Can You Pass Inspection With Check Engine Light? (Explained)

Many car drivers wanted to know if they could pass inspection with a check engine light. This is important because you need to pass a vehicle inspection, and you need to secure and make sure that your vehicle can pass, so let us talk about this. 

So can you pass inspection with a check engine light? If your vehicle will stay on, you will not pass the inspection.

It is essential to pass the inspection and check your engine light. Check engine lights can be a mystery. Many car drivers have their check engine light turned on, and they sometimes do not know why. 

That is why they check everything just so that they can turn off their check engine light. So we have made this article to discuss passing inspection with a check engine light. 

This article will learn if you can succeed and proceed with an inspection even if you have a check engine light. So without further ado, let’s get started. 

Can You Pass Inspection With Check Engine Light

Can A Car Pass Inspection With A Check Engine Light?

During an emission inspection or an inspection in your vehicle, they have this new emission test or inspection and will put an emission tester on the computer of your vehicle. They have a status on and off of the check engine light of your vehicle, and it is the most critical test. So if your check engine light stays on, your vehicle will not pass the inspection. 

How Can I Get My Check Engine Light Off To Pass Inspection?

If you perform a procedure to pass an emission test when your check engine light is on, you can turn off your check engine light by using a scan tool, or you can do it by disconnecting your vehicle’s battery. You must also turn off the check engine light or the service engine light before the emission test so that you can pass the smog inspection. 

The smog machine will not know that your vehicle has any emissions faults by turning the check engine off or the service engine soon light. All the emission monitors will also be erased. 

How Long Does The Check Engine Light Need To Be Off To Pass Inspection?

If you turn off your check engine light, you can disconnect the battery for about thirty seconds. Your vehicle should complete an entire drive cycle so that you can pass the inspection. All the internal monitors must be ready for you to pass. 

Will My Car Pass Emissions If I Reset The Check Engine Light?

If you clear the check engine light or reset the OBD-II monitors before you have your emission test, your vehicle will usually not pass. This is because the catalyst and the EVAP monitors need time to run. If it is not ready, your car will definitely and automatically fail. 

Answered By State

Here are the different questions per state regarding passing the emission test with a check engine light on. 

Can You Pass Emissions With A Check Engine Light On Georgia?

It is not possible that you can pass an inspection if your check engine light or your service engine soon light is turned on. The emission control system problem can see it. 

Can You Pass Inspection With Check Engine Light In New York?

To pass the inspection on your vehicle, your check engine light must be turned on or off. If it will stay on, then you will not pass the inspection. 

Can You Pass Inspection With Check Engine Light On In Virginia?

If your check engine light is turned on, your vehicle can pass a safety inspection. However, it will not pass an emission inspection.

Will The Car Pass Inspection With A Check Engine Light On In Pennsylvania?

If your check engine light is turned on, it will fail an emission inspection. There will be a diagnostic and repair that will be performed, and the light must be reset before you will pass the emission inspection. If your check engine light bulb is already blown out, your vehicle will also fail the inspection. 

Can You Pass Inspection With Check Engine Light On In North Carolina?

The emission inspection and the check engine light must be in working order and turned off. The check engine light must work out for safety-only inspections, but it does not need to be off to pass the inspection. 

Will The Car Pass Inspection With A Check Engine Light On In Texas?

A full diagnostic is necessary, but you cannot pass the Texas state inspection with a check engine light on, even if it is just for emission reasons. 

Can You Pass Inspection With Check Engine Light On In Massachusetts?

Your vehicle cannot pass a Massachusetts inspection if your readiness monitors are not set if your check engine light is on. In many cars, the monitor can take one hundred plus miles to reset.

Summary

In summary, checking engine light is very important in an inspection. Many car drivers are wondering if they can pass an emission test or an inspection with a turned-on check engine light. 

It is different from a lot of states. But the most common is that you cannot pass the inspection with a check engine light.

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My name is Hank, and I've been in the automotive industry for 27 years. I've been working in my own auto repair shop for the last 13 years, and now I want to help you here, on my blog. Let me know if you have any questions. Read more