17474 Foothill Blvd Fontana, CA 92335 | (909) 823-1684

Get Your Smog Check in Fontana, CA

California requires a smog check every two years for most motor vehicles. When it's time for a smog test, visit UK Automotive Tire & Smog. We're a certified Smog Test and Repair Station serving Fontana, Rialto, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, CA, and surrounding areas.

UK Automotive Tire & Smog has been providing professional, timely smog checks in Fontana, CA for over 15 years (changed name in 2017). Our licensed technicians are available to test your vehicle and provide repairs as necessary to help you pass the test.

What Should I Bring?

To renew registration after passing, you only need to bring your DMV renewal letter or vehicle registration and some form of payment (cash, visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Etc.) If you have any questions about the test or repair service, call (909) 823-1684

What Happens During a Smog Check?

Vehicles from 1977 through 1999 aka Bar 97. During a smog check a licensed technician tests your exhaust system to make sure it doesn't emit too many pollutants (smog) into the environment. Using a special emissions testing tool that also connects to the Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR), the technician measures the amount of emissions your vehicle produces and compares this amount to legal standard. 

For vehicles 2000 and newer The BAR-OIS is the Smog Check equipment required when inspecting  2000 and newer gasoline and hybrid vehicles and most 1998 and newer diesel vehicles. The system consists of a certified Data Acquisition Device (DAD) and off-the-shelf equipment, including a computer, bar code scanner, and printer. No emissions testing is done on these vehicles.

When testing completes, results are electronically sent to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and we provide you with a Vehicle Inspection Report (VIR). We advise keeping the VIR as part of your records.

What Happens If. . .

I Pass the Smog Test

Once you pass the smog test, you may register your vehicle.

I Fail the Smog Test

If you fail the smog test, you have several options:

• Have your vehicle diagnosed and repaired

You need to bring your vehicle to a certified Smog Check Repair Station for service. You're welcome to choose UK Automotive Tire & Smog for this service. Once repairs are made, you must re-test the vehicle.

• Apply for financial assistance

California provides up to $500 for emissions service if you meet eligibility requirements. See the Consumer Assistance Program for more information.

• Apply for vehicle retirement

If you don't wish to repair your vehicle, you may retire it for up to $1,500 at a state-approved dismantler

Check Engine Light

• An estimated 1 in 10 cars on the road today have their check engine light on. Many drivers ignore the light because they either don’t think it’s important or they’re afraid of ending up with an expensive repair bill.

  A check engine light can be extremely confusing because it doesn’t give you any information about the problem. Ignoring it, though, could cost you down the road!

  Here are a few of the most common problems that might be causing your check engine light to come on:

• Gas cap is loose. This problem doesn’t require any replacement parts or cost, so it’s a good place to start. Simply check to make sure your gas cap isn’t loose and tighten it down if it is. It may take some time for the check engine light to go off, but it eventually should if that was the problem.
• Oxygen sensor needs to be replaced. Your car has 2-4 oxygen sensors. These sensors monitor your vehicle’s air-fuel mixture and adjust as needed. When one isn’t working properly, it decreases your gas mileage and increases the amount of emissions that are produced.
• Catalytic converter needs to be replaced. Replacing your catalytic converter can get expensive, but often it only breaks if some of these lesser problems are ignored for a long time. The catalytic converter is important because it reduces the amount of harmful gases that come out of your car’s exhaust.
• Mass air flow sensor needs to be replaced. The mass air flow sensor monitors the fuel injection system and how much air is getting into the engine. If this sensor is broken, it decreases your gas mileage and often causes your car to stall.
• Spark plugs and wires need to be replaced. Spark plugs need to be replaced periodically depending on the age of your car. When they are wearing out, they’ll start to misfire and cause issues with your vehicle’s combustion chamber.

• These are the five most common issues that may be causing your check engine light to turn on, but there are others as well.

  Bottom line: If your check engine light is on, don’t wait to get it checked out by one of our ASE-certified technicians. Finding out the problem sooner than later can save you from a costly repair down the road!

What to Do When the Readiness Monitors Aren't Complete

Step One: Double Check Vehicle Preparation

• Have the fuel tank between 30 and 70 percent full. Some systems, especially the Evap system, need to have a specific level of fuel in order for the tests to be trusted. If the fuel tank is near empty or completely full, many of the basic tests will not run at all.
• The vehicle must also have a good alternator and a strong battery. If you have to occasionally jump-start your vehicle, all of the memory from the powertrain control module (PCM) is erased, which includes the data that accurately tracks the results from various stages of the Drive Cycle. Also, if the battery is weak or undercharged, some of the most important tests will never run.
• The vehicle must sit overnight, or for at least eight hours, in an environment that is less than 90° F. The engine temperature needs to match the air temperature in order to establish an accurate baseline for the testing. If the outside temperature is over 90° F, the fuel is too volatile and the EVAP system won't even try to run its tests, though some of the other emissions systems may run their tests.
• The keys must be out of the ignition and all of the doors must be closed while the vehicle sits over night because many of the onboard computers "boot up" when the keys are in the ignition. Also, many of the onboard computers still run until all of the doors are closed after the vehicle is shut off and the keys are removed. 

Step Two: Repeat the Basic Drive Cycle

• Follow the Basic Drive Cycle steps faithfully. Make sure to keep the speed on the freeway between 55 and 60 mph for a minimum of five miles. Please use the cruise control to help you maintain speed and stay in the right lane for safety reasons.

Step Three: Take Note of Which Drive Cycle Monitor(s) Did Not Complete

• Drive your vehicle to your regular shop and have them re-check your readiness monitors, present codes, and pending codes. They should do this as a courtesy and for free.
• If all of your monitors are "ready" and there are no present or pending codes, then your vehicle has been properly repaired and is ready for an emissions inspection and for normal driving.
• If your monitors are not "ready," then take note of them.

If a Check Engine Light illuminated and/or a pending code was set, and your OBD Readiness Monitors are not complete, the vehicle is probably not going to pass the smog inspection. If you need help getting your OBD readiness monitors set or your check engine light diagnosed, bring your car to the experts at UK Automotive Tire & Smog in Fontana, CA.