Emission testing or IM240 v ASM

["W. Dustin Laur" <wdlaur@domain.elided>]

I live in Oregon in the Portland metro area were we have implemented a test
that DEQ made up them selves.  It is called BAR 31.  It is sort of a cross
bred of test combining things from both the ASM (accelerated speed) and
IM240 (inspection/maint five minute test).

We measure in grams per mile.  This is done by taking in displacement of
the engine and the mass of the car while the car is ran under a load
dependent of the mass from the GVRW cert label.  Instead of the tail pipe
concentration probe we now take a sample of all the air that comes into a
funnel at the tail pipe. By the way there is a fan at the front of the car
pushing air past it.  Inside the funnel is a venturi that meters the air to
be tested, sort of a consent volume sample.  Incidentally they use a flame
to measure the THC grams instead of the refractometer that they use to use
in the two stage quick test.   Also CO CO2 O2 NOx as well as THC are tested
during the 30 mph 'hills' that they drive it up.

For the privileged of taking this test they have raised the inspection
price to $21 from $10 it now costs $51 every two years to have a car that's
newer than 1975, the cut off.  It used to be every car 20 years or older
but they changed that in 95.  Of course the standard that they use are
different for different age cars but they still predicted a 30% failure
rate with the new test.  I could go one and make more sense but it's late
and I have to go to bed.....

Dustin
66 Scout w/ broken clutch bell crank
68 C10 I have to drive it because it will move
79 F150 we have to have all brands right