Trucks?
 

Last evening I had the pleasure of taking my bride's Forester in for it's emissions test (the most irritating use of my tax dollars). And while the body pierced, sideways capped tech was performing the sniffing I glanced around the control room. On the wall by the computer terminal was a sign that said "Test As Trucks". Listed on there were things like Ford Explorers and such. But when I got down to the "S's" there was Subaru. Under the column for model it said "All" and under the colmn for year it said "All" also. Does anybody out there know why the state of Wisconsin would want to test Subarus to truck emission standards? It just hurt my feelings that my SVX would be looked at as a "truck":D .

By the way, the tech told me the gas cap failed the pressure test. So I went and bought a $5 one, went back and handed it to him. He said it had to be on the car. So I walked around and screwed it in, he walked around and unscrewed it and "tested" it. It "passed" and I went my merry way with the old one still tethered to the side of the car by it's stock connector (the thing that prevents my wife from leaving it on the top of the pump when she fuels).

Yeah, I guess I would feel a little hurt too. The only reason I could venture a guess at, is the shear weight of most subies. I mean heck, the SVX weighs almost as much as my truck!

Re: Trucks?
 

Just put that new gas cap back in the box, and hold it for future inspections. It should outlast the car, being used only once a year. :) I wouldn't feel too bad about having the SVX tested as a truck. Aren't they usually more lenient on trucks? I know, when I had my Suzuki Sidekick, the insurance and licensing was cheaper because it was a "truck." The same with the wife's van.

<<Just put that new gas cap back in the box>>

Soon as I got home I uncorked the new one and threw it in the back cargo compartment. Took the "bad" one, still hanging out of the little hatch by its tether, and screwed it back in.

Actually I'm good for two years now. If we pass we get sniffed every other year. I have to run the SVX through next week. Passed last year (had to take it because I was a new owner) and will now be on the every other year program if it passes this year. Here's insanity for your, cars built in odd years are tested every even year. I wonder how many days they pondered the sense of that!:mad:

<<Actually I'm good for two years now. If we pass we get sniffed every other year.>>

I'm sorry. I started chuckling to myself when I read this, and it turned into a belly laugh, when, for some reason, I drew a canine paralell. :D I know, I'm a sick person.

<<I drew a canine paralell>>

WOOF! I'm all set for rabies, distemper and dattemper (the Milwaukee Polish accent, my Dad would scold us as kids and say "GOT DAT" and we'd say, "yes, we have it") (There's always disco too. "Disco dis way datgo dat way")

<<I know, I'm a sick person.>>

It's okay, you hide it with a smile:D . But I bet I can out sick you (now there's something to be proud of eh?) ("Sick 'em boy, sick em!) WOOF!

(I'm fighting the urge to make a comment about dogs' peronal grooming methods):D

<<(I'm fighting the urge to make a comment about dogs' peronal grooming methods)>>

Aha! I knew you didn't have the . . . . . . . No! No! I won't! :D

<<Aha! I knew you didn't have the . . . . . . . No! No! I won't! >>

And the Robot says, waving mechanical arms, "Danger! Danger, Will Robinson!". :D

Nice "volley" by the way.:D

Emissions and dynos
 

In their infinite wisdom MA decided to perform emission tests while the car was ROLLING on the belief that is is more accurate. Huh? What do rolling wheels have to do with emissions?

Well anyway that meant that garages all around the countryside had to install VERY expensive and dangerous dynos. Most garages simply stopped doing them. Several people have been hurt and garage walls smashed! It takes MUCH longer.

Fortunately, the garages (the ones that decided to do this) only installed two wheel dynos. That means that AWD cars are totally exempt from emission standards. They don't even do the standing still kind. As both of my vehicles are AWD I am not exempt. :) Along with the zillions of AWD, 4matic, Quattro and otherwise vehicles that live around Boston. And NO I didn't mention to them the little FWD fuse. shhhhhh.

Unfortuantely I still have to pay the OUTRAGOUS sum of 30+ bucks to have a guy wiggle my wheels.

While I was there I watched them dyno test a small standard pickup. The truck was leaping all over the place on it's chains as the 'driver' had to shift up to 4th to get to highway speed.

In WI they test AWD cars also. Last year I had to have the SVX done. They tied the car to almost ever pillar in the place. The pimply faced tech got behind the wheel and ran the simulated "real world" driving conditions. The trans was having problems and somewhere in the course the thing floated (flared?) between 2nd and 3rd. When it engaged forcibly into 3rd it strained pretty hard against the tiedowns. The kid (um, tech) looked pretty puckered up. He was visibly shaking when he finally got out of the car. He knew I was watching the whole thing so when he handed me the slip indicating I "passed" the test he didn't even look me in the eye.:D

This year I'm hoping they send the car into a wall so I can sue the state and make up for 20 years of irritations. I'll let you know how it goes. (no, I don't mention the fuse feature either)

I'm still laughing
 

Thanks Lighting.

I can SEE those cable/ropes/chains straining as your steed dropped into 3rd. The look on the kid/tech's face must have been priceless.

<<kid/tech's face must have been priceless.>>

He was sitting in the car looking like he was realizing a fantasy. Something like waking up naked next to Britney Spears. But just as he reaches out to touch her she sprouts huge fangs, bites his face off and spits it into the corner. "Ptewie!" "Yuk!" she says, "haven't you ever heard of Clearssil?".:D

I mentioned this before on the Wahoo board. When I took mine in for the Maryland test, the AWD lane was kaput, so I got the less strenuous butt sniffer. I learned that the AWD lane is down more often than up, so if you're paranoid about the rollers smushing the tranny parts, just drive by testing station a few times prior to the deadline, and look for the traffic cone in front of the AWD lane. By the way, when I got the "pass" slip, it said I was an '87 Buick, but that's another boring story. Ron.

Re: Emissions and dynos
 

In the outrageous category, when I had my diesel Golf, and Ontario just started the emissions program, none of the diesel testing equipment was available to the shops in Ontario. So basically, I walked in, they started the car, revved it, saw no visible black smoke, and passed it.

He admitted it was the easiest $30 he made on any vehicle test.

And now that I have AWD, they won't put it on the dyno's here in Ontario. So I guess the Green Police can never catch me on a technicality. Tee Hee. ;)

VK

<<I learned that the AWD lane is down more often than up>>

I experienced that last Friday. I went to the Emissions station and the AWD lane had an orange cone in front of it. I went in that lane anyway and a lady came and removed the cone. She then stuck a sniffer up the tail while I watched from the reinforced cement walled office.

She passed with flying colors as usual.
HC was 2.8/220PPM 1.27% of allowed
CO was .04% of 1.2% or 3.3% of allowed

Not bad for a 10 year old car with 208,000 miles on it.

Although, the test printout lists the mileage as 20,000.

Doug