AIRCARE questions

[blk lt awd]

i've got a few q's for our local vancouverites regarding aircare. i've got an 03 mazda protege which is my daily driver. turns out this is the first year that air care is req'd for me in order to insure my veh. again. it just so happens that my check engine light is on as well as my abs light. i've got the codes and it turns out the check engine light is on due to the first O2 sensor needing replacement. the car has been running fine since the light came on and life has just gotten in the way of everything lately so haven't had a chance to take care of the issues.

i guess what i'm wondering is will i fail the air care test if i take it in with the check engine light on? abs light? i don't think they'll do an emissions test and will just hook up the obd2 scanner to check for codes. if i go to a mechanic and get the light turned off...then take it directly to the test center w/out turning the car off will that be ok to get it to pass?

any insight would be great. thanks.

[CaptSquid]

For the benefit of those of us who aren't Canadian, what is AIRCARE?

[crash]

emissions testing

I can tell you all about the Ontario DriveClean .. not the BC Aircare... I'm sure there are many differences hopefully someone in BC can tell you

[Kabey's Van]

I can't tell you much about what they look for in an Aircare inspection as we don't have Aircare on the Island.
I can tell you that when I moved back to B.C. from Alberta, I had to have all of my vehicles, regardless of their age, safety inspected by an ICBC authorized mechanic before I was allowed to register them in B.C.
They checked the emissions, but the emissions were compared to the year of the vehicle, and the emissions it would have been putting out at the time when the car was new. They also checked to make sure that all of the gauges and warning lights were working. On my hotrod they even checked the brake line pressures.
In 1996 when I moved out to Alberta I had to go through an Alberta Goverment inspection station and they checked for everything, it took half a day to complete.

[phr1$k37]

Hi! Where are you located in Vancouver?
If it really is indicating your ABS maybe you should get that done hahah as for the the O2 yes. You will fail because they use the on-board scanner now. My co-worker has a 2003 Pathfinder and it took all of 1 minute for the test to complete >.< So they only scan now.

PM me

[blk lt awd]

Hi! Where are you located in Vancouver?
If it really is indicating your ABS maybe you should get that done hahah as for the the O2 yes. You will fail because they use the on-board scanner now. My co-worker has a 2003 Pathfinder and it took all of 1 minute for the test to complete >.< So they only scan now.

PM me

thanks for all the responses guys. ahhaha, yes, the "abs" need a bit of work too...hahah.

phrisk....you sir have a pm.

[Kidhauler]

I beleive if you disconect the battery it will turn the light out untill the code sets again. However this will happen as soon as the car gets warm and it knows that the sensor is shot. The sensors are fairly cheap and can be changed in minutes I would swap the sensor and reset the computer before you go in. It will cost more to go to the mechanic and have him plug in your car than it would to fail the test. If your not 100% sure that the code is caused by the o2 sensor take it to aircare and have them down load it and fail. Then you will know exactly the code and can have it fixed properly. The test is only $46 but going to the mechanic is usually 60 or more. Plus if there is more wrong than just the O2 sensor the cost of the rest of the repairs would go towards your repair cost max limit set by Aircare.

Pretend that you replace the O2 sensor and you go in and still fail because lets say your CAT is pooched as well and that was causing the code. You would now be able to buy 3 months insurance in order to give you time to fix the car. Then you would have to take it to a mechanic and have it repaired. Lets say that your O2 sensor was $100 and your cat is worth $450. Now if your car has a repair cost limit of $500 per year you would have to get the Cat fixed and then go back to get tested again and lets say you pass and life is happy. The total in this case is $550 in repairs this year to fix the car and get it to pass.

Now lets say you go in and let the car fail the first time. You have a max limit of $500 to spend so you do the first repair of the O2 sensor for $100. Now the next repair will put you over the repair cost limit. So you can get a "Conditional pass" and wil be able to buy one year insurance. This will alow you to spread the cost of repairs out over a couple of years so you don't get nailed with a huge bill one year out of the blue.

Of course that is a bit of the worst case scenario. If you beleive the O2 sensor is shot replace it and your fuel mileage will get better. When the O2 sensor goes the car will run rich to prevent it from burning out a valve or piston.

[SoCalli V8]

Yes you will fail if there is an engine check light on.
As previously stated, replace that bad sensor because if your vehicle is now running rich that will destroy your cat internally.

