What to Expect During Dallas State Inspection

What to Expect During Dallas State Inspection

Car registrations and inspections both play a crucial part in car safety, no matter where you reside. When a car is registered this means that it is “up to par” with the current safety standards.

If you want to pass the state inspection, your vehicle must be prepared for it. If you fail to do so, you’ll be left with a failed inspection and possibly a ticket from the police, in case you are caught with expired car registration. Although the Dallas stateinspection is quite similar to other state inspections, there are several things you have to consider.

What to Expect

The state of Texas requires all vehicles to go through an annual safety inspection. If you’re approaching the year, you’ll be provided with a 90-day grace period to complete the inspection, along with the registration, from the day you receive a notice from the state.

Also, Dallas residents will have to undergo an emission testing procedure. However, there are a few exceptions to this requirement:

Special Types of Vehicles

Diesel-powered vehicles, along with motorcycles and electric cars, are not required to go through emissions testing, as part of their annual safety inspection.

Excessively Old and New Vehicles

Vehicles that are manufactured at least 24 years ago, or even more, are not required to take the emissions testing. The same applies for brand-new vehicles until their two-year initial inspection sticker expires.

Emissions Testing

Although Texas does not obligate all counties to have emissions testing, Dallas and the other 16 counties must do it. The purpose of this emission test is to measure the amount of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons that leave your vehicle. If the value is higher than normal, your vehicle will fail the test and you’ll have to follow certain procedures for a failed safety inspection.

Depending on the age of the vehicle, owners should anticipate 2 types of emission testing.

1996 and newer – during the emissions testing, the On-Board Diagnostic (OBD) will be used to determine whether your emissions are working properly. Moreover, these vehicles will undergo a visual inspection of the emissions systems, including its components.

1995 and older – owners of older vehicles should anticipate an Accelerated Simulation Mode (ASM) test, which simulates various driving conditions while the tailpipe is checked by an analyzer for emissions.

Helpful Tips for Passing

The safety inspection can seem a bit intimidating however, we’ve prepared a couple of suggestions that could potentially aid you in passing the inspection.

Tire Inspection – make sure your tires are properly inflated, aligned, and rotated. Tires should be around 30-35 PSI, according to the rule of thumb.

Oil and Filters Change – this is very important for the emissions test. You have to follow the manufacturer’s recommended service schedule.

Gas Cap – make sure your vehicle’s gas cap is the right one for your model and also in the right place, before the inspection. Having a properly fitted cap will help prevent a lot of evaporated emissions from releasing into the atmosphere.