Automotive

Ontario Emissions Test

  • Last Updated:
  • Sep 20th, 2018 4:02 pm
Member
Mar 11, 2018
425 posts
212 upvotes

Ontario Emissions Test

I suppose this is likely common knowledge for many car owners. From what I understand, there’s been a few changes to the emissions tests over the years and even quite recently. My question is, what does the most recent emissions test involve? Is it just a OBD reading from the on board computer or do they actually test the emissions from your exhaust pipe as well? What is the requirement to pass the current emissions test? For vehicles that fail the emissions test, is there some sort of grace to allow the vehicle to continue on the road?
26 replies
Newbie
Feb 7, 2017
74 posts
68 upvotes
1. E-test is free as long as you do it prior to your plate sticker expiration (previously $30)
2. E-test is only required in southern/eastern Ontario
3. E-test is preformed via OBD scan. If any codes are present then it's a fail
4. Tail pipe E-test is only preformed if OBD is not available for your vehicle
5. If you fail the test you can take it again after resetting the codes on the OBD (usually takes about 30-50km of driving)
6. If you fail the test you must make the repairs necessary in order to get a pass


As long as you don't have a check engine light on you will VERY likely pass the e-test
Deal Expert
Aug 22, 2011
41802 posts
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MoxGoat wrote: 1. E-test is free as long as you do it prior to your plate sticker expiration (previously $30)
2. E-test is only required in southern/eastern Ontario
3. E-test is preformed via OBD scan. If any codes are present then it's a fail
4. Tail pipe E-test is only preformed if OBD is not available for your vehicle
5. If you fail the test you can take it again after resetting the codes on the OBD (usually takes about 30-50km of driving)
6. If you fail the test you must make the repairs necessary in order to get a pass


As long as you don't have a check engine light on you will VERY likely pass the e-test
Is this new?
My summer vehicle's stickers have all expired and this might be the time I can actually take them out and was planning to go buy a 10day temp sticker before heading over for the e-test!
Newbie
Feb 7, 2017
74 posts
68 upvotes
vkizzle wrote: Is this new?
My summer vehicle's stickers have all expired and this might be the time I can actually take them out and was planning to go buy a 10day temp sticker before heading over for the e-test!
Fairly new, I think it was implemented in 2017. Initial E-test is free upon renewing as long as it is prior to your sticker expiration. If you need to redo the test because of a fail then fee's apply

EDIT:
was implemented last april
https://www.ontario.ca/page/drive-clean-test#section-3
Member
Mar 11, 2018
425 posts
212 upvotes
So by the way it sounds, for vehicles compatible with OBD, it’s pretty much a useless test. I assume that the emissions test is literally the exact same as if I were to plug my OBD diagnostic reader to the vehicle and if everything is in ‘ready status’ with no fault codes reported, then I will pass the emissions test and be certified? (Assuming nothing changes between the time of my OBD scan and bringing it to a certified testing outlet)
Member
Mar 11, 2018
425 posts
212 upvotes
Regarding the failed tests that require necessary repairs to pass the test, I remember a while ago they were allowing the vehicles to be certified if the necessary repairs were too costly and the owner wasnt able to afford the repairs?
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Oct 13, 2008
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Ask MTO for correct answers. How difficult to put your questions in an email to them? Or pickup the phone and call.
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Member
Mar 11, 2018
425 posts
212 upvotes
AV-Fishing wrote: Ask MTO for correct answers. How difficult to put your questions in an email to them? Or pickup the phone and call.
If you dont have anything to contribute to the questions, it’s best you not post. Why dont you call them yourself and see which is easier to get answers from. Seeing that there’s even a person responding incoherently to the question already shows the responsiveness. After you call and find out, you can post your findings here please.
Deal Addict
Mar 30, 2010
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MeatJuice wrote: So by the way it sounds, for vehicles compatible with OBD, it’s pretty much a useless test. I assume that the emissions test is literally the exact same as if I were to plug my OBD diagnostic reader to the vehicle and if everything is in ‘ready status’ with no fault codes reported, then I will pass the emissions test and be certified? (Assuming nothing changes between the time of my OBD scan and bringing it to a certified testing outlet)
It's not useless, but not as useful as the sniffer test.

