Most Reston, VA cars and trucks require auto emissions testing. Each one must receive a rating of PASS before completing registration in a Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office.
So what happens in auto emissions testing? The goal for every Reston, VA car and truck is to reduce the levels of carbon monoxide and other pollutant gases released into the air. Testing standards are implemented and updated by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the DMV. Thanks to recent efforts by the DEQ, your next test could happen on your daily commute.
The DEQ, working with an area business, established remote emissions sensing stations. As you drive through one, it identifies your car or truck, and measures the emissions levels. The results are classified as ‘clean screen,’ ‘gross polluter’ or somewhere between the two. If your car rates as ‘clean screen,’ you’ll receive a waiver in the mail for your next inspection if the current inspection expires soon. Any other result and you receive a notice for inspection in the mail.
Cars and trucks that receive a PASS from one of our Wiygul Automotive Clinics meet Virginia standards and have two years before retesting. Our Wiygul emissions specialists perform auto emissions testing every day on all major automotive brands at our Reston and other VA clinics, on a first-come-first-serve basis. Customer feedback and personal experience over the last several years informs us the waiting time for emissions testing is often shorter in the middle two weeks of every month.
The testing guidelines for each car and truck depend on what fuel it consumes, along with its age and weight.
Diesel-powered – Passenger and property-carrying vehicles with the model year of 1997 or more recent require inspection. A 1999 Dodge auto meets the requirement. The same vehicle, however, must also have a manufacturer’s designated gross vehicle weight of 8,500 pounds or less as well.
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 1995 Peugeot, for example, is only 23 years from January 1st, 2018. It must also have a manufacturer’s designated gross vehicle weight rating of 10,000 pounds or less.
If cars or trucks in either category are too heavy, or too old, the owner is issued a WAIVER. Most Reston, VA waivered autos and trucks are often commercial vehicles and require no auto emissions testing for DMV processing.
A complete inspection at a Wiygul Automotive Clinic analyzes your emissions system so one of our mechanics can bring it in line with Virginia requirements. If you have received a failing notice recently, or are due for your emissions test, call us at 866-702-8050 for the location nearest you.
