you have an '80s car that won't pass EPA

[smashass]

emissions testing; how do you fix that?

The car is a 1983 Cadillac Fleetwood that I was thinking of buying.
It needs new brake pads, which wasn't a big deal, but it didn't even make it through the first part of the emissions test. I took it back to the owner and explained that it won't pass inspection, so I can't buy it.
How could you fix it so it will pass the emissions test, completely redo the exhaust system?

 

[The Dog]

buy a different car.

 

[Sangre Naranjada]

smashass is aggy, that's all he can afford.

smashass,
In all seriousness, he's right. You'll probably need to get a valve job, new engine seals, and a hell of a lot of other work done on the car before it would pass. The car's value simply isn't worth the cost of repairs. Look for a different deal, and good luck finding it.

 

[smashass]

Sangre,

Oh, I'm not going to buy it. The minute I was told it wouldn't pass inspection, I knew I wasn't going to buy it.
I was just trying to help out the original owner.

The car drives, but if it can't pass inspection, he can't drive it. So, I was trying to help him make it driveable, b/c right now, that is his transportation car.

 

[hornshouse]

The cheapest way to get around this is to register your vehicle in South Dakota. South Dakota has an open registration system and you need not be a resident of that state to register your car or truck. The reason to do this is because SD doesn’t require vehicle inspections. It is not illegal to reside in Texas and have your vehicle registered in another state with an open registration policy. If you are pulled over, the officer will inform you that you need to get your Texas vehicle registration, but that is not the law.

The reason I know this is because right now in summer school we are creating an online application for the state of South Dakota to accept non-resident vehicle registrations to do this very thing. My professor has been doing this for 20 years and is also an attorney. He is tired of having to register via the telephone and mail everything in – thus our semester project. I can get you more information if you want, but you can probably find out everything by calling a county clerk in SD.

 

[pmg]

hornshouse,
How does that fix the emissions problems?

 

[MilkmanDan]

It's a workaround, not a fix.

 

[accuratehorn]

It is not legal to reside in Texas with an out-of-state registered car for over 30 or 60 days. This may not be enforced too often, but you can be ticketed for this if you are observed sofflawing in such a manner. And it is certainly not legal to register out of an emission-testing county to circumvent emissions laws.
When Austin starts testing for emissions, in about one year, there will be an exemption for 20 year old or older cars, I believe. Are you sure this clunker isn't exempt? What county are you in?

 

[ths71]

Vehciles that require testing are:
Capable of being powered by gasoline;
from 2 years old to and including 24 years old; and
that are registered in El Paso, Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Montgomery, Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall andTarrant.

You can get an exemption if you register your vehicle as a "circus vehicle"

 

[txzen]

Which part of emissions did it fail (as is which gas)? CO or HC could be one thing (as in out of tune), while NOx is often something else (too rich, too lean, build-up in the combustion chamber, learking injectors, etc). Sometimes, a simple tune-up (spark plugs, etc) will really go a long way, as will a tank of a cleaner like BG44k, followed by the Italian tune-up (drive it like you stole it).

If it's issues with your catalytic converter, make sure the car is good and warm. Go for a nice drive and test immediately. An aftermarket cat (say $300-400), can usually drop emissions way down, even masking over whatever issue is causing the high readings.

As I recall that you were looking at really, really cheap cars, though, a new cat would almost double the price. You are going to have a hard time with a car in this price range, I think.

 

[accuratehorn]

So you can just wait three years and it will be exempt, and you can merrily gas your neighbors as you drive it to work.
Yes, curing the emissions failure may be a couple of simple items, but it could be that the engine is worn out enough to need rebuilding, also.

 

[swTXSU]

Beginning in September, add Travis and Williamson Counties to the list of counties that require emissions testing:

Agenda Wednesday, July 14, 2004 Texas Commission on Environmental Quality 9:30 A.M. 12100 Park 35 Circle Room 201S, Bldg. E

Item 65. Docket No. 2004-0874-RUL. Consideration for publication of, and hearings on, proposed new Sections 114.80 - 114.87 in new Division 3, Early Action Compact Counties, of 30 TAC Chapter 114, Control of Air Pollution from Motor Vehicles; Subchapter C, Vehicle Inspection and Maintenance and Low Income Vehicle Repair Assistance, Retrofit, and Accelerated Vehicle Retirement Program; and corresponding revisions to the state implementation plan. The proposed rulemaking would implement the motor vehicle inspection and maintenance program for Travis and Williamson Counties as part of the Austin area early action compact plan as authorized by Senate Bill 1159, 78th Legislature, Regular Session, 2003. (Bob Wierzowiecki, Garrett Arthur, Ray Austin) (Rule Project No. 2004-071-114-AI)

 

[accuratehorn]

It won't happen in Austin by September. Maybe in about one year. Looks like there will be emission testing in those two counties, though.