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Is The Vehicle Worth Fixing?

The vehicle is a 1985 Honda Accord (1.8 liter) with 176,000 miles on the odometer and it just failed the enhanced emissions test for 96 grams per mile (gpm) of carbon monoxide (CO). 

The interior of the vehicle is trashed and the doors (if you can call them doors) do not close all the way. You also notice a slight stream of white smoke from the tailpipe. The customer says, "Fix it just enough to pass the emissions test and (by the way) I only have $150 to spend."

As a registered emissions repair facility, you may be faced with a number of questions: "Is this vehicle worth fixing?" " What are the most effective repairs for $150?" "If I cannot properly fix the vehicle, how bad will it hurt my report card (REI) score?" "Can I afford to turn away the business?"

Evaluate the true condition of the vehicle by providing the customer with good vehicle diagnostic services. There is nothing unethical about performing diagnostics on this vehicle. The complete diagnostic evaluation allows both you and the customer to get a handle on the true mechanical condition of the car. In this particular case, the carburetor work alone is worth more than the vehicle is worth. Furthermore, static and dynamic compression tests reveal poor engine mechanical integrity. You also suspect that the catalytic converter is non-functional. Estimated repairs are in the range of $1,200 to $1,500 dollars.

Is this vehicle worth fixing? One purpose of an Emissions Inspection & Maintenance program is to identify vehicles that are not cost-effective to repair. There are a number of benefits to scrapping an older, low-technology, high-polluting vehicle. Typically when the vehicle is scrapped, there is a significant emissions reduction in the amount of pollution emitted into the atmosphere. Often the owner will replace the scrapped vehicle with a newer, cleaner-technology vehicle.

As a business owner, the task of telling a customer the bad news (weak pulse in the old Honda) often falls on your shoulders. The combination of a failed enhanced emissions test and the up-front diagnostics provides the owner with information to make a scrappage decision.

Written by Gary Cagle, Ph.D., Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, Air Pollution Control Division, Mobile Sources Section.

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