm

Let us know what you find. This info is helpful to all of us with older rides dealing with emissions.

 

[-Spike-]

Running very rich, like having fuel leaking into the cylinder, can damage cats. Otherwise they're fairly indestructable.