[blk lt awd]

I beleive if you disconect the battery it will turn the light out untill the code sets again. However this will happen as soon as the car gets warm and it knows that the sensor is shot. The sensors are fairly cheap and can be changed in minutes I would swap the sensor and reset the computer before you go in. It will cost more to go to the mechanic and have him plug in your car than it would to fail the test. If your not 100% sure that the code is caused by the o2 sensor take it to aircare and have them down load it and fail. Then you will know exactly the code and can have it fixed properly. The test is only $46 but going to the mechanic is usually 60 or more. Plus if there is more wrong than just the O2 sensor the cost of the rest of the repairs would go towards your repair cost max limit set by Aircare.

Pretend that you replace the O2 sensor and you go in and still fail because lets say your CAT is pooched as well and that was causing the code. You would now be able to buy 3 months insurance in order to give you time to fix the car. Then you would have to take it to a mechanic and have it repaired. Lets say that your O2 sensor was $100 and your cat is worth $450. Now if your car has a repair cost limit of $500 per year you would have to get the Cat fixed and then go back to get tested again and lets say you pass and life is happy. The total in this case is $550 in repairs this year to fix the car and get it to pass.

Now lets say you go in and let the car fail the first time. You have a max limit of $500 to spend so you do the first repair of the O2 sensor for $100. Now the next repair will put you over the repair cost limit. So you can get a "Conditional pass" and wil be able to buy one year insurance. This will alow you to spread the cost of repairs out over a couple of years so you don't get nailed with a huge bill one year out of the blue.

Of course that is a bit of the worst case scenario. If you beleive the O2 sensor is shot replace it and your fuel mileage will get better. When the O2 sensor goes the car will run rich to prevent it from burning out a valve or piston.

thanks for the info kid. all good stuff. i was looking at it from a worst case scenario as time isn't exactly on my side at this point. i've got the o2 sensor on order and was actually cheaper at the dealer than after market at $200 since it's a "heated" type. if it doesn't get here on time then was approaching it from that perspective. unfortunately i'd have to have the light turned off as disconnecting the battery doesn't work. but you're right, it would be cheaper to take it through to get the fail and at least be able to drive it for 3 months and take care of the repairs.

what happened to this whole aircare thing anyways....i hear they got the contract renewed for another year after this year was supposed to be the last year for them.

[v8famvan]

As I am a certified AirCare technician I can shed some light on this.....

1998 & newer vehicles only get a scan test.
1) If there is a pending code (no light on yet) - it fails.
2) If the Malfunction Indicator Light (SES) is on - it fails.
3) If the Inspection Maintenance flags are not set - it fails.

What are Inspection Maintenance flags? :-k
They are a diagnostic parameter in the computer that can be read with a scan tool. These flags set - or turn on - when all the trouble code diagnostic tests have ran & passed for a specfic system ie: Catalyst, EGR, EVAP, AIR, O2 sensors, etc.

When you clear the codes in a OBD II vehicle, the flags also get cleared or reset. As everyone knows, codes are bad - indicating a problem. What not everyone knows is IM flags are good - indicating everything is properly functioning.

So, clearing your codes & then trying to go thru AirCare will get you a fail. It takes time for the IM flags to set again after a codes clear.

My recommendation - If you have an O2 sensor codes that will be corrected with an O2 sensor replacement, then replace the O2 sensor. Drive the vehicle for a day or 2, get your vehicle scanned to see if there are any pending codes & if your IM flags have all reset. Any AirCare shop or competent technician can do this for you. If it scans good then go thru AirCare & you will be guaranteed a pass.

[Kabey's Van]

Envirotest Canada (aka. Aircare) will be under contract until December 31/11.
Their contract with the B.C. Government is reviewed on an annual basis. There has been talk of the program being fazed out because the vehicles that are on the road now are much more capable of controlling emissions through on-board computers.
In 1991 when the program began there were still a lot of non-computorized, non-fuel injected vehicles on the road.
Peter

[phr1$k37]

James!!!
heheh I have been thinking of contacting you many times to see where is a good dyno place to bring my vehicle and get a good tune job
For the life of me I cannot find out why the power goes flat some times during moderate acceleration. Ok /end hijack of post.

I hope you get time to replace the O2 sensor Gary!
James is a guru and if says it will fail, most likely it will :(

[astrozam]

Great info as always James

Probably best to move this over to Eng/gen performance forum or Exhaust and then we will sticky it.

[GnarliSafari]

so in canada you guys can purchase car repair insurance?

[potskie]

so in canada you guys can purchase car repair insurance?

Car insurance in BC is a little different. IIRC you get your car insurance from a crown owned company( so the province). But to renew your insurance and plates you need to pass aircare. This is how I understand it from my buddy who has brought back at least a half dozen vehicles from there on his many misadventures to and from BC.

In ontario and most of the more normal provinces you need to pass emissions testing to renew your stickers or tags.