Will check engine light always make you fail inspection?

I have a 1999 Accent 4 door with 101k on it. Im hoping to get a new car in spring/summer but til then I need to drive this.

So my problem is that my inspections due and the check engine light is on. It has been on for years and I would usually unplug the battery then drive it for couple days put at least 60 miles on the car then inspect it before pops back on. I hooked a obd thing up to it and it was nothing major but cant recall exactly code.

But I was just wondering if anyone knows if a check engine light is an automatic fail for inspections or only fails if it is certain things etc.. Im in New York by the way. I dont want to put any money into a car im getting rid of soon.

In toronto a mil light is a fail for an emission test. (don't know the legislation in your area). In the greater toronto area an IM240 test is conducted on a dyno and 5 gas analyzer. all the monitors have to run and pass.

other areas don't run dyno just check the monitors. if your area just performs the monitors check; clearing the code leaves the monitor not run which is considered a fail. You will have to clear codes then drive the car under the conditons required for the monitor to run...then the monitor will either pass (no dtc set) or fail (set dtc/ service engine soon light).

some areas give a conditional pass if you put X dollars into the repair and it still fails.

You should be able to get testing requirements from a municipal website.

consultIII that's not correct. For Toronto (and all of Ontario) a vehicle with the MIL illuminated can and will still be tested like normal. At the end of the test the operator will note about the MIL light being on resulting in a note printed on the final pass report.

For anyone worried about their car passing if the MIL is on: MANY common service codes like EVAP, Misfire and even O2 errors will still not result in an emissions failure. Yes, the car needs service but with the set limits the I/M program has, many vehicles still pass the test.

went right to the mto drive clean site and your are right. for 2001 and newer vehicles they will allow 1 failed monitor or not completed monitor. 2 incomplete monitors are grounds for failure.





TABLE 9.0.1B: OBD Test Standards
Vehicle Model
Year and
Type
Pass Criteria Fail Criteria
2001 & later
OBD enabled
light vehicle

Vehicle OBD computer is unable to communicate with OBD
emissions test unit.
2 or more supported readiness monitors not set to “Ready”.
MIL is commanded “ON” with DTC(s).
For a vehicle submitted for re-testing after an initial fail and repairs,
the monitor(s) that were associated with initial failure must be set to
“Ready”.

...2 incomplete monitors are grounds for failure.


In Ontario, no OBD data is currently used for emissions inspections. The I/M testing station does not communicate at all with the cars on board diagnostics so any MIL issues will never result in a failure.

However, the current program may change by 2012 with the elimination of the ASM2525 (simulated 25 mph at 25^ incline-load) dynometer test and rely strictly on OBD data and tail emissions. This sounds like the program you have in Alberta maybe?

I think it's a joke if they eliminate the dyno test as NOx (the cause of visible smog) can only be measured under load. They may as well scrap emission tests altogether.

Alberta doesn't test at all...this is oil contry! If fact, cars pass safety inspections with the cats removed. can't figure that one out. bring a car in from out of province though and the inspection is brutal.

as far as ontario's drive clean; sounds like its a faulty system for the consumer, test facilty (whats a dyno and gas analyer cost... 60 000?) and environment. Better than nothing but in my opinion dtc and monitor readiness (as some other areas are using) would be a better way as most cars that pass monitors will pass on the dyno.

Guess they are not concerned about evap emissions either.

So no emissions testing there? I know our certification - safety inspections don't look at emissions equipment being present either but it would be hard to pass the required ETest for transfer-sale if they were missing.

EVAP leakage? OMG... I would guess 60% or more MIL issues are always EVAP related. If big brother started failing cars on EVAP leakage, the roads would be a lot clearer.

It may just be that one or all of the sensors are bad. This happened to me and I was able to fix it by replacing just the upper sensor.