Will a 10-year-old car be tested for OBD during the annual inspection?
3 Answers
10-year-old cars do not require OBD testing during the annual inspection. The OBD inspection items are only applicable to light gasoline vehicles (with a total mass not exceeding 3.5 tons) produced after July 1, 2011. Here is some relevant information about OBD: 1. Introduction to OBD: OBD is essentially a device in the vehicle's onboard computer that monitors the status of pollution control equipment. This device can store fault indicator codes, making vehicle maintenance and repairs easier. 2. Introduction to OBD inspection during the annual vehicle inspection: The OBD inspection during the annual vehicle inspection refers to the environmental protection test conducted through the vehicle's OBD interface. If the OBD fault indicator is found to be lit during the annual inspection, the vehicle must be repaired before proceeding with the emission test. If the OBD indicator is normal, further testing can be conducted according to regulations. 3. Introduction to automotive OBD: Automotive OBD is a vehicle fault diagnostic tool. During the annual inspection, the vehicle must undergo an environmental protection test. If the data obtained from the OBD test is abnormal, the vehicle will fail the test even if its tailpipe emissions meet the standards.
Last year, I helped a friend with his 10-year-old car during the annual inspection, and we indeed encountered an OBD check. I remember the staff pulled out a square box and connected it to the port under the steering wheel of my friend's car, but it couldn't read any data no matter what. We visited two repair shops before finding out that the port was oxidized and had poor contact. It cost us 60 yuan to replace it with a new one. Here’s a reminder for everyone: gasoline vehicles produced after July 2011 require an OBD check, while older cars before that don’t. It’s advisable to visit a repair shop before the inspection to test the connection with a diagnostic tool. Sometimes, the dashboard doesn’t show a fault light, but the system may have hidden trouble codes. Clearing them in advance can save a lot of hassle.
Recently accompanied my neighbor to the inspection station, and his decade-old Honda failed the OBD test. The inspector used a diagnostic tool and found historical trouble codes for the coolant temperature sensor. According to the inspector, any vehicle using an OBD system, regardless of age, must now undergo this test. I discovered a trick: don't disconnect the battery for at least half a day beforehand, otherwise a freshly reset system might be misjudged as faulty. If it fails, don't rush to repair—first check if minor issues like poor bulb contact triggered the fault codes, things you can fix yourself.
