Have you ever failed state emission test on one of your vehicles? Majority of people cannot save a million dollar because they are very dependent on automobiles all their lives and many times spend a lot of money on car repair and maintenance. Vehicle Emission tests are another money draining source for owning vehicles and some people think it is the end of the world. They end up worrying a lot when their vehicle fails the emission test because they do not have the Emergency Fund to repair all problems identified from state emission test. The good news is that there is a way to possibly fix the problem(s) on your vehicle without spending too much money, but it does require some research and some effort on your part.
When a vehicle fails state emission test, the inspector will give you a specific code related to your vehicle for each identified problem. You will have absolutely no idea what the code(s) actually mean. Therefore, you have to take the code(s) and google it along with your car model. For example, “Corolla PO446”. You should get a list of forums that discuss what this code means and how to fix it. Many times, the problem can be easily fixed within 30 minutes of effort especially if it requires a part that needs to be replaced. If you are lucky, there will be step by step instructions with pictures which you should be able to easily follow as long as you have the necessary tool. If not, then you may have to take your car to a near-by mechanic. At least you’ll know exactly what needs to be done to fix it and hopefully it will prevent the mechanic from over-charging.
After you fix the problem, you will have to take your vehicle back to state emission for re-inspection. Usually, you do not have to pay extra on your first re-inspection after failure. Knowing this simple trick can help you save few hundred dollars, which could prevent you from tapping into your Emergency Fund or taking on additional loan.
when there’s a check engine light, it’s an automatic fail. one time, i discovered that if you unhook and rehook the battery, the entire computer system resets. it’ll take a good 15 minutes or so for the computer to recognize there is a problem. so i did this right before i took it in to the emission test center and got it passed.