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Houston, TX "diesel-friendly"?

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I may be taking a job that will require me to relocate just NW of the Houston, TX area. Need to know what I'm getting myself into. Smog inspectons, etc. I'm not used to that kind of stuff - where I live now, they don't inspect anything, and the neighbors don't care about the noisy truck with straight pipe exhaust. I don't know anyone that lives in TX so I ask for your input... The up side is that if I take the job I'll be able to afford another truck :D
 
Only a few Texas counties have an emmisions test, Harris County (contains Houston) is one of them. The good thing is, diesels are exempt anyway, so don't sweat it.
 
Originally posted by Hale on wheels

Only a few Texas counties have an emmisions test, Harris County (contains Houston) is one of them. The good thing is, diesels are exempt anyway, so don't sweat it.

Good news for the truck, bad news for the car - it burns so much oil I know it will fail an emissions test. It's too small and just plain worn out anyway. Time to convince the Wife she needs to replace it with a truck before we move ;)
 
Either that or just move into a county that doesn't do the test. You mentioned moving NW of Houston, so I assume you will not actually be in the city. If not, and if you do not move into Harris county, the car will not have to be tested either.
 
Originally posted by Hale on wheels

Either that or just move into a county that doesn't do the test. You mentioned moving NW of Houston, so I assume you will not actually be in the city. If not, and if you do not move into Harris county, the car will not have to be tested either.

Not actually in the city. Somewhere northwest of it. But the car burns a quart of oil every 1,000 miles. And the kids fit much better in the back seat of the 2004 we test drove last week...
 
Depends on what year the car is. If it's a 96 or newer and has OBDII and doesn't have any trouble codes, it will pass. All they do is hook up to the computer and read for any trouble codes. That's the extent of our emissions testing. If it's not OBDII equipped, they run it on the rollers with a sniffer in the tailpipe.



I had my diesel inspected with no muffler and the exhaust exiting in front of the rear tires. No emissions, no problems.



Depending on where the job is, if the job is in NW Houston, there is still plenty of "country land" in that area(Conroe, Montgomery, Tomball area). Try to get a place in Montgomery county, lower insurance rates, Harris county is a killer on auto and home insurance.
 
Originally posted by gitchesum

Depends on what year the car is. If it's a 96 or newer and has OBDII and doesn't have any trouble codes, it will pass. All they do is hook up to the computer and read for any trouble codes. That's the extent of our emissions testing. If it's not OBDII equipped, they run it on the rollers with a sniffer in the tailpipe.



I had my diesel inspected with no muffler and the exhaust exiting in front of the rear tires. No emissions, no problems.



Depending on where the job is, if the job is in NW Houston, there is still plenty of "country land" in that area(Conroe, Montgomery, Tomball area). Try to get a place in Montgomery county, lower insurance rates, Harris county is a killer on auto and home insurance.



Thanks for the insurance tip. We're actually getting rid of the car because the oil consumption is excessive and three kids don't fit in the back seat very well. I think we put more oil than gas in that car.
 
Diesel Friendly

It's all relative.



I got turned into the TNRCC (I think it was) not too long ago with my diesel Volvo.



Never in the truck though. As a matter of fact, most of the attention I get from the local constabulary is so they can ask questions about my truck... and my truck isn't anything too far out of the ordinary.



Duane
 
Becareful though, there is a Houston city law that states a diesel will not idle for more then 5 minutes, or something like that. Don't know if it's still on the books but it was about 2 years ago. ;)



Andrew
 
Also, all the surrounding counties around Harris county also have emissions testing. I live in Montgomery county and we also have the testing.
 
I've had my truck inspected in College Station, TX (about 90 miles east of Houston) the last two years and they don't say anything about my straight pipe exhaust or even test the horn.
 
Originally posted by Hale on wheels

The good thing is, diesels are exempt anyway, so don't sweat it.
But from what I have been told that will change in the near future when all you will be able to get a the pump is U. L. S. Diesel , then you will have to get your diesel sniff .
 
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