So what can we do to help clean the air? It’s all very simple actually. Here are two very simple ways to keep our car emissions to a low level.

1. Use your car as less as possible.
Of course, the most obvious answer is to not use the car in order to not emit harmful chemicals into the air at all. But in our age and time, cars are an important tool in our lives.

So let us compromise and instead decide to just drive as less as possible. If it is possible for you to just ride the bus or hitch a ride with a friend or colleague, then do so. It is fun to have a carpool sometimes. If you live close to where you work, you can also just take a walk or a bike. Make sure to avoid traffic, too, on times when you are using your car.

2. Check your car regularly.
Whether or not you are using your car a lot, it is important to maintain your car in great shape. Even if emissions testing was not required, it is still important to get your car checked and tuned regularly. Aside from safety reasons, properly tuned cars emit less and pollutes less.

These two basically covers the bulk of what we can do to help clean the air. Decreasing our car usage and lowering our vehicle emissions are certainly big factors in this goal.

Earlier this year, it has been recommended to Ada County that they change to an outside company for the testing. SysTech International is the company that does the emissions testing for Canyon County, and charges $9 less than what the red testing vans of Ada County charge. This has been met with resistance from the emissions testers, of course. Many of them are already scrambling for other jobs in fears of losing this one. Ada County has yet have anything to say about this, other than they are still observing neighbor Canyon County for its involvement with SysTech International in testing vehicles.

Canyon County and Nampa, still in its premature stage, face a disappointing number of emissions repairs and testing customers. There are still those who have doubts regarding the emissions program. There are still many vehicles that have not yet been tested.

We will probably know the answers to all our questions right now either by the end of the year or the start of next year.

There are over 23 emissions testing stations in Canyon County, with 15 of them here in Nampa:

For any Nampa emission repairs, we here at All-Tech Auto Repair cane take care of that. We’ll get your car tuned up and ready for your emissions testing at the testing stations above.

Changing over to SysTech International is being mulled over, but the Ada County Air Quality Board is going to wait at least six months before making a decision over this. The board wants to evaluate and compare its situation with that of Canyon County for at least six months, and see if changing who operates the testing will be a good move or not.

Right now, all they are willing to change within the program without having a set limit of months is to reduce prices and to limit the number of test stations, if necessary. They are thinking of lowering the $20 maximum price for the emissions test, and setting a maximum number of testing stations in the area.

Considering the possibility of changing over to SysTech International as the testing operators, the board is observing how this is working for Canyon County in the meantime. SysTech International is charging no more than $11 in the vehicle emissions tests. Ada County can very well see the difference in the testing charges and are indeed considering a move to SysTech, but this has raised problems among the station owners who are barely holding on and may run out of business if the move happens.

If you have not had your car checked and fixed beforehand, and ended up failing the emissions testing, do not be too frustrated. You will still be able to get another test, specifically within 30 days after your initial testing. Within these 30 days, you have the chance to have your car fixed for any emissions failures and have it completely ready for the second inspection. Failing at the initial testing, you will receive a vehicle inspection report with the reasons for the emissions failure. Have the appropriate repairs made to your car, and have it tested again after 30 days.

For the retest, cars from model years 1981 to 1995 will be subject to the whole anti-tampering and emissions test. Cars from 1996 to those newer will only be go through the inspections wherein the car initially failed at.

Be informed that if you fail to pass the emissions testing, your vehicle registration may be revoked. In order to re-register your car, you will have to go through another testing again until you pass. Only when you pass the emissions test will be able to re-register your car.

source: Idaho Vehicle Inspection Progress

One reason for the big number of failed attendance to the testing may be that these 2,000 car owners are still uncertain towards the requirements of vehicle emissions control and testing.

Ada County does not have it good either. On average 1,000 vehicles fail to get tested every month. If after 35 days (from the postage date of the notice) the owner still has not subjected his car to the test, registration of the vehicle will be revoked by the Idaho Transportation Department. The owner will have no choice but to have the vehicle retested and then get an approved waiver to get the car registered again.

source: BoiseWeekly.com

Not so for other areas and states. It has been determined earlier that our neighbor Ada County is contemplating some changes to its emissions program come next year. And now it has been reported that New Jersey, one of the states that have adopted California’s strict emission laws years ago, has made changes of their own. New Jersey has now ended inspections on privately owned vehicles, and has limited emissions testing to vehicles that have turned five years old instead of four.

The decision to end the vehicle inspections was motivated by the prospect of saving the state millions of dollars. The Motor Vehicle Commission also says that it can no longer justify spending millions on inspections and re-inspections done every year. This decision will only be for privately-owned vehicles. Commercial-plated vehicles such as buses and taxi cabs will still be subject to emissions testing and mechanical inspections for public safety.

As for the state’s emissions testing, the test will be conducted on cars that are five years old instead of four. Testing every two years is still required, but the car will not have to be checked for other mechanical problems like faulty brakes and broken tail lights.

Nampa may have to make some decisions like these in the future. Right now, however, as we are still only two months old in the program, we will just have to stick with our regulations and see how things are next year.

Everyone seems to be anticipating changes to occur, and it is only a matter of when the changes will be implemented. It has been determined that the Ada County Air Quality Board will be waiting until the end of the year to decide if the county’s program on vehicle emissions will be changed or not.

Possible changes to the program will include the lowering of the maximum price and switching to the testing company used by Canyon County. Ada County emission repairs and testing are done by independent contractors in vans and other testing locations in the area. The maximum price they allow is $20. Compare that to Nampa emissions testing where the fee is $10 to $11, and the tests are conducted Systech in automotive shops.

An important fact we can get from the video is that we have to make sure our cars are working well. They should be constantly cleaned inside, and the parts that need to be tuned should be tuned.

As we all know, the Nampa emissions repairs and testing began at the beginning of June. Cars from 1981 to 2005 are required to be tested, with hybrids an exemption. Testing costs $10 and you only have to have your car tested every other year.