25 year VA resident here...I'm fully versed on the need for once every 2 years emissions testing.

Can someone please explain how this drive-thru system works? Or how it's supposed to work? I drove through a couple of times and never got a bill. It's the end of the month so, I just took my car into the shop and had the test done there...I read through the VDOT website but, it's poorly written and difficult to understand.

Sorry...VA DMV, not VDOT...

You are suppose to look up the locations on line and then drive thru them. It some determines if your car passes. If it passes then it shows up on the DMV site as passed.

Not sure about the cost. Also I think your vehicle has to "qualify" for the test.

Go to this website. Enter License Plate & Last 4 digits of Vehicle ID No
https://rapidpassvirginia.com/VaPublic/Search/Lookup





https://rapidpassvirginia.com/VaPublic/





http://www.deq.virginia.gov/Programs/AirCheckVirginia/ForMotoristsVehicleOwners/RAPIDPASSVirginia.aspx

I have tried to use it, doesn't work worth a fuck.

It's all a boondoggle. It's just another tax to drive a car in NOVA, that's all the entire emissions inspection is.

Here is the info for Rapidpass - http://www.deq.virginia.gov/Programs/AirCheckVirginia/ForMotoristsVehicleOwners/RAPIDPASSVirginia.aspx

I know quite a bit about the program, it has been in the works for like 10 years, lots of prototypes and testing went into this.

Finally rolled out in the last 2 years as I recall.

So here is the scoop as I understand it.

1. If your car has recently failed an Emission Test you will not qualify for the Rapidpass program, they want your car to visit an Emission Test station.

2. I know it can take a while for the cars data to show up on the Rapidpass site. You can visit the site and see if your car was checked, if it passed and pay the Inspection fee if they show your vehicle was tested and was clean.

3. I went though a site back in October as I recall, my car was not due for Emission Inspection unit this month, March. I checked the site a few times after I drove through back in October and never found anything, forgot about it. In February I was mailed a Rapidpass letter than the car had been tested and was clean and I could pay the fee and then I could renew my tags. I waited to pay the fee in early March because it was unclear if I paid the fee and renewed my tags in February would I loose a month.

4. Unclear how long it takes to upload the results, I would expect that evening the data from the machines is captured but it may take a few days/week to merge everything via the DMV license plate database and then upload the info to the Rapidpass site??

5. There are gotchas. Wind, rain and weather conditions can screw up results. Other things like the camera not getting a clear shot of the license plate or some failure or problem with the computers running the machine may make the sample invalid.

6. If the car is registered to a different physical address, you may not get a letter, but you will ONLY get notified by mail if the car has not failed an Emission Test and the RapidPass test was sucessful AND the exhaust was deemed clean enough to pass.

Like anything there can and will be problems, but overall the system does work. RapidPass does not deploy the equipment during bad weather or windy days. Even if the equipment is deployed the weather may change during the day and only some of the samples will be accurate.

The sad but true part of the RapidPass system is your car can have the SES/CEL/MIL lit on the dashboard and/or have too many Emission Readiness Monitors not Ready and/or have emission components altered and/or removed and as long as the drive by test is clean enough for the vehicle year, you can PASS.

Do not think you can trick the system and turn off the engine to beat the test, there is an IR thermometer that is part of the system that can and will detect if the engine is fully warmed up and that the exhaust is at the correct temperature and there is exhaust actually exiting the tailpipe(s).

It can be a convenience because there is a list of where the testing sites will be deployed so you can arrange to drive through them if they are nearby, but it is unclear how long it takes for the results to be available. Kind of a crap shoot at this point, but worth trying the RapidPass testing if there are sites near where you travel.

Works fine; Drove through one the set-ups on the way to work, month later got a letter in the mail with all of the necessary info, went on-line, completed info, paid the required $28, got a receipt, went to DMV website, renewed tags, tags came in the mail. Worked very well and I did not have to go to a garage to get the test done.

Costs the same as going to a service station



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/22/2017 02:15PM by Fox News.

may2010 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Works fine; Drove through one the set-ups on the
> way to work, month later got a letter in the mail
> with all of the necessary info, went on-line,
> completed info, paid the required $28, got a
> receipt, went to DMV website, renewed tags, tags
> came in the mail. Worked very well and I did not
> have to go to a garage to get the test done.


This is how the system is designed to work. You really do not need the reciept when you pay for the Emissions Inspection, DMV should be notified.

Reminds me, I need to put the 2019 stickers on my tags today!!

