Failed Arizona Emissions

[Mike_H]

Has any bodies X ever failed the pressure test in Arizona?

I went to get the Emissions test done on my X today, it did not go so well.

Gas cap test Pass
Evap Components Pass
Pressure test FAIL

Emissions Inspection Results

All in Grams/Mile
Pollutant My X - Applicable Standard
Hydrocarbons 0.11 - 2.00
Carbon Monoxide 5.71 - 20.00
Oxides of Nitrogen 2.03 - 4.00

Every thing went well but the pressure test. I took my X to an emissions shop and I spent $70 for them to find the problem. They applied air pressure into my gas tank from the filler neck and you can hear the air coming out of the top of my tank. They are testing the hose that runs from the tank to the evap canister. My truck runs fine, gets decent gas mileage (for an explorer w/145k) and I never see or smell a gas leak. Has anyone else ever had this problem and if so what did you have to do to fix it?

Thanks
Mike

 

[EliteConcept]

god bless the polluting state of indiana where we don't do emission testing

 

[Mike_H]

Originally posted by EliteConcept
god bless the polluting state of indiana where we don't do emission testing

I don't want to hear about it J/K

 

[Mike_H]

Here is what is going on, my reg ran out on the 31st of March. I could not pay it because I have been out of work because of a knee injury. I wanted to make my truck legit before I drove back to California to be with my family this week. Does anyone know if Arizona has some temp reg that I can get so I can drive it to California and just reg it their right away. I know in California they don’t do the pressure test. I just don’t want to drive it illegally for a 750-mile trip.

 

[Rick]

No such luck. You can only get a permit to operate the vehicle long enough to get it fixed. Like a day or two I think. I may be wrong, but that's what I remember hearing.

 

[Mike_H]

Originally posted by Rick
No such luck. You can only get a permit to operate the vehicle long enough to get it fixed. Like a day or two I think. I may be wrong, but that's what I remember hearing.

Yeah that is all I could find on the az mvd website, it is a buck for three days. I think that I will just try my luck and hide my plate with the uhaul trailer. I am going to mvd in the morning and see if there is any other option, i want to be legal. But then again i find it hard to justify spending the money to have my gas tank pulled and reg my truck here just to smog it and get california plates next week.

This is just another example of why you don't try and cheat the system, carma comes and bites you in the....

 

[Soundguy01tx]

thats ok... we are just starting emissions testing in our county come may 1st, so of course i got my explorer inspected a week ago to give myself another year free of it, and dad is scrambling to get our 91 celica running and passed so that he can sell it without having to do the testing too... haha.
--bryan

 

[Mike_H]

he better hurry, the clock is ticking

 

[brokenman]

Mike, I passed with no problem last year on Emissions. 140,000 miles.
The year or two before that was the kicker, I had my Jeep Cherokee, my sister had borrowed it and lost the gas cap. So I had two other people and me hunting all over Mesa to find a gas cap that fits.

 

[diablo5969]

Originally posted by Mike_H
Yeah that is all I could find on the az mvd website, it is a buck for three days.

Couldn't you wait til the day before you leave, get the 3-day tag, drive to California on the temp tag, and register it as soon as you get there?

 

[Maniak]

One thing to might want to check into.. Some places will waive emision/inspection tests if you bring a vehicle into the state that is already registered..

If I remember correctly, in Arizona, if your vehicle isn't already registered you must do an inspection.. If it is already registered there is no inspection...

~Mark

 

[Mike_H]

Problem solved, thank you guys for all your help. I went to MVD and they told me that the 3 day pass was only good for driving around town. Then the dude told me that he could give me a 30 day use pass for $15. I am happy now. I know in California they only test the Emissions and the gas cap, I am good in those departments. My old Air Force buddy is coming home soon so when he does I will drive up to my old base and use the auto hobby shop and drop my tank and fix it, someday I hope to move my family out to Arizona so I still need to fix it. Thanks again for the help, I am sure once I get the tank off I can find the problem. I will be picking up my trailer from U-Haul in about an Hour and hitting the road in the morning.

 

[RiverRat]

Originally posted by Mike_H
I know in California they only test the Emissions and the gas cap, I am good in those departments.

In Ca they are supposed to start checking the evaporative system and pressure test within a year in all areas of the state. That is what I heard from a Smog dude when I got my truck checked out. California....

