I've been getting our emissions inspections for the cars during this week. Or, alternately, I've been "building up resentment against my husband for not taking care of this" during this week. The '95 Honda failed the gas tank cap test. Evidently, noxious fumes were leaking out the gas tank cap and threatening the environment. I was okay with getting a new gas cap.
However, Gary was not. Only moments after I picked him up at the airport and we had a sweet cooing reunion, he was bellowing "Scam! There is nothing wrong with that gas cap! It's the politicians!" He insisted we get this resolved together and drove to the AutoZone on Page that the inspector recommended.
I waited through the transaction with bated breath, waiting for Gary to accuse the AutoZone people of having a scratch-back deal with the emissions station. Instead, the AutoZone cashier looked at our new gas cap purchase and chirped:
"Oh, did you just go to the emissions station? You probably think we have some kind of deal with them. Everyone's been having to get new gas caps. Some lady in a brand new Honda had to get one and she was hot, and then we didn't have her model. Everybody keeps failing that test, though."
It was effectively disarming. When we got outside we closely compared the two caps and found the new one had a washer the old one didn't. Gary went to throw away the old cap and found the trash can outside the AutoZone was full of old gas caps.
So, as my community service: if you plan to get your car emissions inspected at the Dielman Industrial Park emissions station, check your gas tank cap and see if there's a washer on the inside. If there isn't, just give up and go buy a new one.
My gas cap on my Honda passed inspection there in January.
And Gary's right: it's a scam. I say let's go to Jeff City and kick Matty B's ass. (Not necessarily because he's responsible for the ginormous rip-off of the Missouri state vehicle inspection flim-flam, but because it would reeeeeeaaaally feel good to kick Matty B's ass.)
Posted by: Friend #3 | July 13, 2007 at 10:05 PM
In Jersey, my old car failed inspection because the light bulb over the rear license plate had burned out. It cost me $70 to get it replaced. Argh!
Posted by: Becs | July 14, 2007 at 06:30 AM
Friend #3 - I bet it had a washer.
Becs - It just cost $100 (ONE HUNDRED DOLLAHS) to get a piece of plastic replaced over my rear light.
Posted by: TheQueen | July 14, 2007 at 10:31 PM
I would've gone to a different inspection station. It's free for re-inspection.
Here's another PSA: Don't get a new battery just before inspection if your car is newer than 1996. Replacing the battery wipes out the computer data and you can fail for having too little data for them to read. I spent Halloween 2005 driving to Warrenton and back to try to generate enough data to pass by end of day. I finally had to search on the internet for a certain driving pattern that captured all the data (accelerate to 50 MPH, coast without braking until you reach 35 MPH, take a sharp turn to the right, etc.). It was frustrating. I had the damn car inspected 3 times that day and it passed just in time to renew my plates before the DMV closed that night.
Posted by: Caroline | July 16, 2007 at 10:18 AM
Caroline - Duly noted, but I think I would have saved the gas and headache and just coughed up the twenty bucks for the late fee.
Posted by: TheQueen | July 16, 2007 at 08:48 PM