A number of significant changes have been made to the emission testing program for 2015.
New vehicles (2011 and newer) previously were exempted from emission testing for 4 years and this has been extended to 7 years. For example, a 2011 vehicle due for an emission test under the old program won't need an emission test until 2018.
Vehicles that are 8 to 11 years old (2005 to 2008 model years in 2015) will have their On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) computer scanned. This will be in place of the dynamometer ("treadmill") test. If the "Check Engine" light is on or if the monitoring systems that the computer looks at are not set to "Ready", the vehicle won't pass. Air Care Colorado explains on their website:
"There are up to 11 readiness monitors in a vehicle that allow the vehicle's Onboard Diagnostic system (computer system) to monitor for potential emissions problems. Some of these monitors run whenever the vehicle is operating while others run periodically. Once a monitor has run, it is set to "Ready" indicating that the system's self-evaluation is complete."
Gasoline hybrid vehicles that are 8 years old (2008) or older will require the same OBD "plug in" test every 2 years.
Vehicles that are 12 years and older will continue to get the dynamometer (I/M 240) test. This applies to model years 1982 to 2004.
You can avoid an emission test altogether if you pass the Rapid Screen test 2 times. The Rapid screen is the roadside site you may have seen on some of the entrance ramps to the interstate. The 2 times of passing the Rapid Screen test must occur during the 14 month time period before your plates expire, but not during the two months previous to the month the plates expire. For example, if your plates expire in September 2015, you will have to pass the rapid screen test 2 times between July 1, 2014 and June 30, 2015.
Locations move around and are listed on the Air Care Colorado website.
If you have any questions about the changes in the emission program or if your "Check Engine" light needs to be analyzed, contact us. We are a registered emission repair facility with a 100% repair rating. We've been serving the Denver area for more than 30 years.
*** Update 9.28.15 - Simply getting a repair shop to clear your 'check engine light' will NOT be sufficient to pass emissions. After a check engine light is 'cleared' the vehicle needs to be driven for a certain amount of time to set what are called 'readiness codes' in the vehicle's onboard diagnosis system. If these readiness codes are not set, the vehicle can still fail an emissions test even though the check engine light is not lit up. This prevents (in theory) people being able to game the emissions test by temporarily resetting the light and not fixing the root cause that could well be increasing harmful emissions. When you bring your car to Addison, if we dont physically take your car to the emissions testing center, we will make sure your readiness codes are set correctly to maximize your ability to pass the emissions test.
