QuestionsQuestions (LTO MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. 94-192)
The circular is issued to abate excessive smoke emission from diesel-fed motor vehicles to promote public health and environmental safety, pursuant to Section 34(1) of R.A. 4136 and Presidential Decree No. 1181.
All diesel-powered motor vehicles prior to registration in Metro Manila, and those already registered and found emitting excessive smoke while operating in any public highway (which must then undergo the same testing).
All diesel-powered motor vehicles prior to registration in Metro Manila must be subjected to smoke and exhaust emission tests before registration.
Testing is to be conducted in the district office and MVIS (Motor Vehicle Inspection Station) for “for-hire” vehicles.
They shall be subjected to the same tests by properly equipped law enforcement units.
The black soot content shall not exceed (1) 2.5 m-1 light absorption coefficient or 48% in the Iyasaka Bosch opacity-type meter, or (2) 66% in the Hartridge Smoke Emission Unit (HSU) or any equivalent tester.
The engine must be run on a stationary vehicle under normal operating procedure, with the combustion chamber not cooled or fouled by prolonged idling; and the exhaust system must not have any hole that would let gases escape or be diluted.
Set the vehicle gear in neutral position and engage the hand brake effectively.
Start the engine and warm up to normal operating temperature.
After warm-up, insert the sampling probe properly and ensure the tester/computer is ready; accelerate quickly 2–3 times to remove soot deposits; then depress the accelerator quickly to obtain maximum fuel delivery and hold until maximum speed is reached for about three (3) seconds (until the governor comes into action), release back to idling; repeat for three stabilized tests.
When three (3) consecutive readings are within a band width of 0.3 m-1 (equivalent to the % in the Bosch-opacity meter or 5 HSU in the Hartridge meter) and do not form a decreasing sequence.
The test result is the arithmetic mean of the three stabilized values, automatically given in the computer monitor readout, hard copy printout, or the tester display.
Measure the smoke opacity of all exhaust pipes and take the reading of the highest (maximum) opacity.
Seal the full-load screw of the injection pump/delivery system after the test.
Use the computer-generated form; if there is power outage or the computer is not linked/operational, use the same format for manual generation and later encode into the computer.
All vehicle and test data must be encoded in the data diskette for uploading to the regional and central offices; also attach one copy of the test result printout to the MVIR and another copy to the vehicle owner.
The test may be conducted within one (1) month prior to registration and is valid for thirty (30) days from the date of the tests for purposes of complying with the registration requirement.
Fees are: (1) P50.00 for vehicles under L, M, H, UV & TX denominations; (2) P75.00 for vehicles under T or TB denominations; and (3) an additional P50.00 for every vehicle tested in the owner’s garage, on top of the applicable fee.
It takes effect immediately. It also includes a repealing clause stating that all circulars, orders, memoranda, and instructions contrary to it are superseded or amended accordingly.