PA emissions inspection and 2500 gassers

[dhay13]

So just got off the phone with my son who is in Minnesota for work. Some may remember last summer he came home and tried to get his annual safety and emission inspections done but ran into major roadblocks. My county does not required emissions so I have not ran into this issue but apparently you cannot get a safety inspection without the emissions inspection first if required. The problem is the law states passenger cars and light duty trucks use the OBD port for emissions but 2500 gassers are still required to have the tailpipe sniffer test done. The next problem is that there are very few places left in the state that have these devices. Last year between the 2 of us we called about 20-25 places (including 3 new car dealers) and none had the device until the last place he called. I also talked to my next door neighbor that is a mechanic at a Ram dealer and a guy at our marina is a mechanic at a Toyota dealer and neither of those can do them. The guy that did my sons said most of the new dealers around send theirs to him but his machine was on its last leg and he would not be getting it repaired.

So anyway, my son said he has 2 choices before his is due again this summer. Either trade his truck on a Cummins (diesels are emissions exempt) or downgrade his registration from Class 3 (10,000lb) to Class 2 (I think 8600lb). Class 2 would make him overweight for his registered weight when towing his camper, which he tows a few thousand miles a year. He doesn't want to change his registration but doesn't have much of a choice.

So I just emailed my State rep to see if this could be re-written to use the OBD port for testing like all other gas powered vehicles in the state are or to have them be exempt also. I will update this post with any information I get.

 

[NewBlackDak]

So just got off the phone with my son who is in Minnesota for work. Some may remember last summer he came home and tried to get his annual safety and emission inspections done but ran into major roadblocks. My county does not required emissions so I have not ran into this issue but apparently you cannot get a safety inspection without the emissions inspection first if required. The problem is the law states passenger cars and light duty trucks use the OBD port for emissions but 2500 gassers are still required to have the tailpipe sniffer test done. The next problem is that there are very few places left in the state that have these devices. Last year between the 2 of us we called about 20-25 places (including 3 new car dealers) and none had the device until the last place he called. I also talked to my next door neighbor that is a mechanic at a Ram dealer and a guy at our marina is a mechanic at a Toyota dealer and neither of those can do them. The guy that did my sons said most of the new dealers around send theirs to him but his machine was on its last leg and he would not be getting it repaired.

So anyway, my son said he has 2 choices before his is due again this summer. Either trade his truck on a Cummins (diesels are emissions exempt) or downgrade his registration from Class 3 (10,000lb) to Class 2 (I think 8600lb). Class 2 would make him overweight for his registered weight when towing his camper, which he tows a few thousand miles a year. He doesn't want to change his registration but doesn't have much of a choice.

So I just emailed my State rep to see if this could be re-written to use the OBD port for testing like all other gas powered vehicles in the state are or to have them be exempt also. I will update this post with any information I get.

Register it at your house.


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[dhay13]

That would be one workaround but not a 'solution'. We already jokingly mentioned that...lol. But this is an ongoing issue for many in PA. I'm not going to put a bunch of time or effort into it but will see what my state rep says. He is a farmer so might be familiar with this issue. I have been to his house before so figured I'd reach out to him. One guy at our marina had a 2500 Chevy gasser and traded it on a diesel partially for towing but also complained about the issues he had when he had his gasser

 

[HEMIMANN]

Sounds like a legal quandary? Has PA not covered all vehicles, thinking all HD's are diesel?

What are the consequences of writing and letter to them and just ignoring an impossible legal mandate? Will they not issue registration certificates? I mean, it seems it's really up to them to fix their own quandry?

 

[dhay13]

I did tell my son if it were me I might just not get the annual inspection and when cited I would fight it in court but that isn't a viable option for him since he is only in PA a couple of weeks a year and he cannot dictate when that will be so making a court appearance would be very costly for him. He had to take a day of PTO to get it done last time and almost didn't get it done by the end of the day because it took so long to find a place that could do it.

But should be an easy fix if they just change the requirement from the antiquated 'sniffer' to the current OBD2

 

[SeppW]

Why not call the the state office that manages emissions inspections and put the monkey on their back? Makes no sense to require a condition and the GOV can't provide the service to meet the condition.

