Starting this week, residents in Coweta and Fayette counties with older-model cars will be required to undergo an advanced test to help keep the region's air clean.

The new test is known as the Acceleration Simulation Mode test and is required for vehicles older than 1992. The autos are placed on a dynamometer and tested at 25 miles an hour to simulate actual driving conditions. The test helps identify excessive nitrogen emissions that are frequently found in older vehicles, said Michelle Marinelli at Georgia's Clean Air Force.

The test was originally set to begin last January, but was postponed because many stations around the state could not get the equipment up and running in time. When the test was postponed, it caused a great deal of confusion among residents who thought they would not have to get their cars tested. Georgia Environmental Protection director Harold Reheis said the test is now ready and all 1.2 million autos manufactured in even years are required to be tested prior to car owners getting a 1998 tag decal.

Marinelli said eight stations are currently equipped to perform the ASM test in Coweta and Fayette counties, but more stations are being added every day. To find out additional stations, contact Georgia's Clean Air Force at 770-499-6543.

The eight stations with the new equipment are:

· Coweta Car Care at 71 McIntosh Trail in Sharpsburg.

· Peek's Garage at 510 U.S. Highway 29 in Palmetto.

· Crossroads Automotive at 3210 Ga. Highway 34 in Newnan.

· Autofixx at 135-B Walker Parkway in Fayetteville.

· R & J Automotive at 100 Rainbow Way in Fayetteville.

· Tommy's Automotive Detail at 139 Bethea Road in Fayetteville.

· Service Plus Automotive at 2714 Ga. Highway 54 in Peachtree City.