Yes.as long as you have no codes of any kind, and at most 1 emissions monitor is in not-ready state (not malfunctioning, just not ready), you will pass.
Member
Mar 11, 2018
425 posts
212 upvotes
As long as they dont tighten their policies on these tests and maintain the possibility of free renewals before expiry. But $30 for this simple plug in reading test is quite excessive. It would be quite a burden for those who own older vehicles just not worth sinking money making repairs to in order to pass this emissions test unless they continue to give some sort of grace period until the next scheduled renewal date. Then I suppose, these vehicles end up going over to Quebec which doesnt impose such burdensome policies on vehicles.
Deal Addict
Feb 26, 2008
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MeatJuice wrote: As long as they dont tighten their policies on these tests and maintain the possibility of free renewals before expiry. But $30 for this simple plug in reading test is quite excessive. It would be quite a burden for those who own older vehicles just not worth sinking money making repairs to in order to pass this emissions test unless they continue to give some sort of grace period until the next scheduled renewal date. Then I suppose, these vehicles end up going over to Quebec which doesnt impose such burdensome policies on vehicles.

Don't you require a full safety inspection if you move an older Ontario car into Quebec? I'd much rather have a DriveClean inspection with its conditional pass criteria than to do a full safety on an older car. Face Screaming In Fear
Member
Mar 11, 2018
425 posts
212 upvotes
kneevase wrote: Don't you require a full safety inspection if you move an older Ontario car into Quebec? I'd much rather have a DriveClean inspection with its conditional pass criteria than to do a full safety on an older car. Face Screaming In Fear
Yes, Quebec will need to do their mechanical inspection, but their mechanical inspections there are extremely lax and you can easily find a car that’s falling apart for under $1k there that is still roadworthy in Quebec. They dont do emissions tests there so you only need to pass the mechanical inspection which is nothing really.
Sr. Member
Jul 26, 2010
927 posts
89 upvotes
eastern Ontario
MeatJuice wrote: So by the way it sounds, for vehicles compatible with OBD, it’s pretty much a useless test. I assume that the emissions test is literally the exact same as if I were to plug my OBD diagnostic reader to the vehicle and if everything is in ‘ready status’ with no fault codes reported, then I will pass the emissions test and be certified? (Assuming nothing changes between the time of my OBD scan and bringing it to a certified testing outlet)
I just passed my test. Check engine light off, all systems ready. My reader did show a stored code. It's a history thing. In winter it heats up too slow (stuck thermostat , issues to replace). Once it's warmer out it passes the test and turns light off . I could clear the history code but then have to wait until all systems are tested and pass (ready)
Sr. Member
User avatar
Dec 8, 2013
543 posts
163 upvotes
Etobicoke
This "FREE EMISSION-TEST" excitement is the epitome of a government placating the public through a cat/mouse deception that actually costs us more while giving us less and i cant believe that the public has actually fallen for it.
Pre-2017
....the overwhelmingly hated emission-test was required to be done once every 2 yrs at a cost of approx. $30... add that to the approx $90 sticker cost per yr and you come to a total of $210 cost per 2 yrs ( IF zero work was required to pass) This test measured TAIL-PIPE emissions which contributed to smog/pollution and virtually ended the need for the smog watching everyday which was becoming the norm 10-20 yrs ago. It was a pita for many... BUT it did what it was supposed to do, which was getting polluting cars off the road/ getting them repaired/or costing the owners $ and headaches in continuing to drive them in. IF the tail-pipe emissions was within regulations in 3 different categories...you passed.
Post 2017...
Due to the long-continued hatred of this test directed to the government ,they come up with this new FREE test.... Bravo...says the public! Now, instead of measuring the polluting emissions coming from the tail-pipe and removing the offending few vehicles from the roads ( which was/is the entire REASON for the test ) it connects to a computer in a car that controls/measures hundreds of various aspects of its operation....most having nothing to do with its polluting condition at all. All cars for the last 15-20 yrs have a computer which alters its timing/drivability etc. to compensate for bad maintainence/operation and will inform you by way of a dash light/code. It compensates for the now almost useless god-given senses of sight/hearing/smell because they are now being used for new,more important uses of in-car dvd watching/cell talking-texting/eating/drinking etc .
Every year now, we are paying for a test ( $120/yr sticker ) which is only completed every 2 yrs AND actually no longer even tests for the reason it still exists.
Truth be told...the test started out as a seed planted in the soil of environmental concern but very quickly grew into a huge,twisted, messy plant of government greed, control and power. When they required virtually new 1 yr old cars to test.... but excluded very-old 20 yr old buckets that could not EVER pass the test, they admitted to the fact that this was more about creating an industry that was based on money, employment and deception than for the original caring for the environment concern that started it.
But as long as we dont have to pay the grease-covered, hard-working mechanic $30 every 2 yrs...we are very content to pay the MOT $40 for the now, near useless " FREE" test which flags almost every car anomaly possible without testing the real,original concern.
Who says you cant fool ALL the people,ALL the time.
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Aug 29, 2001
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You must be thinking of some other era. Pre-2017 was obdc test also. Some minor rule changes in Ontario was about it. Last time I had a tail pipe test was 2007 and even then I think it was because I had a awd Subaru. Not that I liked the test any.. As my Subaru got older it became a game to get it to pass even though the actual emissions were way below the standard.
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Deal Addict
Sep 8, 2017
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Lot of misinformation in post #14.

