Emissions - 2001 Chevy Cavalier Bi-fuel EXEMPT! (Salt Lake County)

[kirkbenge]

The 2001 Chevy Cavalier Bi-fuel is on the EXEMPTION LIST! (in Salt Lake County). You do not need to pass the OBDII portion of the test. They have recognized issues with getting the components to move to the "READY" state, only a tail-pipe "sniffer" test is required for emissions.

When you go to your local I/M shop, tell them you need the tail-pipe test, and have them call the state at 801-313-6720 (salt lake county) for verification. No need to go through all of the hassle of getting all of those codes to set!

I would assume that if this is a known issue, other states and counties have adopted similar exemption lists. I am in Salt Lake County.

[Highmarker]

Re: Emissions - 2001 Chevy Cavalier Bi-fuel EXEMPT! (Salt Lake County)

I had the same problem last year with my '01 Cavalier. I live in Weber County. I called the Weber-Morgan Health Department and they were aware of the problem and that Salt Lake County was allowing the tail-pipe "sniffer" test, but that Weber County had not made that decision yet.

[Hughes]

Re: Emissions - 2001 Chevy Cavalier Bi-fuel EXEMPT! (Salt Lake County)

They wouldn't even do a sniff test on mine as the Check Engine light was on, and I told them that the Check Engine light sometimes goes out... They didn't care.

Later that day I started the car and the Check Engine light went out, and I drove over to the testing place and they hooked it up (I didn't turn off the car) and were able to read enough of the codes to pass....

I still don't get Utah... can't do a sniff the tail pipe test if the check engine light is on?

[kirkbenge]

Re: Emissions - 2001 Chevy Cavalier Bi-fuel EXEMPT! (Salt Lake County)

Well, it's that time of year again! Time to try to pass emissions.

I called the county emissions place today prior to heading over to my local I/M shop, and informed him that for the last two years, my car always failed and that I always had to come back later and ask them to call the county and confirm the tail-pipe test. I asked what I could do up front so they knew that they could just perform the tail-pipe test. He informed me that I should tell them to be certain to enter "Cavalier CNG" in their computer under model, and that it would prompt them to perform a tail-pipe sniffer test from the start, and that they wouldn't need to perform the OBDII code check.

I drove to my nearest Jiffy Lube and told the technician the information. He told me not to worry, that he'd do it right. Twenty minutes later he came back and told me that I had failed because three codes were "not ready". I looked at his printout, and sure enough, the model was entered as "Cavalier", not "Cavalier CNG". I informed him of his mistake and told him he needed to enter the car model into his computer EXACTLY as it appears on the registration: "Cavalier CNG".

The tech was quite apologetic that he had done it wrong the first time in spite of my forewarning. He told me that once he entered the correct model, the system required him to perform a tailpipe test.

Twenty minutes later, t I was on the road with safety and emission certifications in hand.