Why Northern Virginia has an emissions test, what 'not ready' means, and the number-one reason cars fail (hint: it's that dashboard light).
If you live in Arlington, Fairfax, Alexandria or most of the inner DC suburbs, your car needs an emissions test every two years to renew its registration. It's separate from the safety inspection, and it trips up a lot of people. Here's how it works.
The inner suburbs are part of a federally designated air-quality region, so the Commonwealth requires periodic emissions testing to keep older, dirtier vehicles in check. Most gas vehicles from 1996 and newer are included; brand-new cars (roughly their first four model years) are typically exempt.
For 1996-and-newer vehicles, it's an OBD test: a technician plugs into your car's computer and confirms the emissions systems are functioning, that there are no active fault codes, and that the "readiness monitors" have completed their self-checks.
The number-one failure is a check engine light. An illuminated light is an automatic fail, full stop. The second most common issue is a "not ready" status, usually because the battery was recently disconnected or the car's computer was reset, so the monitors haven't finished. The fix for "not ready" is simply to drive the car through a normal mix of city and highway driving for a few days so the monitors complete.
The advantage of testing at a full-service shop is simple: if your car fails, we diagnose the cause, repair it, and re-test, all in one place. Call TAB Motors at (703) 243-3080.
Virginia inspection, oil, brakes, tires and more on Old Dominion Dr. Free air, free coffee, and a straight answer every time.