I have A toyota Corolla 1996 113800mi in very good shape hope to drive it for yrs. I was told at my last smog inspection it may not pass next time im in California what do I do Im low income senior so need some advice what do I do to fix problem thanks
This is really not enough information to enable us to help you out. The fix could be expensive, or it might be inexpensive. No way to tell without more information. Did the technician say why it might not pass?
california has a smog repair assistance program for low income car owners.I believe repairs up to $800 will be covered under this program.Call a smog check place and ask if they have the application form to see if you qualify.
“May not pass?” That means it “may” pass.
A '96 Corolla with less than 115,000 miles should be drivable for many years to come, in California or anywhere else.
Why did they say it may not pass? What is wrong with the car?
An other option is to contact your community college system for a campus that has an automotive technology system. Talk to the department chair. Here in NH the community colleges will schedule private vehicles (on a space availability basis) fo the students to analyze, repair, tuneup, or whatever is needed during their lab courses…for only the cost of parts discounted 20%! Perhaps the California colleges will also do that.
Besides getting your car all tuned up and fixed up for almost nothing, you’ll also be helping the kids to have a better learning experience. The more older cars they get to work on is the more they’ll learn.
The most likely reason why cars do not pass an emissions test is lack of maintenance, and I suspect that what you were told was an indirect suggestion that you should maintain the car better than you are now doing.
Yes, maintenance can cost quite a few bucks, but not maintaining a car will actually cost more in the long run, simply because repairs resulting from lack of maintenance are more expensive than the maintenance that could have prevented repair work.
Essentially, if you want to keep a car running at the lowest possible cost, you can’t afford to not maintain it. If you maintain the car properly you won’t have to worry about things like failing emissions tests, being stranded, having high repair costs, and having to replace a car prematurely.
Thanks to all who answered Car has been maintained faithfully Im second owner preveous owner also maintained car.The shop only said my oxegen # where very low and perhaps its a catalitic problem or maybe oxegen sensers Calif. dos have help for low income senior but seeing how broke the state is dont know how long the help will continue, found out just yesterday a after market cat is avalible installed for a very low cost but car has to be smoge first to find the problem thanks again to every one you have been a great help
I agree with you McP . . . a '96 Corolla with only 115,000 is a young car . . . good for another 115,000 at least. A CAT or oxygen sensor . . . or even a tune-up . . . isn’t that bad of a deal anyway. Follow the advice of the other posters here who mentioned alternatives to paying for these repairs yourself, but I doubt that this will be anything major at this mileage. Good luck! Rocketman
Don’t spend a dime until it actually fails a smog test…If the o2 sensor has never been replaced, you could do that to protect the CAT and insure good gas mileage…
When people say “faithfully maintained” does that mean “we changed the oil”?
faithfully maintained means every thing according to the manual that came with the car
Thanks Rocket man your advice is well received and will be done
faithfully maintained means every thing according to the manual that came with the car
If only more car owner’s knew that. We would have a lot fewer questions here.
“I was told at my last smog inspection it may not pass next time im in California…”
This is a little confusing. Do you live in California? If not, is the car registered in California? If you don’t line there, you don’t have to meet their inspection requirements. What state do you live in?
That statement destroys the idea that the inspectors statement was based upon a lack of maintiance,why did the inspector inform you your car may not pass “the next time in CA.”
Does this “inspector” have a smog-test crystal ball that can see into the future?
As far as I know, States perform emissions tests by scanning the engine computer on model year 1996 to present day cars. Some States may(?) back up the computer scan (OBD II) with the vehicle on a dynamometer with a gas analyser probe in the tail pipe.
Did the emissions tester tell you what s/he based that conclusion on? Do you have a printout of the test with the particular findings of the scan? Without something to go on, we’re left making semi-wild guesses.
Its been my experience that a lot of senior citizen get in there car to drive it two blocks to the grocery store or to church. Not even enough to worm up the car to get it into a “clean burn” mode. Also the yearly mileage put on the car is in most cases very little. Having said that I cant for the life of me understand why California cant grant a exception for senior citizens that drive less then three thousand miles a year ???
I think it maybe miss guided good intention.
yes I live in California Im looking down the line I dont have to do any thing for close to another yr suppose im a worry wart but like to be ready economicly when the time comes thank you
The man has a printout of his smog test. I always had one. Please give the smog test results, including the quantities allowed.