when the hell did Texas start sniffing pipes? I always went to the local Joe Schmoe Garage wherever I was and had it inspected.

only thing I've ever seen an Inspection Station do was lights, brakes, blinkers, brakes, e-brake, horn and mirrors.

 

I should try a different shop myself. Every year I end up having to put my stock tune and cai back on because it always fails at least one check their handheld tool does. Last year was the first time I tried the "fix" that someone suggested, that is, put your stock tune back on, leave ur aftermarket cai in, and drive it at 55 mph for about half an hour. This didn't work for me, but I think I may have not gone a full 30 minutes.

 

Texas has been sniffing pipes for over 20 years. However, it depends on the county in which your vehicle is registered. If you live in a "smog" county, this is part of the inspection process. If you live basically anywhere outside of DFW, Houston, Austin, or El Paso it is still just the standard lights, horns, wipers inspection.

At least the new OBDII test is a lot less painless then the old ASM dynomometer tailpipe test for pre-1996 cars. It was a real pain to keep my 24 year old 3/4 ton truck running clean enough to pass that test. I outlasted them though. The truck is 25+ years now. So, it's now emissions exempt!

 

Im o/r and I pass emissions every year.

 

Nice, thanks...

I'm in Spring, TX, Montgomery County...Inspections are funny, cause 18 guys in a 86 civic BLOWING black smoke can have the correct sticker (may not be for that car, but visually they are legal) but my trailblazer, 250 and pony have issues...lol

 

What I fail to understand is how a city the size of San Antonio is NOT a smog county. I had my dyno tune done down there at Murillo. Failed inspection in Travis and drive it back down for retune, then back up to Austin. Failed AGAIN and just gave up, installed a mail order tune. Hated to do that because the dyno tune was awesome but I couldn't keep running back and forth trying to pass. And you have to get stickered in the county where your car is registered which really screws the pooch.

 

I am in spring (woodlands) too. They will do obd2. Ask your tuner if they have the O2's on. If you have catted headers then you may need spacers on the O2s in order not to through yellow light. Make sure you have the O2s turned on ( with the right tune and do not reload the tune) for at least one heat cycle (lets call it a day or 2) prior to the inspection otherwise they may not show ready.

 

I had the Brenspeed 93 oct tune on my 07 and it failed the emissions. You'll have to revert back to stock and complete a drive cycle which is a pain in the ***. For starters let your car idle for 15 min to heat up the cats, then drive for "about" 10 min. between 45-55 mph non stop (no traffic). It may take a few times, but you'll get it.

 

If you are not in an emissions county, then you do not need to worry about returning to stock tune because they will not do emissions testing. Just the usual car inspection.

So far, only 17 counties make you do emissions testing. only 17 out of 254 counties, I say that is not bad.
If you live in the high population areas, that county might have emissions testing.
These counties are: Harris, Travis, Dallas, Tarrant, El Paso, Williamson, Galbveson, Brazoria, Fort Bent, Montgomery, Collin, Denton, Parker, Johnson, Ellis, Rockwall, & Kaufman Counties.

If you do not live in any of these counties, you do not need to worry about emissions testing at all.

Notice that the high population counties are the ones that have emissions testing: Houstin, DFW metroplex, and now Austin (Austin is growing damn fast). El Paso unfortunately suffers from bad air not because of people in El Paso, but because of the pollution blowing over form Mexico;s neighbor city, Juarez! El Paso got screwed and it is not even the fault of cars in El Paso.

 

DOH! I should have read much deeper into this thread!

You being in Montgomery County does require the damn sniff test.

I guess what you can do is this: If you have another place out of emission testing areas, like a brother who lives in Huntsville for example, you can establish another residence address using your brother's address in Hunsville, register your car in Walker County, and you do not have to do emissions testing!