Toyota Prius Fails Georgia Emission Test

Frank Williams
by Frank Williams

This is not the first time we've heard this story BUT… WSAV.com warns Prius-driving metro-area Atlantans that their gas – electric vehicle may fail the local emissions test. It seems that the Prius' gas engine shuts down during the idling portion of the testing cycle, causing the test to abort. Since new cars are exempt from emission testing for the first three years of operation, the issue is just now coming to light. The state's manager for the testing program says it's a software glitch; they hope to have the problem fixed by next year. In the meantime, there's a ten-step procedure to work around the problem (first you have to acknowledge you have a problem…). Of course, the success of the alternative procedure depends on Clarence and Jim-Bob at Bubba's Bait Shop and Fillin' Station decipherin' the procedure needed fer testin' them funny-lookin' furrin' cars. [Frank's a son of the South– Ed.]

Frank Williams
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  • Nopanegain Nopanegain on Nov 26, 2007
    So in theory, you could have legions of Priuses driving around with badly tuned engines spewing out pollutants and no one would know how to test them. If the engine was running that poorly, it would trip the OBDII computer and the car would fail anyway. But it would be interesting to see a shitty-running Prius belching up smog when the gas engine kicked in...
  • Ihatetrees Ihatetrees on Nov 27, 2007

    Why don't they use the Ferrari method from "Ferris Bueller's Day Off?" Elevate the wheels by putting the car on blocks, then put a brick on the accelerator... Of course, unlike Ferrari's, this may run up the odometer a tad...

  • Jcp2 Jcp2 on Nov 27, 2007

    Not if you're in reverse.

  • Landcrusher Landcrusher on Nov 27, 2007
    If the engine was running that poorly, it would trip the OBDII computer and the car would fail anyway. But it would be interesting to see a shitty-running Prius belching up smog when the gas engine kicked in… Right, because the computer ALWAYS works.
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