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Free Check Ups for Your Car
Emily Clinch
 So
you already drive the speed limit, keep your engine tuned, and try
to combine trips. You're a good driver and you know it. In that case,
you should practically look forward to the Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP) and Penndot's new voluntary emissions-testing program.
On track to become mandatory in 2003, the program is free to drivers
and is currently offered in 17 counties.
The program will offer free onboard diagnostic (OBD) inspection and
maintenance (I/M) checks to drivers in areas with histories of poor
air quality, along with sight-checks for gas caps, to determine if
ill-fitting caps are allowing fumes to escape into the atmosphere.
In the OBD, inspectors will attach a cable to the car's onboard computer,
checking for damaged, missing, or malfunctioning equipment.
Drivers in the Philadelphia area, Pittsburgh area, the Lehigh Valley,
and the south-central region of Pennsylvania are welcome to participate
in the pilot program, which should help reduce air pollution. After
all, one third of ground-level ozone pollution comes from gas-powered
vehicles and refueling.
Pennsylvania's air has been getting cleaner over the past decade,
but air pollution levels are still not as low as officials and environmentalists
would like. DEP Secretary David Hess says, "Counties participating
in the OBD I/M check pilot program either have existing problems with
air pollution or are at risk of violating the federal health-based
air-quality standards in the future. And since we, the driving public,
are part of the problem, we must be part of the solution."
Under the program, inspections are available for gasoline-fueled cars,
vans, and light trucks (9000 lbs or less), model year 1996 or newer.
Unfortunately, older cars aren't equipped with the necessary onboard
computers. Still, drivers of pre-1996 vehicles in the Lehigh Valley
and south-central Pennsylvania can participate in some way. Vehicles
built between 1977 and 1995 are eligible for free gas-cap checks and
sight inspections for tampering.
Since the program is not yet mandatory, inspectors cannot require
a driver to make any changes to his or her vehicle. However, the inspectors
can provide drivers with tips on how to improve efficiency-and, since
there's no charge for re-inspection, a driver has a free opportunity
to try again after repairs are made.
Currently, the OBD I/M check pilot program is on track for full implementation
in 2003, once emissions inspectors, station owners, and the general
public have had a chance to develop a greater understanding of the
program's structure and requirements. To find an inspection station
in your area, visit http://www.drivecleanpa.state.pa.us/drivecleanpa/info_obd.htm.
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