1. SMOG CHECK
TECHNICIAN’S GUIDE
TO USING THE
INTERNET
By
Mike Sheldon

2. USING THE INTERNET
In recent years, legislation was passed
requiring all vehicle manufacturers (mfgs.) to
provide aftermarket repair technicians and
shops with all the information needed to
diagnose and repair their vehicles.
Mfgs. were required to make this information
available, via the internet, to aftermarket
technicians at a nominal fee.
Unfortunately, these mfg. websites are being
under used by many technicians and shops!

3. To successfully diagnose and repair today‟s
high tech vehicles,
YOU NEED TO USE THE INTERNET!!
The following slides go over some internet
basics as they pertain to smog
inspections, vehicle diagnosis, and repairs.
For some, this will seem very basic.
For others, it will open up new avenues for
inspection, diagnostic, and repair information.
USING THE INTERNET

4. Q: OK, so how do you get on the internet?
A: To access the internet, you need:
• A computer linked to the internet through a
internet service provider.
• Your personal computer (PC) needs a
program called an internet browser. Among
the common browser programs are:
“Internet Explorer”, “Safari” (Apple
PCs), “Mozilla”, “Opera”, etc. Your PC
probably has one of these programs already
installed on it‟s hard drive.
USING THE INTERNET – Getting on the Internet

5. Q: If I don‟t own a PC how can I complete my
practical exercises that require me to use
the internet?
A: The following options are available:
• The VVC computer lab is available to you.
• Most public libraries have PCs that you may
use for free! you just need to get a library
card. They also have staff that can assist
you.
• Find an “internet cafe” and pay a small fee
to use their PCs.
• Ask your employer or a friend if they would
allow you to use their PC.
USING THE INTERNET – Getting on the Internet

6. USING THE INTERNET – Getting on the Internet
SO SHOW ME HOW
TO GET
ON THE
INTERNET!

7. You have seen it a million times on TV. The
announcer says “For more information go to our
website”; then you see this funny sentence at the
bottom of the screen that starts off with a “www.”
and ends with a “.com” and a strange name in
between – what does that mean?
When a company wants to be on the internet they
are given a specific address called their website
address (home page). This address usually starts
with a www. (meaning world wide web), a
name, then “.com” (for “commercial”). If the group
is not a commercial enterprise (like a charity), it
could end in “.org” (for “organization”), “.edu” (for
education), or “.gov” (for “government”).
USING THE INTERNET – Website Addresses

8. USING THE INTERNET – Website Addresses
To access a specific website, you need to enter
the correct address in the browser‟s address
box.
When you enter this address, you must enter the
address characters exactly as you see it – no
spaces, and type all the characters (e.g. @, -, /, _
etc.)
Lets say we wanted to go to a popular search
engine website like “Google.” In the address box
you would type: www.google.com and press the
“enter” key on the keyboard.

9. USING THE INTERNET – BAR‟s Website
BAR‟s website has a lot of useful
information for Smog Check technicians
and stations. The site has been recently
been updated, and some new features
were added. This site can provide you with
information that can assist you in
performing an inspection. Some of this
site‟s information is not available on any
other website.
So let‟s take a look at some of the
information that is available:

10. Accessing Manufacturer Websites - TSBs
Accepted engine performance/emission
failure diagnostic procedures require the
technician to check (early on in the
process) for Technical Service Bulletins
(TSBs)- usually after checking for
Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs).
Often, the most up-to-date source for
these TSBs is the manufacturer‟s
website.
Today, these websites can be accessed
by the technician via the internet, for a
nominal fee (and in some cases for free!)

