Getting My Car Inspected.....

[JayCub]

So, Its that time of the year and I need to go and get my car inspected, but I wanted to ask you guys a few questions first. I drive a 1991 Chevy Lumina, and I live in texas and here they are really tough on the emissions testing. Some of my friends have been telling me that since my service engine soon light comes on everyonce in a while that my car will not pass the inspection, even if nothing else is wrong with it,and I wanted to know if this is true or not? Also I was wondering if when you go to get your car inspected if they check the Emergency brake or not, becuase the one on my car isnt working at the moment. (Im going to mess with it before the weekend and try to get it to work hopefully though). My car also does not have the rear view mirror, but it has both the driver side and passanger side mirror, so that should not matter should it? Any advice is welcome. Thanks

[sierrap615]

brake and mirriors both vary depending on the state

if the light comes on during the inspection, they will fail you. if they put you on the dyno(i don't know if texas does) you may or maynot pass.

[97talonman]

If your service engine light comes on and turns itself on it means that whatever problem it was finding that made it turn off has corrected itself, this could be caused by a loose connection on a sensor, if it finds the problem a few times it will more than likely keep the light on and save the trouble code. So it might or might not fail you on emmisions

[JayCub]

Well, The service engine light only comes on when I am at stop lights and the only reason it comes on I think is because my car sometimes dies at redlights so I have to hold the brake and keep the RPM's up around 900, and If i sit at a stop light for about a minute or longer the light will come on, but it goes away as soon as the car starts to go again. And yes they do hook you up to a dyno here, does that mean that I am more likely to fail it or what?
Thanks for all the advice so far guys.

[Cait Sith Cat]

If you live in a county with emissions, your '91 will take the ASM (acceleration Simulation Mode) test. Putting your car on a dyno and testing the emissions physically, rather than checking the compter for error codes corresponding to emissions control failures.

In other words, the 'check engine light' isn't AS MUCH OF a concern on vehicles 1995 and back.