Harry P. Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Ok, so I'm a good citizen and decide to take my car in for its annual emissions test. I don't think they do automotive emissions testing everywhere in the country, but here in Illinois it's done in the Chicago and St. Louis metro areas (no other cities in Illinois, but that's a rant for another thread!). Your car has to pass the emissions test before you can renew your registration sticker every year. I went in this morning around 10:30... I figured there wouldn't be a lot of cars and I could fly right through. Wrong! The lines were incredible! I figured I'd try again later when the lines weren't so long. So I went back around 2 in the afternoon. Now the lines were even longer than before... literally out into the street! Needless to say, I went home and will try again another day. But on the way home I couldn't help but think how stupid this is... here's a program set up by the do-gooders to help keep the air clean (no problem there!)... and what do you have? Dozens and dozens of cars sitting in blocks-long lines, engines running, wasting gas (getting basically zero mpg as they all sit in the line that moves at a glacial pace) and spewing emissions the whole time! In other words... the only reason there are dozens and dozens of cars gathered there, idling away and wasting gas and sending emissions into the air is because the do-gooders want to cut down on auto emissions! Hellooooooo irony! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordairgtar Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 I think going in at the end of the month was the big reason you had a long line. Of Course, Chicago is a big place and contains millions of automobiles. Here in Wisconsin, we have the same dilemma, the Milwaukee Metro area, which includes Milwaukee County Waukesha County, racine County and Kenosha County. Another nice thing they threw at us this year is they no longer have dedicated places to have your car tested. Now it's done at the dealer or mechanic shop. Tell me that isn't going to be fraught with fraudulent test data. The failure rate has already increased. Me thinks these places are selling expensive work and parts to a captive audience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ValvEasy Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 That's about the only thing I miss about the south. In fact, i love pretty much any place that doesn't have Regs similar to California's. If I hadn't sold my Fox before I left Louisiana it probably would have been confiscated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted March 30, 2013 Author Share Posted March 30, 2013 Another nice thing they threw at us this year is they no longer have dedicated places to have your car tested. Now it's done at the dealer or mechanic shop. Tell me that isn't going to be fraught with fraudulent test data. The failure rate has already increased. Me thinks these places are selling expensive work and parts to a captive audience. Oh, you know it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig Irwin Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 A friend of mine used to live in Kall-i-forina, and solved the problem by driving pre 1967 cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAGNUM4342 Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Kind of reminds me of the early gas lines in the first crunch. I was going on eight when it started and while waiting to buy gas and put it in the car's tank and every legal other container you had, what you would do is sit in line and idle with one foot on the brake, so that on a moments notice you were ready to move up so noone could squeeze in on you. This of course expended...say it with me...gasoline and exhaust. My theory is the hole in the ozone actually started because of the gas crisis. Well that's how it's worked out in my mind anyway. And it's fragile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
signguy2108 Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Two words, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1930fordpickup Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 I see it as a cash cow for the States and Cities. Other than that it is a pile of ....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
niteowl7710 Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Ohio was famous for initiating that type of selective emissions testing. Only if you lived in Metro Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and a handful of other counties. It was then found that the guy who pushed the legislation through retired from his job as a politician and started one as the head of the company that was hired to build & conduct the Ohio E-Check. Millionare he became though his cushy salary. Turned out it was a giant scam since if you showed good faith that you tried to fix your vehicle (minimum of $250 worth of repairs) then you got passed whether or not your vehicle actually DID pass. They had a racket going with the gas cap people too, you'd be amazed how many people had to run to the closest auto parts to store for a new cap when theirs didn't pass the "vacuum test" to prove it will seal in all those evil gasoline vapors. The other "great" aspect of E-Check was that you had to have your car tested no matter the year if you bought it used. So if you went out and got the demo unit of a 2012 vehicle and the dealership sold it as a used vehicle (which they might depending on the miles) you had to the immediately take your BRAND NEW vehicle out and have it emission checked. It was supposed to be a mandatory every 2-year process (alternating odd/even manufacturing years), but there were many time when people would get a notice of E-Check for a car that they JUST ran through the system, even though it wasn't their turn that year. Personally I had cases where I wouldn't get the notice for 4-5 years at a time, completely missing a series of "mandatory" testing. E-Check was abolished in all but the 7 Counties that include/surround Cleveland, not sure how they got stuck with it considering Cleveland isn't even the largest city in the state. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted March 30, 2013 Author Share Posted March 30, 2013 James, I hear ya! I'm sure the Illinois program is more a scam than anything else. First of all, they only test cars in the Chicago and St. Louis metro areas. If you live in Rockford, or Springfield, or the Quad Cities. or Champaign-Urbana, or Peoria, or anywhere else except metro Chicago or St. Louis... no testing! You can drive the biggest polluter in the state, belching black smoke and carcinogens like an old locomotive... hey, no problemo! We're only worried about cars that pollute the air in Chicago and St. Louis. Anywhere else in Illinois, free pass! And as if that wasn't ridiculous enough... if your car pollutes the air so much that it fails the test, you get another shot. And another. And if you fail the test three times... you're exempt!!! If your car spews so much pollution into the air that it fails the test three times, hey... you're good to go! My tax dollars at work... