Visible Smoke Check

Since 27 October 2006, all vehicles need to pass a visible smoke check in order to get their warrant or certificate of fitness.

Virtually every vehicle owner in New Zealand will need their vehicle to undergo a visible smoke check. At the time your car is tested for its warrant or certificate of fitness, the inspectors will now also check any smoke coming out of the exhaust. They will run the car for five seconds while the engine idles and check for smoke and then increase the engine speed to half its maximum - about 2,500 revs per minute, and again check for smoke.

They are checking to see if the car is emitting clearly visible smoke out of the tail pipe.

A petrol engine out of tune or in need of repair can produce blue smoke and a diesel engine in the same state produces black smoke. Overseas testing shows a strong link between visible exhaust smoke and emission of harmful pollutants. If your car produces clearly visible smoke over five seconds, you will need to have it repaired before you can take it on the road again.

For further information about the visible smoke check, read the inspection requirements on the NZ Transport Agency website.