-Modern cars have advanced emission control systems, so they do not need a tail pipe test. If the systems detect that an emission control is malfunctioning, the Check Engine Light (CEL) comes on. If your CEL is on, you can't pass the new plug-in Drive Clean test until the condition causing the CEL is repaired.

-Older cars without these advanced emission control systems (pre '97/'98/OBD2), require a tail pipe test. Same as before.

-Only cars built before 1988 are exempt from Drive Clean. Not just ANY car that's 20 years old. eg. A car from 1998 still needs to pass Drive Clean

-Drive Clean is only required for cars older than 7 years. Not 1 year.

But I do agree that the public has been tricked into seeing some benefit of eliminating the $30 bi-annual Drive Clean fee, meanwhile the annual cost of the License Plate Sticker fee has increased to $120. From $90? I don't remember. In any case, it's like the Drive Clean fee has been rolled into the License Plate Sticker fee, and then some.
Last edited by derass on Jul 5th, 2018 12:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Dec 7, 2012
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derass wrote: But I do agree that the public has been tricked into seeing some benefit of eliminating the $30 bi-annual Drive Clean fee, meanwhile the annual cost of the License Plate Sticker fee has increased to $120. From $90? I don't remember. In any case, it's like the Drive Clean fee has been rolled into the License Plate Sticker fee, and then some.
From 1997 until 2012 the sticker renewal fees were constant at $74 for southern Ontario. The renewal price has almost doubled since 2011.

Sept. 1, 2011 - $74
Sept. 1, 2012 - $82
Sept. 1, 2013 - $90
Sept. 1, 2014 - $98
Sept. 1, 2015 - $108
Sept. 1, 2016 - $120

from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-d ... e31536444/
Newbie
Aug 12, 2018
1 posts
Can someone explain this please. How many times a car be tested with OBD and fail then tested for TSI and pass. coz my car was tested 3x win OBD and fail then tested again for the 4th time with TSI or tail pipe testing and pass. I went home and scan my car and i have 2 not ready its the catalyst, and evap. So how come i pass emission?
Last edited by MarlynG23436 on Aug 13th, 2018 8:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Deal Addict
Nov 16, 2011
1535 posts
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Hamilton
ok, I just went thru this. No check engine light ( I had cleared week or so ago before test ). Went thru OBDII and had 2 not readies. Could have passed with 1 but 2 gives you a fail.

You only get 1 free test.

Was told that if it failed again because of not readies ( and no check engine light) , then could find a tail pipe testing and do it that way. If I failed tail pipe test then fix it.

They will not even do the test if the check engine light was on.

Unfortunately, before could get another etest done, check engine light came on. Took it in and ended up getting a conditional pass( good garage ) which is all I really needed.

Got a 2 year sticker so gives me to 2 years to replace the vehicle.
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Nov 1, 2006
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rilles wrote: You must be thinking of some other era. Pre-2017 was obdc test also. Some minor rule changes in Ontario was about it. Last time I had a tail pipe test was 2007 and even then I think it was because I had a awd Subaru. Not that I liked the test any.. As my Subaru got older it became a game to get it to pass even though the actual emissions were way below the standard.
Switch to OBDII from tail-pipe happened in 2014.

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