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cobraman Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Here in Arizona it can depend on how old your vehicle is. I have a 2002 Ford F 150 Supercrew and have to take it in every 2 years. Took it in about 3 months ago. Pulled right in and was done and out in about 20 minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig Irwin Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 My theory is the hole in the ozone actually started because of the gas crisis. Admerial Byrd found the hole in the Ozone, back in the mid thirtys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikemodeler Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 I think going in at the end of the month was the big reason you had a long line. Of Course, Chicago is a big place and contains millions of automobiles. Here in Wisconsin, we have the same dilemma, the Milwaukee Metro area, which includes Milwaukee County Waukesha County, racine County and Kenosha County. Another nice thing they threw at us this year is they no longer have dedicated places to have your car tested. Now it's done at the dealer or mechanic shop. Tell me that isn't going to be fraught with fraudulent test data. The failure rate has already increased. Me thinks these places are selling expensive work and parts to a captive audience. Here in NC, to renew your plates you must have current insurance and your vehicle has to pass an annual safety & emission inspection. They check the function of your lights, wipers, brakes, etc. These are done at any shop that buys the test equipment and gets certified to perform these inspections, so it could be a new car dealer, Goodyear tire shop, local repair garage or my favorite, a shop that "specializes" in vehicle inspections. They charge $30 for any 1996 (OBD II ) and newer vehicle and the shop gets a large portion of that fee. To realistically perform a thorough inspection, a shop has at least 30 minutes of time involved and most shops going labor rate is $70-$100 per hour, so needless to say, they don't make money doing an inspection UNLESS they find something wrong with your car. There have been efforts to exempt any car that is less than 4 years old but the shop owners lobbying group cried about how unfair that is and how they keep unsafe vehicles off the road and whatnot. That got shot down because there were some shop owners and new car dealers in the state legislature that rounded up votes against passage of the bill. There have been shop employees and owners who have been caught passing cars that wouldn't pass by taking payoffs and they ended up in jail as a result. The other problem has been certain shops almost always "fail" a vehicles' wiper blades or there are a couple of "burned out" bulbs and those shops prey on people and that $30 inspection results in a $60-70 bill for the vehicle owner. I always go through the vehicle before taking it in and make sure everything is in working order and I also go to a reputable shop where I know the owner and am confident that I won't be scammed. I don't miss that racket Harry, I too was always amazed at the irony of the Illinois emission inspection program! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cato Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 (edited) Harry-it's all about the revenue-not emissions. Same BS thinking that says we have to have a jillion different blends of gas by region and season. And we have to pay a fortune for corn products because we NEED it in gasoline. Farmers aren't as dumb as the population thought they were....their lobby kicks arse-OURS. ,,,and your avatar IS more scary than Dirty Harry! Edited March 30, 2013 by Cato Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Geiger Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 New Jersey discovered that inspecting vehicles was a waste of time so they stopped doing everything but the emissions test, and that's only every two years. The sticker travels with the car, so can buy a car with a new sticker that you don't need to inspect for two years. A brand new car gets a seven year sticker, again which travels with the car. My daughter bought a used 2011 car today that has a 2018 sticker on it. While they don't check for equipment violations, a cop can ticket you for one. Then I moved to Pennsylvania! What a friggin backward state. You get your drivers license at a state license center, but your car titles, registrations and plates are bought a little private stores, that charge you for the privilege. They will give you plates and registrations on the spot, but to get a title, they HAND CARRY the applications to the state capital. You pay a courier fee for that one, like the darn pony express. Then a few weeks later you get your title in the mail from the state. When I moved here, I transferred 4 cars from New Jersey and paid $500. Then you have the annual inspection, which is done at private garages. They're all advertising "State Inspection $29" to suck you in. They make sure you know you are paying 'pass or fail'. So if you fail, you either pay that garage to do the repairs or pay someone else the inspection fee all over again. Then they have the state emissions check which is around $50. So you can pay $80-100 annually for inspection stickers. And when I moved to PA they told me it was cheaper here! And PA has some of the most backward liquor laws I've ever witnessed! Liquor and wine is sold in STATE STORES. It's like going to state motor vehicles in other states. Everyone in that store is a state employee on the state payroll! There is a move to change this and privatize it like in the real world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JunkPile Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 To avoid long lines at state offices show up when they open. 10:30 is when people who were gonna show up at opening time get there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erik Smith Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Two words, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT! It's local government that enacts emission standards - nothing to do with the Feds. Where I live it's the county government. Pain, yes, but I remember how bad car exhaust used to smell when I was a kid - today's kids think cars were always clean burning, so... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest G Holding Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Harry I laugh when the folks from IL complain about the auto emission testing. I remember way long ago (the 80's) The EPA forced WI to have the inspections because the steel mills pollution was caused by WI???....