Smog check in Old Southwest Reno

ZIP 89509 covers one of the most populated parts of central Reno, a mix of older homes, tree-lined streets and busy corridors. Its average commute is short, so many errands stay close to home. Here is how the two Xpress Smog Check Center locations fit that pattern.

At a glance

• Old Southwest Reno is inside the Washoe testing area (Nevada DMV).
• About 11 minutes to Reno South and 13 minutes to Reno Northwest (OpenStreetMap routing, light traffic).
• 35,632 people live in ZIP 89509, with 1.79 vehicles per household (Census).
• Drive in with no appointment; most OBD tests are over in five minutes or less, says the DMV.

A large, short-commute neighborhood

The Census Bureau counts 35,632 residents and 16,788 households in ZIP 89509, with 30,134 vehicles available. That is 1.79 vehicles per household, and about 56 percent of households own two or more. The mean commute is only 18.5 minutes, and about 68 percent of workers drive alone.

With so many households and so many cars, renewal months fill up fast. Testing in the weeks before your own deadline keeps you from competing with everyone else at the end of the month.

Which way to go from 89509

Reno South is about 4.5 miles and 11 minutes away, a straight run toward the airport side of town. Reno Northwest is about 13 minutes. The two-minute gap is small enough that errands matter more than distance: if you are already heading south or east, choose Longley Lane, and if the rest of the day is on the west side, choose Mae Anne Avenue.

The service area page lists drive times for other places if you work in another neighborhood.

Pairing the test with an oil change

Both locations sit inside an Xpress Oil & Lube Center, so a household with older vehicles can handle maintenance and the emissions test in one stop. The smog check and oil change guide explains why some drivers choose to do both.

Whatever you decide on service, keep in mind that the test result is what the DMV needs. It arrives there electronically, and you can renew online or at a kiosk afterward.

What the test reads on a 1996 or newer car

For model year 1996 and newer light-duty vehicles, Nevada uses an OBD II inspection. The technician scans the VIN, connects the analyzer to the OBD port and reads emission data from the computer. The DMV says most tests take five minutes or less.

Remove any insurance tracker or monitoring device from the port first. Technicians must fail a vehicle with a device plugged in. The OBD test page has the full steps.