Yes, it is the same price as what you would pay at the gas station, but you do not need to make a specific visit, wait in line and if the car has problems, you can typically get it to pass with the RapidPass test!

BT4YH Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I have tried to use it, doesn't work worth a
> fuck.
>
> It's all a boondoggle. It's just another tax to
> drive a car in NOVA, that's all the entire
> emissions inspection is.

Hey now! Watch the langauge! This is a family site!

They don't have emissions testing there, too many agricultural spaces to worry about it. The farting cows cause more damage to the environment!

Speaking of drive-thru "services"

I'll be at the glory hole tonight in the arthur treachers bathroom stall with gerrymanderer himself.

Cum by and cum in me 30% off

it's sameer

Mrs Jones Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BT4YH Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I have tried to use it, doesn't work worth a
> > fuck.
> >
> > It's all a boondoggle. It's just another tax to
> > drive a car in NOVA, that's all the entire
> > emissions inspection is.
>
> Hey now! Watch the langauge! This is a family
> site!

Shut the fuck up and bend over...it's time to play hide the black snake in your ass until you moan and have a squirting orgasm with your nipples hard enough to cut glass.

Mrs. Jones' Neighbor Wrote:
> ...it's time to play
> hide the black snake in your ass until you moan
> and have a squirting orgasm with your nipples hard
> enough to cut glass.
Attachments:

Never worked for us and we tried it several times with each of our two cars.

As I mentioned above, it can and does work, but there are also reasons why it may not work and/or your car has been rejected during a prior Emission Inspection and then you will have to visit a gas station for the Emission Inspection. Engine and exhaust temperatures need to be correct, wind/weather cannot be rapidly changing.

It also does support/work for pre OBDII cars, cars built before 1996, if these cars are clean, they can be re-inspected for 1 year.

First you have to locate where they are set up. Then you realize that the dates that have a convenient location have already passed. Why drive around in circles to Timbuktu? You have to have your safety inspection done. Just do the emissions at the same time. If it was free, great but it's not. Both cost the same.

I like me to coal roll them there mission stations, just like them there bicyclist out in there country roads on the weekend.

Not worth the time Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> First you have to locate where they are set up.
> Then you realize that the dates that have a
> convenient location have already passed. Why drive
> around in circles to Timbuktu? You have to have
> your safety inspection done. Just do the emissions
> at the same time. If it was free, great but it's
> not. Both cost the same.

Hey faggot...my safety is up in June. My emissions is up in October. I'm not doing them at the same time, shit stick...

It was great. I was getting near the point of doing the 2-year renew, complete with standing in line, when I received a letter from the Virginia DEQ.

It said I passed.

End of story. You still have to pay the same amount as the emissions test.

If you know one is on a ramp, you could throw it into neutral, shut off the engine and coast through it. Pass!

It took two weeks for my drive thru emissions test to show up on the rapidpassva website, but I was able to re-new my registration for my car finally. It still costs $28 which you can pay through the rapispassva site and then you can pay your registration at https://www.dmv.virginia.gov

It did work but took two weeks rather than the 72 hours the site says it should take. At least it saved me from having to wait in line at an emissions station.

'neck Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If you know one is on a ramp, you could throw it
> into neutral, shut off the engine and coast
> through it. Pass!


Nope, it will detect no emissions because the engine isn't running. It won't fail but it won't pass either. The test will be invalid. Nice try anyway.

'neck Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If you know one is on a ramp, you could throw it
> into neutral, shut off the engine and coast
> through it. Pass!

Does not work this way genius.


The equipment has IR temperature sensors that can monitor the exhaust temperature to determine if the engine is running and if the exhaust temperature is high enough.

I also think the systems are mostly put in areas where it would be hard to coast.

Just drive through normally and most well maintained cars will pass without a problem.

MkkNt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 'neck Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > If you know one is on a ramp, you could throw
> it
> > into neutral, shut off the engine and coast
> > through it. Pass!
>
> Does not work this way genius.
>
>
> The equipment has IR temperature sensors that can
> monitor the exhaust temperature to determine if
> the engine is running and if the exhaust
> temperature is high enough.
>
> I also think the systems are mostly put in areas
> where it would be hard to coast.
>
> Just drive through normally and most well
> maintained cars will pass without a problem.

I coasted through in neutral and got a pass. It would never have passed if the engine was under load. They do try to set up the sniffer on a slight upgrade, but if you speed up beforehand you can still coast through.

Nope.. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 'neck Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > If you know one is on a ramp, you could throw
> it
> > into neutral, shut off the engine and coast
> > through it. Pass!
>
>
> Nope, it will detect no emissions because the
> engine isn't running. It won't fail but it won't
> pass either. The test will be invalid. Nice try
> anyway.


