The best way to ensure your vehicle passes an emissions test, Crabtree says, is pretty basic: ensure it is well maintained and in good running order, so none of those monitors throw up a red flag. That can be easier said than done, of course, as vehicles collect problems with age, such as a buildup of carbon and oil deposits, and fouled injectors. Those common problems are something Sea Foam can resolve, as Crabtree has seen firsthand.

“It’s definitely produced some good results,” he says. “It’s something that’s simple and worth doing for preventive maintenance.”

At Sea Foam, we get many calls and emails from customers struggling with emissions problems and looking for advice to pass tests. We think there are a couple of simple ways to look at what problematic emissions are:

This cause of emission pollution is always occurring, though auto manufacturers have made many advances to prevent this problem through better-contained fuel systems.