TIPS Vehicle Emissions Testing in West Atlanta-Riverside
The State of Georgia Clean Air Force (GCAF) recommends you get your vehicle tested four to six weeks before your registration renewal date. This allows a comfortable margin of time for any needed repairs and retesting.
Vehicles older than three model years must be tested annually. For example, 2012 model year vehicles must be tested for the first time in 2016. If your vehicle is less than three model years old, it’s exempt from emissions testing each year. Exclusions and extensions to Georgia’s emissions testing requirements may impact your particular vehicle or situation. Visit the GCAF website for more information.
When it’s time to test your vehicle, avoid glitches that signal repairs and retesting by having TIPS service your vehicle according to the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule. We place special emphasis on identifying and correcting the most common reasons for emissions test failure:
failure to change oil, according to the owner’s manual;
- failure to keep tires properly inflated;
- malfunction in the components of the vehicle that regulate the fuel/air ratio such as the oxygen sensor and the EGR valve;
- dirty air filter;
- misfiring spark plugs;
- leaks in the vacuum system;
- poor-fitting fuel cap;
- diagnostic analysis to check for codes, which signal transmission issues that increase emissions above the federal limits;
- check belts and hoses for wear.
TIPS emissions customers come mainly from the West Atlanta and Riverside communities. We do testing on 1996 and newer vehicles with testing/wait time usually 10 minutes or less.