Most Burke, VA vehicles have to go through auto emissions testing. Each one must receive a PASS rating before processing its registration through the local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office. The guidelines for each vehicle depending on its age, fuel consumed, and weight.
Diesel-powered – Passenger and property-carrying vehicles with the model year of 1997 or newer require inspection. A 1999 Dodge meets the requirement. The same vehicle must also have a manufacturer’s designated gross vehicle weight of 8,500 pounds or less to need testing.
Gasoline-powered – Passenger and property-carrying vehicles with a model year less than 25 years old of January 1st of the current year require inspection. A 1994 Nissan, for example, is only 24 years from January 1st, 2018. The same vehicle must also have a manufacturer’s designated gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less to need testing.
If autos in either fuel category are too old, or too heavy, they have issued a WAIVER. These Burke, VA vehicles are normally commercial vehicles and process through the DMV with no auto emissions testing.
Autos that receive a PASS rating from one of our Wiygul Automotive Clinics meet Virginia requirements for two years before needing a new inspection. Any auto belonging to a resident of Burke or another city in Fairfax County that meets the requirements listed above need testing. Wiygul emissions specialists perform testing every day at our four VA clinics on all major automotive brands, on a first-come-first-serve basis. Our experience and customer feedback over the last few years is that the wait time for testing is usually shorter in the middle two weeks of each month.
So what happens in auto emissions testing? For every Burke, VA auto, the goal is to reduce the level of carbon monoxide and other emissions released into the air which can affect all residents in Virginia. The test standards were determined and implemented by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the DMV. Interestingly, your initial test might happen on your morning commute.
The DEQ, working with a local business, set up remote sensing stations. As you drive through one, it identifies your auto, and emissions are measured. The resulting ratings are ‘clean screen,’ ‘gross polluter’ or somewhere between the two. If your rating is ‘clean screen,’ you’ll receive a waiver in the mail for your next inspection if your current one expires soon.
Any other result and you receive a notice through the mail to get inspected. A thorough Wiygul Automotive Clinic mechanical inspection checks your emissions system and the technicians can bring it in line with Virginia standards. If you have received this notice recently, or are already due for your next emissions testing, contact us here at Wiygul at 866-702-8050 for our location nearest you.
