Emissions testing: A new step in the registration boogie
24SHARES000
() - January 15, 2003 - 12:00am
With the full implementation of Republic Act 8749, otherwise known as the Clean Air Act last Jan.
1, owners of motor vehicles need to have their vehicles tested and certified for emissions
compliance before the vehicle registration can be renewed. Though emissions testing for
registration purposes started in October 2002, tests have become mandatory starting this
month.
The Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC), in cooperation with the Land
Transportation Office (LTO) has accredited and authorized private emissions testing centers to
conduct these tests and issue the prerequisite certificates, which is required under the LTO’s
new registration procedures. These centers, organized under the Private Emission Testing
Centers Owner’s Association or PETCOA, Inc., are manned by LTO authorized inspectors or
MVETC technicians to properly conduct the tests.
This writer recently took his car to one of these centers (Che Auto Check, DOTC/LTO
Accreditation and Authorization No. 982108812) to see how the new system works.
Upon arrival at the emissions testing center, you’ll find yourself queuing with other vehicles
whose registration renewal schedule coincides with yours. Thus, you are advised to come early
to avoid the usual late afternoon rush. You can have your vehicle tested and certified in any
authorized emissions testing center. The center I chose had a better queuing system than the
other centers in our area since their facilities were designed like that of a service station. The
designed traffic flow of the center encouraged a first in, first out queue while several testing bays,
segregated for gasoline and diesel engines, guaranteed quick service.
When your car reaches the service bay, an MVETC technician will hook up an exhaust gas
sensor to the car’s tail pipe. This sensor is connected to an exhaust gas analyzer, which in my
case was a Eura-400 Automotive Engine Analyzer. This highly-sensitive piece of equipment will
sniff your vehicles exhaust and, through a computer print-out, report the levels of carbon
monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbons (HC) present in your vehicles exhaust stream. CO is a
colorless, odorless lethal gas while HC represents the amount of unburned fuel emitted by the
vehicle’s engine through the exhaust. The government has prescribed that gasoline-fueled
vehicles should not emit more than 3.5 percent CO (by volume) and 600ppm (particles per
minute) HC to be given a certificate of emissions compliance. Diesel-powered vehicles must not
exceed 2.5K for natural aspirated engines and 3.5K for turbocharged diesel engines (Opacimeter
test results). Motorcycles must meet a 4.5 percent CO standard, while the HC limits have not
been set.
Emissions test equipment showed that my 10-year-old computer-controlled electronic fuel
injection (EFI)-equipped car emitted 0.12 percent CO and 211ppm HC from its exhaust during
idling, which was below the government standards, allowing it to pass the test and be deemed
eligible for renewing its registration. A Certificate of Emission Compliance (valid for three months)
and a receipt were printed out, P300 changed hands and my car was out of the emissions testing
center in less than 15 minutes.
Some were not so lucky. A car owner was on his third try (and third testing center) hoping to get
his 15-year-old gas-powered AUV emissions certified. It seemed that his vehicle’s exhaust
emissions were way above the prescribed limits. I advised him to have the engine tuned up, but
he said he had his mechanic tune it up twice and it still couldn’t pass the test. I glanced at his
vehicle’s rear and saw soot around the lower bumper and some white smoke putting from the
muffler. Perhaps, an overhaul is overdue for that AUVs engine or perhaps a top overhaul (valve
train, cylinder head works) or another carburetor/timing adjustment/oil change might suffice. But
one thing is certain: the price of keeping that vehicle on the road will definitely be very expensive,
whether through repairs and maintenance expenses, or through extra-legal dole-outs (lagay).
There have been innuendos and unconfirmed stories that P500 to P1,500 can get you a
"Passed" emissions certificate from unscrupulous and enterprising test center personnel even
without subjecting your car to a smog test.
Read more at https://www.philstar.com/business/motoring/2003/01/15/191602/emissions-testing-new-step-
registration-boogie#LOOmRKAP37Lqrf7G.99
4. Test Procedures and Smoke Opacity Measurement
a) Follow the opacimeter manufacturer's instruction for on the proper installation, operation/use and checking the
accuracy and calibration before and after each test.
b) Set the vehicle gear-change control in the neutral position and the handbrake effectively engaged.
c) Start the engine and warm it up to its normal operating temperature.
d) Accelerate the engine two to three times (2-3) prior to smoke sampling in order to remove deposits of soot and
other carbon particles in the tail pipe.
e) With the engine idling, depress the accelerator quickly, but not violently, to obtain maximum delivery from the
injection pump. Maintain this position until maximum engine speed is reached for about two (2) to four (4) seconds
and the governor comes into action. As soon as this speed is reached, release the accelerator until the engine resumes
its idling speed. Record the maximum reading of the smokemeter.
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f) The operation described in paragraph (4)(e) shall be repeated not less than six (6) times in order to clear the exhaust
system and to allow for any necessary adjustment of the apparatus. The maximum opacity values read in each
successive accelaration shall be noted until stabilized values are obtained. The values read shall be regarded as
stabilized when four (4) consecutive readings are within a hand width of 0.25 m-1 and do not form a decreasing
sequence. The arithmetic mean of the four stabilized values shall be the test result for the concerned vehicle.
g) For motor vehicles designed with several exhaust outlets that are individually connected from paired exhaust ports,
the free acceleration test shall be carried out on each outlet. In this case, the values used for calculating the correction
to the absorption coefficient shall be arithmetical meanvalues recorded at each outlet and the test shall be valid only if
the extreme values measured do not differ by more than 0.15m-1
For motor vehicles designed with several exhaust outlets connected from one exhaust pipe coming from the engine's
exhaust manifold collector, the free acceleration test shall be carried out only on one exhaust outlet, the other outlets
effectively blocked
to prevent leaks.
h) Seal the full load screw of the injection pump/delivery system of the motorvehicle after a pass-test to prevent
tampering;