I don't think they are taking emissions from the tail pipes anymore. With all the onboard smog equipment, the car is constantly testing itself, keeps measurements and tattle tales on itself just by driving thru a tunnel with a proximity sensor. That's my guess anyway.

They haven't done tailpipe testing for a decade. I watched them when they did testing previously. They hooked up the car into something right below the driver's side left knee. Nothing in the tailpipe.

MkkNt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> 'neck Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > If you know one is on a ramp, you could throw
> it
> > into neutral, shut off the engine and coast
> > through it. Pass!
>
> Does not work this way genius.
>
>
> The equipment has IR temperature sensors that can
> monitor the exhaust temperature to determine if
> the engine is running and if the exhaust
> temperature is high enough.
>
> I also think the systems are mostly put in areas
> where it would be hard to coast.
>
> Just drive through normally and most well
> maintained cars will pass without a problem.

Well, I mean...the man's name was 'neck...

Goddamn John Reb...if you ever learn to read you could really hurt somebody. Tell me, bruh...did they get ol' Billy Sherman's fire out in Atlanta yet?

vGXLX Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nope.. Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > 'neck Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > If you know one is on a ramp, you could throw
> > it
> > > into neutral, shut off the engine and coast
> > > through it. Pass!
> >
> >
> > Nope, it will detect no emissions because the
> > engine isn't running. It won't fail but it
> won't
> > pass either. The test will be invalid. Nice try
> > anyway.
>
>
> I don't think they are taking emissions from the
> tail pipes anymore. With all the onboard smog
> equipment, the car is constantly testing itself,
> keeps measurements and tattle tales on itself
> just by driving thru a tunnel with a proximity
> sensor. That's my guess anyway.
>
> They haven't done tailpipe testing for a decade. I
> watched them when they did testing previously.
> They hooked up the car into something right below
> the driver's side left knee. Nothing in the
> tailpipe.


For the RapidPass road test, the tailpipe test is being done as a DRIVE BY test.

At the gas station for 1996 and newer OBDII compliant cars they are not doing the tailpipe testing, they are using the OBDII data to determine the car is within spec. The problem is the car cannot have the SES/CEL/MIL lit with any codes present and the majority of the Emission Readiness Monitors need to be in the Ready state and the OBDII system need to be able to communicate with the station equipment. For the road based RapidPass only the tailpipe emissions need to be clean enough, you can have all sorts of problems with codes, lights and Readiness Monitors not clear and you will still pass.

For cars older than 1996 I believe they still use the dyno/treadmill and sniff the tailpipe.

vGXLX Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nope.. Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > 'neck Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > If you know one is on a ramp, you could throw
> > it
> > > into neutral, shut off the engine and coast
> > > through it. Pass!
> >
> >
> > Nope, it will detect no emissions because the
> > engine isn't running. It won't fail but it
> won't
> > pass either. The test will be invalid. Nice try
> > anyway.
>
>
> I don't think they are taking emissions from the
> tail pipes anymore. With all the onboard smog
> equipment, the car is constantly testing itself,
> keeps measurements and tattle tales on itself
> just by driving thru a tunnel with a proximity
> sensor. That's my guess anyway.
>
> They haven't done tailpipe testing for a decade. I
> watched them when they did testing previously.
> They hooked up the car into something right below
> the driver's side left knee. Nothing in the
> tailpipe.

Emissions tests are required for vehicles newer than 25 years old, which I think means 1992 model year. The OBD-II connectors were not standard equipment until 1996 model year. So I think they still need to test tailpipe emissions for 1993,4,5 cars. It's easier just to register the car in some other county.

https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/vehicles/#emissions.asp

Yes, but they're doing the testing on main roads, so it's not even a chamber to sequester emissions. They're not using tailpipe emissions at all. They're just using your plate to make it "legal" in the eyes of the state; it's probably a second verifier and for scheduling.

http://www.deq.virginia.gov/Programs/AirCheckVirginia/ForMotoristsVehicleOwners/OnBoardDiagnosticSystemFAQ.aspx

In fact, entering your vehicle plate is probably only for visual verification, but the car somehow gets the OBDII data to sensors when interrogated - bluetooth, wireless, some onboard IR transmitter/sensor. Fuck! Maybe your tail lights blink in rapid succession to transmit results. LOL


https://rapidpassvirginia.com/VaPublic/Locations

You're just driving normally down the road and have transmitted results to a specific sensor that you've scheduled. Car won't xmit if it isn't warmed up.