(Gary and all those mills)....The state set up stations and did the inspections....free....until it cost money....so like many states do, they said go to your mechanic. Yeah it sucks, and yup...you will waste..to "save", but those are the rules up there in the "dirty Air"....All the states will soon play this game, but...just think of the jobs we will create in the automotive industry ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Handley Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Ok, so I'm a good citizen and decide to take my car in for its annual emissions test. I don't think they do automotive emissions testing everywhere in the country, but here in Illinois it's done in the Chicago and St. Louis metro areas (no other cities in Illinois, but that's a rant for another thread!). Your car has to pass the emissions test before you can renew your registration sticker every year. I went in this morning around 10:30... I figured there wouldn't be a lot of cars and I could fly right through. Wrong! The lines were incredible! I figured I'd try again later when the lines weren't so long. So I went back around 2 in the afternoon. Now the lines were even longer than before... literally out into the street! Needless to say, I went home and will try again another day. But on the way home I couldn't help but think how stupid this is... here's a program set up by the do-gooders to help keep the air clean (no problem there!)... and what do you have? Dozens and dozens of cars sitting in blocks-long lines, engines running, wasting gas (getting basically zero mpg as they all sit in the line that moves at a glacial pace) and spewing emissions the whole time! In other words... the only reason there are dozens and dozens of cars gathered there, idling away and wasting gas and sending emissions into the air is because the do-gooders want to cut down on auto emissions! Hellooooooo irony! Which facility did you use Harry? When they probed the pre-OBD2 cars with and without the dyno, I took my Lebaron and Shadow to one in Aurora until they died. Once I bought the Jeep and had to get it scanned instead, I've gone to the one in Naperville instead. A lot of the time, I've turned the Jeep off while wating in line (and will do the same with my 200 when that needs it), but was always afraid to do so with the turbo cars since they had to have the actual emissions tested and wanted to keep their cats as hot as possible prior to the probing. I do think we have it a little easy here in Ilinois though, no state inspection, $100 or so per vehicle for yearly registration (no matter the age or mileage, only thing that matters is GVW and not even until you get into bigger trucks), even state gas tax is only $.20 a gallon compared to toll road less states (Iowa is cheap at $.21 for gas for comparison)! We do have a pretty high population density here too, wouldn't be surprised if 1/4-1/3 of all motor vehicles in the state are registered between the Lake and Dekalb Co. either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Custom Hearse Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Admerial Byrd found the hole in the Ozone, back in the mid thirtys. The sad part is, is that he found it while waiting in line to get his emission test on his sailboat!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Custom Hearse Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 ,,,and your avatar IS more scary than Dirty Harry! That's a picture of Harry Houdini... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry P. Posted March 30, 2013 Author Share Posted March 30, 2013 Which facility did you use Harry? Mitchell Blvd. in Schaumburg. Closest one to my house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Handley Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Ah, ok! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JM485 Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 (edited) Just be happy you don't live under the California regulations. Not only do you have to pass the emissions test, but they will fail you if they see something unplugged or removed from the stock engine bay. It amazes me to no end that you can have a clean running car that passes emissions, but can be failed only because some unnecessary part is removed. Almost all of the issues I have had with my 1:1 truck have been because of smog related systems. Not to mention that you can't modify a vehicle unless it is 1975 or older. Believe me, I would love to be able to mod my truck and swap motors and parts like people used to be able to back in the day, but thanks to these regualations I can't touch anything! Edited March 30, 2013 by JM485 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
my80malibu Posted March 30, 2013 Share Posted March 30, 2013 Ok, so I'm a good citizen and decide to take my car in for its annual emissions test. I don't think they do automotive emissions testing everywhere in the country, but here in Illinois it's done in the Chicago and St. Louis metro areas (no other cities in Illinois, but that's a rant for another thread!). Your car has to pass the emissions test before you can renew your registration sticker every year. I went in this morning around 10:30... I figured there wouldn't be a lot of cars and I could fly right through. Wrong! The lines were incredible! I figured I'd try again later when the lines weren't so long. So I went back around 2 in the afternoon. Now the lines were even longer than before... literally out into the street! Needless to say, I went home and will try again another day. But on the way home I couldn't help but think how stupid this is... here's a program set up by the do-gooders to help keep the air clean (no problem there!)... and what do you have? Dozens and dozens of cars sitting in blocks-long lines, engines running, wasting gas (getting basically zero mpg as they all sit in the line that moves at a glacial pace) and spewing emissions the whole time! In other words... the only reason there are dozens and dozens of cars gathered there, idling away and wasting gas and sending emissions into the air is because the do-gooders want to cut down on auto emissions! Hellooooooo irony! Why did you wait until the end of the month. When the lines are going to be ridiculously long. What kind of car do you have Harry? In my state new cars dont have to be tested for the first 5 years after that its only every two years. & It was just announced this week,that sulphur is going to be eliminated from the gasoline blend reducing Emissions by 30% est and raising fuel price by 10 cents per gal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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