tsingtao
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2004
- Location
- Phoenix, AZ
- TDI
- 2016 Mazda 3 Hatchback 2009 Jetta TDI--Bought back 12/21/16
Just got back from the emissions test station; was there for my first required emissions test. (In AZ cars do not have to be tested the first 5 years.)
All diesels are given an opacity test only. The passing opacity value is 20. Having read other bad experiences in Arizona on this board, I was a bit apprehensive.
It could have been a disaster but the tester thought better of testing my car himself, he went and got the manager.
First thing I noticed was that the manager was knowledgeable enough to turn off the ESP before running the car on the dyno.
They retested my car three times, replacing the whole opacity sensor apparatus in between the first and second tests.
After the test the manager came up to me and said, "Let me explain what happened." I immediately replied, "It's all over the internet how Arizona screws up these diesel tests." He said, "I know, that is why at this station, the manager always tests these cars."
Here are the results:
First test -- FAIL Opacity=69.2, Second test -- FAIL Opacity=66.3, Third test -- PASS Opacity=0.
I told him that you could not even find soot in the exhaust pipe when you stick your finger up there and he said, "You're right, thats why I restested it."
So I was lucky. Other TDI owners have been sent away with a FAIL and instructions to get the car fixed,
All diesels are given an opacity test only. The passing opacity value is 20. Having read other bad experiences in Arizona on this board, I was a bit apprehensive.
It could have been a disaster but the tester thought better of testing my car himself, he went and got the manager.
First thing I noticed was that the manager was knowledgeable enough to turn off the ESP before running the car on the dyno.
They retested my car three times, replacing the whole opacity sensor apparatus in between the first and second tests.
After the test the manager came up to me and said, "Let me explain what happened." I immediately replied, "It's all over the internet how Arizona screws up these diesel tests." He said, "I know, that is why at this station, the manager always tests these cars."
Here are the results:
First test -- FAIL Opacity=69.2, Second test -- FAIL Opacity=66.3, Third test -- PASS Opacity=0.
I told him that you could not even find soot in the exhaust pipe when you stick your finger up there and he said, "You're right, thats why I restested it."
So I was lucky. Other TDI owners have been sent away with a FAIL and instructions to get the car fixed,