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Guide To Becoming A Smog Check Station - Equipment Requirements

To participate in the Smog Check program, stations must be equipped with BAR-certified tools and test equipment, calibrated and in proper working order. There are separate equipment requirements for Basic and Enhanced Program Areas of the State.

Equipment for Basic and Enhanced Program Areas

To perform Smog Check inspections on vehicles registered in Enhanced Areas, stations must be equipped with a BAR-97 Emission Inspection System (EIS), which includes a BAR-certified dynamometer capable of handling all two-wheel drive or part-time four-wheel drive light duty vehicles up to an 9,999 pound GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating).

Stations in Basic or Change of Ownership areas of the station use a BAR-97 EIS platform without a dynamometer to perform Two Speed Idle (TSI) tests on vehicles registered in those areas.

To conduct Smog Checks on vehicles registered in all areas of the state, stations must have, at a minimum, the following equipment and materials:

Test Equipment/Materials (Test Only)

• BAR-certified Emission Inspection System (EIS) equipped with a functional bar code reader. Each BAR-97 EIS must be connected to a separate standard single party telephone line at all times.
• Ignition timing light, which measures ignition advance.
• Hand vacuum pump and a vacuum gauge.
• Basic hand tools necessary to inspect vehicle ignition, fuel delivery, and emission control systems.
• A device capable of retrieving trouble codes from vehicles with on-board computers, along with instructions on how to extract codes, and definitions of codes found.
• Fuel fill pipe restrictor dowel gauge meeting BAR specifications.
• BAR bulletins and publications as appropriate.
• The most currently available emissions control systems application information as contained in any nationally distributed and periodically updated manuals that addresses emissions control systems applications.
• BAR-approved evaporative control test equipment.
• Reference materials, including BAR-approved vacuum diagrams, functional test procedures and ignition timing specifications. Electronic forms, such as CD-ROM, are acceptable as long as they also meet the standards set in BAR's "Minimum Requirements for Emissions Repair Manuals".

Repair Equipment/Materials (Test and Repair)

• Ignition analyzer/oscilloscope.
• Compression tester.
• Tachometer/dwell meter.
• Fuel pressure gauge capable of measuring the higher pressure of fuel injection systems.
• Propane enrichment kit.
• Ammeter capable of measuring amps and milliamps.
• High impedance digital volt/ohmmeter.
• Hand tools necessary to adjust, maintain, and repair vehicular ignition, fuel delivery and emissions control systems.
• Diagnostic and repair information for all vehicles being tested and repaired. Such information may be in printed or electronic format and may be nationally distributed and periodically updated references that contain repair and emissions procedures. These references must be up to date and include current model year supplements for automobile emissions control systems. Electronic references shall be provided in printed form upon request from the bureau.
• Automotive computer diagnostic and repair manuals.
• Electronic component location manuals.

Equipment for Enhanced Program Areas

To test vehicles registered in Enhanced Program Areas, stations must have the following equipment, in addition to that specified for testing vehicles registered in Basic Program Areas:

• Enhanced BAR-97 Emissions Inspection System (EIS), which includes a dynamometer capable of handling two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive vehicles, depending on your customers' needs (Test Only).
• A Digital Storage Oscilloscope meeting BAR specifications (Test and Repair).