 

[Mike_H]

Well it just keeps getting better. The darn truck died today. I was making a left turn into oncoming traffic and then it just died. I have done a few test and have determined that the fuel pump took a dump. While I was checking stuff out I stuck my hand inbetween the frame rail and the body to see if I could fell anything wrong with the top of the tank, the darn hose that goes from the gas tank to the evap canister is not even connected! I can't belive that I paid some dude $70 yesturday and they did not find that. Well now it looks I dont have the luxury of waiting a few weeks to drop the gas tank. I need to find a way to tow my truck also, i just renewed the insurance and I dropped the roadside assistance to save money. Well I guess as the saying goes "when it rains it pours". The worse part about all this was telling my daughter that I was not going to be home tommarow, she cried and I almost did too

 

[Robert]

Originally posted by Maniak
One thing to might want to check into.. Some places will waive emision/inspection tests if you bring a vehicle into the state that is already registered..

If I remember correctly, in Arizona, if your vehicle isn't already registered you must do an inspection.. If it is already registered there is no inspection...

~Mark

Not so in Arizona. All vehicles coming in to the state have to be emissions certified whether they have tags or not. When I moved back here in '98 I brought my 6 month old '97 Explorer with Ohio plates. I had to get the emissions checked to get my AZ tags. After that emissions weren't required on mine for the next four years since vehicles 5 years an newer don't have to have their emissions checked (unless you bring them in from out of state).

 

[Mike_H]

Well the X is running again!

Changing the fuel pump is one frustrating job. I was lucky before I started I gave everything a little spray of penetrating oil and every but of hardware came off with out issue. I bought a fuel line disconnect kit, I still could not get the darn fuel lines off. I just took off the left rear tire and opened up the gas tank with it being under the truck still. I had about a 1/3 of a tank of gas in it, that made it kind of difficult to get the gas tank back on.

My emissions issue should be good now, the darn vapor hose going to the evap canister was not even on the tank.

The entire job took my friend and I about 6 hours, that’s not counting all the times we had to chase down one of his little kids because they kept running off with the hardware or tools. As long as it does not decide to break down again today I will be hitting the road in the morning

 

[Maniak]

Robert,
What I meant to say (I re-read what I wrote and it did sound funny) was that if your vehicle is already registered you don't need an inspection (different than emision test), but if your brining an out of state vehicle into AZ you must have it inspected.


Edit
I just checked their website.. and they changed the rules... now it says...

What do I need to register my out-of-state vehicle?
Completed, signed title application
Emission compliance form (Maricopa and Pima counties only)*
Level I vehicle inspection
Out-of-state title (or registration, if title is held by lienholder)
Out-of-state license plates
Lien clearance, if applicable
Power of Attorney from lessor (original or certified copy), if leased vehicle
Payment of necessary registration fees
* Emission test not required if vehicle is 5 years old or newer. Instead pay an emission option fee along with the registration fees.





~Mark

 

[Robert]

Originally posted by Maniak
. . . I just checked their website.. and they changed the rules... now it says...

What do I need to register my out-of-state vehicle?
Completed, signed title application
Emission compliance form (Maricopa and Pima counties only)*
Level I vehicle inspection
Out-of-state title (or registration, if title is held by lienholder)
Out-of-state license plates
Lien clearance, if applicable
Power of Attorney from lessor (original or certified copy), if leased vehicle
Payment of necessary registration fees
* Emission test not required if vehicle is 5 years old or newer. Instead pay an emission option fee along with the registration fees.
~Mark

The only thing different now from when I registered five years ago is now it says that the emission test isn't required for vehicles 5 years old and newer. Mine was only 10 months old when I brought it in, however they still stuck their magic wand up my tail pipe. Had mine been a 2WD they would have also driven it on their dyno as well. I don't know if the 5-year rule was in affect when I got here though. Maybe it wasn't in 5/98 so that might be why they made me get my emissions tested. I know I didn't have to from '99 through '01. Last year I had to go back and will now for ever.

 

[Mike_H]

I wanted to test my truck out today so I took it down my favorite trail one more time, it went flawlessly! After that I went back to the emissions stations and it passed this time! I got my trailer loaded up and I am leaving for the San Fran bay area in about an hour. You guys take care, I will be back on the site in a few weeks.

L8R
Mike

 

[Mike_H]

Well I made it, turns out the internet is already working here too The X just did 750miles with a trailer from Phoenix to the San Fran bay area with out a prob, and she got an avg of 16mpg, not too bad.