11. Q: So how can a TSB help me?
Imagine the following situation:
A technician has a 2004 1.6L Hyundai
Accent that has the following DTC: P0130
(oxygen sensor malfunction). Without
Checking for TSBs, the tech incorrectly
replaces the O2 sensor with a new one –
same code reappears!
WHAT TO DO NOW?
Accessing Manufacturer Websites - TSBs

12. Accessing Manufacturer Websites - TSBs
Had the technician checked the
manufacturer‟s website, he/she would
have found the following TSB related to
this code:
As you can see, this was not an O2
sensor failure issue, but an ECM
reprogramming issue. Now the shop
must suffer the loss of time and money
(O2 sensor was not returnable) that
resulted from an incorrect diagnosis and
not following a sound diagnostic
procedure.
Technical Service Bulletin
This bulletin supersedes TSB# 05-36-003-2 to correct DTC code in the title from P0530 to P0503.
Subject: 2000-2004 1.5L & 1.6L ACCENT P0130 (OXYGEN SENSOR) AND P0503 (SPEED
SENSOR)
Group: ENGINE ELECTRICAL
Number: 06-36-002
Date: MAY, 2006
Model: 2000-2004 ACCENT
DESCRIPTION: Some 2000-2004 Accents with 1.5L SOHC and 1.6L DOHC engines may experience
the following symptoms::
•DTC P0130 (Oxygen Sensor Malfunction)
• DTC P0503 (Speed Sensor Malfunction)
• Reverse to Drive lurch while rolling backwards (On Automatic Transaxle equipped vehicles only)
This bulletin describes the procedure for updating the Engine Control Module (ECM) software to
improve the above condition by using the Hi-Scan Pro.
VEHICLES AFFECTED:
Model: 2000-2004 ACCENT vehicles with 1.5L SOHC and 1.6L DOHC engines.

13. Accessing Manufacturer Websites - TSBs
OK, you have convinced me that TSBs have value, but I
have never been to a manufacturer‟s (mfg.) website
before, where is it located and how do I access this
information?
It is not as hard as you think, let‟s take this process
step-by-step. The first step is to find the specific
manufacturer‟s webpage address for the vehicle you
are working on.
An organization called “The National Automotive
Service Task Force” has provided a list of mfg.
webpage addresses: www.nastf.org.
So let‟s go there now!

14. Accessing Manufacturer Websites -
Getting an Email Address
But I don‟t have an email address,
how do I get one?
You can set up a “free” email account
at various websites, some of which are:
• www.hotmail.com
• www.gmail.com
• www.yahoo.com

15. Accessing Manufacturer Websites
Now that you know how to sign
up to access a manufacturer‟s
website, let‟s explore some the
information you might find on a
typical website:

16. Other Helpful Websites
There are many other websites that can assist
a Smog Check technician. One popular website
is the “International Automotive Technicians
Network” (www.I-ATN.com). This site‟s
„standard‟ membership level is “free”. Let‟s
take a look at some of the features of this site
that might be of value:

17. If you are interested in adding to your
knowledge of engine performance
systems, you might find the following
websites very useful.
Other Helpful Websites
http://www.import-car.com/
http://motorage.search-autoparts.com/
http://www.motor.com/
http://service.gm.com/index_en-US.html
http://www.motorcraft.com/
http://www.autoshop101.com/
http://www.aeswave.com/Articles/index.htm
http://www.underhoodservice.com/
http://www.wellsmfgcorp.com/index.html
http://www.aa1car.com/library.htm
http://www.kemparts.com/scripts/141.asp
http://www.smogsite.com/articles.html

18. INTERNET QUIZ
Q: What type of program does your PC need
to access the internet?
A: An internet browser program.
Q: If you type in this address:
www.smog check.ca.gov
in the browser address box, will the
system take you to that website? (look closely)
A: No, you cannot have spaces in a website
address.

19. INTERNET QUIZ
Q: Name three areas on BAR’s Smog
Check website that can assist a
licensed Smog Check technician:
A: Vehicle test history, BAR Blasts, and
ARB’s aftermarket parts database.
Q:Only dealer techs are allowed to
access a manufacturer’s website.
True or False?
A: False, anyone can access their sites.

20. INTERNET QUIZ
Q: Name a website where can you find a list
of vehicle manufacturers websites?
A: The “National Automotive Service Task
Force” website: www.nastf.org.
Q: You must own a PC and pay money to a
service provider to get a personal internet
address. True or False?
A: False. A number of websites will allow
you to sign up for email service, and
provide you with an email address for
free.