 

[billa9b0ng]

What county are you/your son in?

 

[dhay13]

I'm in Lawrence County. Son is in Beaver County

 

[pacofortacos]

I can check locally in Allegheny county if you don't have any luck.

 

[dhay13]

I can check locally in Allegheny county if you don't have any luck.

Thanks. He won't need it until this summer I think but we were just talking about it the other day and I figured I'd email my rep. Haven't heard back yet but I didn't expect to with it being a weekend

 

[pacofortacos]

Well if you do just message me. I don't know if they do for sure but I do know of a couple that might still have them.

I thought as long as it has OBD2 epa gear that all you would need is that equipment.

I haven't used my I/M or inspection license since the 90's, and that's all we had back then.

 

[dhay13]

Well if you do just message me. I don't know if they do for sure but I do know of a couple that might still have them.

I thought as long as it has OBD2 epa gear that all you would need is that equipment.

I haven't used my I/M or inspection license since the 90's, and that's all we had back then.

Thanks for the offer and no, we talked to about 20 places including 3 new car dealers and all said they required the old sniffer test. Later on I was talking to me former next door neighbor and the guy at the marina and they said the same thing. My old neighbor works at Krebs CDJ on Rt 8. The other works at a Toyota dealer but not sure which one. And the place that did finally do my sons last summer said Northland Ford sends all of their gas 250's and 350's to him because they couldn't do them (even their brand new ones off the truck). Hopefully they change it soon.

 

[392DevilDog]

@dhay13

Is this just your son's truck in his county or your truck in your county also?

 

[Mistwalker]

Auto Service Mall - Brandt School Rd in Wexford is suppose to do sniffer ($100). Also Baierl Chevrolet but was told they charge $300

This stupid testing is suppose to go away sometime this year but is being held up.

 

[dhay13]

Auto Service Mall - Brandt School Rd in Wexford is suppose to do sniffer ($100). Also Baierl Chevrolet but was told they charge $300

This stupid testing is suppose to go away sometime this year but is being held up.

Thanks for that info!

392DD - just my sons truck. my county is exempt. actually it goes by zip code but yeah i am exempt

 

[RodeoRam]

@dhay13,

Have you looked at this listing of Beaver County emissions testing stations?

http://www.drivecleanpa.state.pa.us/stations/sw_beaver.pdf

Looks like there are still a few doing the tailpipe tests if the state info is correct.

Also, IIRC, your son's truck is a 2018 2500 CC 6.4L 4x4. Is his GVWR 9,000#? That seems to be the cutoff for the PA sniffer requirement. I ask because I didn't know until the emissions station I used here in NC told me I would never need an emissions test, only the safety inspection, because HD trucks were exempted. I had to do some digging on my DMV site, but it says that vehicles over 8,500# GVWR are exempt from emissions. That made me very happy.

 

[dhay13]

GVWR is 10,000. it says right on his registration that emissions is required.

thanks for that link. will check it out

Just looked and **** Gosnell doesn't do it. I called them last year. They used to but got rid of their machine. Youngs is where he got it done at. i will keep this link. thanks!

 

[392DevilDog]

Do you guys have your truck registered as 2, 3, or 4A?

 

[Mistwalker]

I'm at Class 2 and that does not matter. What matters is the GVW on the door tag. I am 8650 GVW and just got inspected. They did not do emissions and when I asked why. I was told I am 50lbs from not needing and didn't bother. My boss has a '18 2500 but his GVW is 10k. His registration says emissions required but place he goes to told him PA are idiots and it goes by GVW and his truck does not need it. He also lives in Beaver county.

 

[dhay13]

hmmm. interesting.

Ours are both Class 3. Registration says 9000lbs but says Class 3 and door sticker says 10,000

Also, there were 2 or 3 others on that list that we had called that no longer do the sniffer test so it isn't completely up to date. Not picking at you for sharing cause it's a great place to look but just in case others are also looking to let them know it isn't 100% accurate. But there are some that are near here that I never heard of so he should be able to find one off that list