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Will Power Steering Fluid and Tune Up Affect Smog Test?

I need to get a smog check done. My car is a bit older, 1999 model. I was wanting to flush my power steering fluid and change my spark plugs, wires and distributor cap but I was wondering if those things are necessary to be done first. Will making those repairs have a bearing on my smog check results? This is the first time I will be having a smog check done on this car so I don't know what to expect out of it.
Answer:

The power steering fluid, not so much... the spark plugs, rotor and cap... absolutely. Since your car is older than model year 2000, it will be driven on a dynamometer during the smog inspection and a sample of its exhaust emissions will be collected by the smog check machine. Your car's engine is a fuel burning machine. The smog test will ensure that it is burning fuel efficiently and not leaving behind high levels of pollutants. The smog machine will check for the presence of HC (hydrocarbon), CO (carbon monoxide) and NO (nitric oxide) in your car's exhaust sample. If the levels are high, your vehicle will fail the smog test. Since the spark plugs, distributor cap and rotor are instrumental in creating combustion, it is highly recommend to ensure these components are functioning at there optimum level. Just note, the smog test checks for many thing besides exhaust emissions (visual inspection of all emission components and function inspection of the EVAP system, timing, and gas cap), and there are many emission components besides what we've talked about here which may influence your smog test results. Once the smog check is obtained, in the unfortunate event that the vehicle fails, more will be known about what might need to be replaced and/or is defective. posted by SmogTips Support

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