OMG!! I couldn't deal with that BS. I'm SO glad I live in a state that
doesn't inspect anything. We go for emissions testing every 5 years or so
and that's it. No safety check or anything. As for those stickers, that's
a crock. Here in IL, you can spraypaint your rear windows black, just as
long as you don't touch the front door windows they don't care. Now, with
the advent of OBDII, they just plug your vehicle into a scantool and call it
a day. Oh, and wait for it.....it's FREE.
I'm glad you passed though Ray and good luck on your knee surgery!
-- - Josh Lowered 2000 Dakota CC 3.9L www.geocities.com\lenny187\dakota.html<raymond.irons@gm.com> wrote in message news:OF99D4411E.EE4B880F-ON85256D89.0059C4B2@mail.gm.com... > > The inspection runs out the end of August and I don't want to wait till the > last minute, I hate waiting in line there. So last night after I got off > work I drove to the vehicle inspection lanes. I figure I got no problems, > my check engine light is lit, the truck runs good, I should be able to sail > right thru. I pull i n and there is only 2 cars ahead of me, great, I can > get done and outta here and get home and have supper like a regular person. > The inspector waves me in to the lane, and asks me for the registration. I > was ready for him, already in my hand. He tells me to shut off the truck > and step out. I stand off to the side while he goes in my truck and starts > it, hooking up the computer to check for stored codes in the OBD-II. No > problems we're good to go. He directs me to get back in, put on my seat > belt and we start the other safety checks: horn, wipers on high, > headlights-low beam, high beam, left turn, right turn, brakes. The > inspector then informs me that I've failed the safety check. WHAT????? > What's wrong, I ask? I was told that the license plate light bulb wasn't > working and that failed me for safety reasons. OK, no biggie, I can get > some replacement bulbs and run it back thru the reinspect line outside the > regular inspection lane. Then he tells me that he isn't going to fail me > for it, BUT, my DML decal on the rear sliding is not legal. I'm only > allowed a single 3x5 inch decal on the rear window and it must be in the > corner. Geez, that's a bit out in left field. What if I had a large cargo > box or something back there that completely blocked the rear window? I > still have my 2 outside I pull forward to the brake test pad and wait for > the technician to tell me to drive up. He comes backs and instructs me how > to do the brake test. Since I have a stick he tell me to pull up to about 5 > mph and push in the clutch and coast on the pad till he tells me to hit the > brakes. I do it and he tells me to back up and try it again. Uh-oh, this > ain't good. I do the test the second time and he tells me I fail because > the rear brakes aren't applying power evenly to the rear wheels. He then > tells me I can't drive the vehicle other then to a repair shop or home. OK > OK, I get it, I'll fix 'em and bring it back, what time do you close the > lanes? 8PM. OK, I can stop at a parts store on the way home and get new > brake shoes, plate light bulbs, get home, make the repairs and get back > before they close. I run to Advanced Auto, tell the clerk I need new brake > shoes for my truck. Which rear drums, 9 or 10 inch? I got no clue so I end > up buying both, paying the core on both, I remembered to get the plate > bulbs and run home. Quick change in to grub work clothes and head out to > the driveway and get to work. Get the truck up on jack stands, get the rear > wheels off, drums don't wanna come off. After turning the air slightly blue > for about 20 minutes, I get the passengers side drum off. The brake shoes > don't look all that bad, but I've got new shoes so go ahead and put them > on. I look at the new shoes and one shoe has a longer strip of brake > material then the other. WTF? I look at the installed shoes and they have > the same amount of material on both the shoes. I go inside and check my > trusty FSM. Nothing is said about the length of the brake material. I call > the parts store and ask them if they know. They put me on ignore for about > 20 minutes and finally come back with the answer. The forward shoe, the > primary shoe is the one that gets the longer strip of material. I'm > suddenly starting to remember why I really hate drum brakes. I go back to > work and get the self adjuster ratchet arm pin installed on the one shoe > and start installing the new shoes. The dang retaining pins don't want to > cooperate and line up. Grrrrrrr, now I know why I really, really do hate > drum brakes. Finally the passengers side is back together and I can turn my > attention to the drivers side. The drum comes off a bit easier, but what's > this? Why is all this brake dust caked on the entire backing plate and on > everything inside the drum. Nuts, the wheel cylinder is seeping a tiny bit > of brake fluid at the aft piston boot. No time to change it now, besides, I > don't have the part and no way to get to the parts store till I get the > truck back together. Just remove the old shoes and clean up everything as > best as I can. I'll get the wheel cylinder changed out this weekend > sometime. I get the new shoes ready for install by installing the self > adjuster ratchet arm pin and go to install the new shoes. DOH! I put the > pin in on the wrong side of the shoe. Drive the pin out and re-install it > in the correct side. Re-assemble the brakes, start checking the plate > lights. Neither bulb is working so I wonder if I have another problem then > just burned out bulbs. Seems my truck likes me a little bit after all, just > both bulbs were burned out. Put in new bulbs and all is good. Drop the jack > and go get washed up so I can get back to the DMV. Side note here, if you > haven't got them yet, I highly recommend a set of Mechanix Wear gloves. I > bought a set of the M-Pact gloves when I bought my new brakes for under > $20. I gave up a little bit of dexterity for not having to worry about > tearing up my hands and keeping my hands a lot cleaner. The only thing I > couldn't do was pop open a soda can. Anyway, I drive forward, stop, > reverse, stop about 5 or 6 times on the street in front of my house to set > the self adjusters. I gotta admit, the brakes do feel much better now. Ok > off to DMV. I get down there, and the line is about 15-20 cars long. Oh > well, I check my watch and I was only gone about 2 hours or so, I got time. > I think I'll open the slider so the DML decal isn't so apparent. The line > inches along and 45 minutes later I pull in the inspection lane. I hand the > inspector the paperwork I was given at the first inspection and he tells me > to turn on my lights. He checks the now working plate lights and comes back > up and stick the brake paperwork under the wiper. Then he tells me that the > other inspector didn't say anything about it, and he is not going to fail > me for it, but the NASCAR frame I have around my rear license plate is not > legal. You gotta be kidding me. OK, lets get on to the brake test. I pull > up and wait for the signal to do the test. The tech waves me forward, then > says brake. I wait for the computer read out......... DONE! Everything on > the brakes show they are working perfectly. The tech hands me the paperwork > and I head over to the Headquarters building. I was so happy everything > passed I go in and stand in line for about 10 more minutes. I get up to the > window and hand the clerk my paperwork. Then she asked me for my insurance > card, I forgot it in the truck. She hands me the paperwork back and I run > out. get the insurance card and back in line.... AGAIN. Thank God I > remembered to bring in my wallet and cash. $40 later I Leave DMV with new > tags good for 2 years. I get out to the parking lot, put the new stickers > on my plates and go to get in the truck and I notice something on the left > front tire. I go and look at it a little closer and on the outside edge of > the tread and I see the belt starting to show just a little tiny bit. I got > two 2 things going for me on this, 1) neither inspector noticed the tire > wear (even though they did fail me for no plate lights) and 2) I got a pair > of Badyears in the shed I can put on till I can get some better tires all > around. On top of all that, in 2 weeks, I have to stop driving my truck for > a bit. I have to trade it to my Dad for his Crown Vic when I get my knee > surgery done. Kinda hard to push in the clutch with a messed up left knee. > And I still ain't taking my DML decal off. > > > > Ray (I can stop on a dime now) Irons > Dover, DE > >
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Feb 06 2004 - 11:46:53 EST