Service Engine LIght and Emissions testing

[jim]

I know we have talked about this before, but I just got a call from my wife confirming what I suspected - State Emissions testing is a scam! I'm going to try to keep this short, but if you have ever had a "Service Engine Soon" light come on you might want to listen to this...

We own a 1997 Ford Taurus with 126,000 miles on it that my son has been driving for 4 years. Never a mechanical problem, but the body and interior are in pretty bad shape. For the past couple of years, we constantly get the "Service Engine Soon" light. This has always required us to pump some money into it, and we learned quickly that when we do put the money into it you better drive it straight to the testing center because that light isn't going to stay off for long.

Well, a couple of months ago we take it our mechanic to try to get it to pass the testing again, and he informs us that the patches we previously were doing won't work anymore. We need a new converter, the cost of which is greater than the value of the car. So we decide (with help from GRB) to dump it, get me a new vehicle and give my old vehicle to my son. On Monday, I drive down to school to exchange vehicles. When I pick up the vehicle and drive it, I see not only the "Service Engine Light" on but the light on telling me that a door is open. I had forgotten about that sensor going out, but it added a nice touch of red to the yellow Service Engine light.

Strange thing happened on the way home. First, the Service Engine Light shuts off. It has never shutoff, and after talking with my son he said he never remembers that turning off. I actually take the vehicle to the dealer Tuesday night, and with only the door lights on I feel better about trying to trade in the vehicle. I get a trade in offer of $200, so I passed and just decided to keep the car and give it to a relative who doesn't have to mess with these tests.

Anyway, start the car up last night and guess what? The door ajar light is off! No service engine light, no door ajar light - nothing. My first reaction was the car was about to blowup and catch fire - it had to be something bad causing the lights to go off as they hadn't been off in years. With a perfectly clean slate, my wife decides to run it to the testing center.

It passed, with flying colors.

This emissions testing is a scam. You take a vehicle with the light on to a center and it automatically fails. We did absolutely nothing - maybe I hit a pothole too hard or something - and now the state says it's perfectly fine.

[dangerous]

I know we have talked about this before, but I just got a call from my wife confirming what I suspected - State Emissions testing is a scam! I'm going to try to keep this short, but if you have ever had a "Service Engine Soon" light come on you might want to listen to this...

We own a 1997 Ford Taurus with 126,000 miles on it that my son has been driving for 4 years. Never a mechanical problem, but the body and interior are in pretty bad shape. For the past couple of years, we constantly get the "Service Engine Soon" light. This has always required us to pump some money into it, and we learned quickly that when we do put the money into it you better drive it straight to the testing center because that light isn't going to stay off for long.

Well, a couple of months ago we take it our mechanic to try to get it to pass the testing again, and he informs us that the patches we previously were doing won't work anymore. We need a new converter, the cost of which is greater than the value of the car. So we decide (with help from GRB) to dump it, get me a new vehicle and give my old vehicle to my son. On Monday, I drive down to school to exchange vehicles. When I pick up the vehicle and drive it, I see not only the "Service Engine Light" on but the light on telling me that a door is open. I had forgotten about that sensor going out, but it added a nice touch of red to the yellow Service Engine light.

Strange thing happened on the way home. First, the Service Engine Light shuts off. It has never shutoff, and after talking with my son he said he never remembers that turning off. I actually take the vehicle to the dealer Tuesday night, and with only the door lights on I feel better about trying to trade in the vehicle. I get a trade in offer of $200, so I passed and just decided to keep the car and give it to a relative who doesn't have to mess with these tests.

Anyway, start the car up last night and guess what? The door ajar light is off! No service engine light, no door ajar light - nothing. My first reaction was the car was about to blowup and catch fire - it had to be something bad causing the lights to go off as they hadn't been off in years. With a perfectly clean slate, my wife decides to run it to the testing center.

It passed, with flying colors.

This emissions testing is a scam. You take a vehicle with the light on to a center and it automatically fails. We did absolutely nothing - maybe I hit a pothole too hard or something - and now the state says it's perfectly fine.

So why don't you believe the baseball playoffs are fixed?

[Popeye_Card]

In a lot of cases, the reason why the light comes on is because of a computer malfunction.

But I don't completely blame them for making that an automatic failure anyway, because if the light is on all the time, you don't know when there really *is* a problem, and that's a safety concern.

--P--

[docellis]

I took the fuse out of my check engine light warning and it still failed.

[jim]

UPDATE:

Wife called. SERVICE ENGINE SOON light back on! She didn't even get it home from the testing center.

But we are good to go for another year.

[cardinalkarp]

I took the fuse out of my check engine light warning and it still failed.

That's still a stroke of genius. Pull the fuse and they won't have a clue.

[Arthur Dent]

I don't completely blame them for making that an automatic failure anyway, because if the light is on all the time, you don't know when there really *is* a problem, and that's a safety concern.

Would any failure that would cause the check engine light to come on be a safety concern? Do they also check things that are much more likely to be a safety concern (e.g. brakes)? If the testing is for emissions, they should be able to pass or fail based on tailpipe readings not on whatever the computer decides to complain about.

[Popeye_Card]

I don't completely blame them for making that an automatic failure anyway, because if the light is on all the time, you don't know when there really *is* a problem, and that's a safety concern.

Would any failure that would cause the check engine light to come on be a safety concern? Do they also check things that are much more likely to be a safety concern (e.g. brakes)? If the testing is for emissions, they should be able to pass or fail based on tailpipe readings not on whatever the computer decides to complain about.

I guess it depends. It can come on for anything from low fluids to improper compression ratios to a faulty O2 sensor. None of these may be an immediate safety concern (like the car is going to crash or blow up), but if the light is on all the time, it completely defeats the purpose of having a warning system in the first place.

--P--

[jim]

I don't completely blame them for making that an automatic failure anyway, because if the light is on all the time, you don't know when there really *is* a problem, and that's a safety concern.

Would any failure that would cause the check engine light to come on be a safety concern? Do they also check things that are much more likely to be a safety concern (e.g. brakes)? If the testing is for emissions, they should be able to pass or fail based on tailpipe readings not on whatever the computer decides to complain about.

Exactly.

[jim]

Ha, wife called and the little icon with the car and 4 open doors is back on again. Lit up like a Christmas Tree.

Anyone need a car, fresh out of Illinois emissions testing?