WELCOME TO ALS SMOG & REPAIR IN MILPITAS, CA!

Before you take your car in for a smog check, is there anything you can do to give it a better chance of passing? The obvious answer is to make sure your car is running well in the first place. A well-maintained car with all its systems operating correctly will probably pass the smog test. If you think your car isn't running at 100% but you want to avoid the expensive repairs that would be required if you fail, there are simple steps you can take to tilt the odds of passing a smog check in your favor. Here are the top tips from our experts to prepare your car for a smog check:

 

1. Clear that “Check Engine” light. If your car displays a “Check Engine” light, that's an automatic smog check failure. You'll need to get a diagnosis and fix it before you test.

 

2. Drive your vehicle at highway speeds for the two weeks prior to the smog test. This gets the catalytic converter hot enough to burn out any oil and gas residues. The catalytic converter converts harmful pollutants into less harmful emissions before they leave the exhaust system. The worst thing for the proper operation of emissions systems is a series of short trips because the catalytic converter never gets hot enough to do its job.

 

3. Change the oil, if needed. Dirty oil in the crankcase could release additional pollutants, which could cause the car to fail the smog test. While the mechanic is changing the oil, ask him to do a visual inspection of the car's engine to see if any hoses are cracked, broken, or disconnected.

 

4. Get a tune-up two weeks before the smog test. Has any required maintenance been performed well before the smog test? Most mechanics disconnect the battery while doing a tune-up, and this resets the car's onboard computer. The car then needs two weeks of driving to run all the diagnostic tests needed to pass the smog test.

 

5. Make sure the tires are properly inflated. Many states require a dynamometer test, which positions the car's tires on rollers that allow the engine to run at high speeds while it is stationary. If the tires are underinflated, the car's engine works harder to achieve the engine revolutions required by the test.

 

6. Check coolant and gas levels. Since the test runs the car at high speed while it is stationary, less air flows through the radiator to cool it. So make sure to fill your coolant tank properly. Also, the car will be on a dynamometer, possibly at an angle. If gas is low in the tank, this could expose the fuel pump and put vapor in the fuel line, causing the car to fail the test.

 

7. Get a pre-inspection. In some states, smog check stations will do a less expensive pre-inspection that shows if a car will pass or fail without officially recording the results with the state's registry of motor vehicles. 

 

8. Use a fuel additive. Older cars could have clogged fuel injectors, causing them to run lean. An additive such as Techron could clean the small openings and help the car pass the smog test. 

 

If you have any questions about your next smog test, please give ALS Smog & Repair a call at (408) 942-7789.