Dallas/Collin County residents...

[TheUnnamedSooner]

Friends,

I'm in a pickle and need a little avice. As you know if you have your car registered in Dallas or Collin county, it more complicated to get your inspection sticker. Both my wife and I have our "check engine light" on which is an automatic fail. (both of ours is expired) I've been checking around, and though both things are not vital components, it will cost us around $3,000 to get fixed for both cars. I tried going to grayson county where those rules don't apply and they won't inspect it because they are registered in Collin. I need a little advice to see if there is something else I can do before spending the $3,000. You can PM me if needed. Thanks!

[mdklatt]

Move to Oklahoma--no inspections. Start saving now for your registration fees.

[Widescreen]

You might try disconnecting the battery for a few minutes and see if that will reset it long enough to get it inspected. I've been doing that the last 2 years on my car to get my inspection done. In my case, when I disconnect the battery, the check-engine light will stay off for a few weeks. However, this trick doesn't work on my wife's car so I am going to have to get it fixed this week to get the inspection done.

[Vaevictis]

Cut the power to the check engine light?

[TheHumanAlphabet]

You anti-environment pig! You should be ashamed of yourself for wanting to drive a car that puts out more global warming and will kill us all. If I were you, I would park the car, junk it and buy a new Al Gore rated car...;)

We have laws for a reason - follow 'em.

[TheUnnamedSooner]

You might try disconnecting the battery for a few minutes and see if that will reset it long enough to get it inspected. I've been doing that the last 2 years on my car to get my inspection done. In my case, when I disconnect the battery, the check-engine light will stay off for a few weeks. However, this trick doesn't work on my wife's car so I am going to have to get it fixed this week to get the inspection done.

Where do you take yours? I tried that once with my wife's car, and they knew I did it. They asked me if I had disconnected the battery recently b/c the sensors had not gone through all the systems...

[mdklatt]

Did you try tightening and/or replacing your gas cap?

[Hamhock]

put a small piece of black electrical tape over the light.

[mdklatt]

Just turn up the radio real loud during the inspection.

[Widescreen]

Where do you take yours? I tried that once with my wife's car, and they knew I did it. They asked me if I had disconnected the battery recently b/c the sensors had not gone through all the systems...
Kwik-Kar on Ohio & 121 in Plano.

[Beef]

Just turn up the radio real loud during the inspection.
And hire a stripper to wiggle around in the car.

[mdklatt]

And hire a stripper to wiggle around in the car.

I don't think that will fix the problem, but it certainly can't hurt. :texan:

[Rogue]

I'm guessing you need to get to one of the less-fortunate areas of town.

[colleyvillesooner]

I'm guessing you need to get to one of the less-fortunate areas of town.

Pretty sure that's what this thread is for. He's hoping someone will recommend one. :D

[jk the sooner fan]

i'll "ask around" tomorrow.....

[OzarkSooner]

There is a way to "temporarily" turn off the check engine light on most autos. You need to find a friend who owns a diagnostic device that will temp. turn it off for you. You might even try the ol' Internet with your make and model of car and see if there's any suggestions for turning off that light. (Whatever happens, I do NOT suggest really doing this as it is probably all very illegal.) :D

PS. If you're going to do this, get it inspected RIGHT after you do so because the idiot light won't stay off very long.

[TheUnnamedSooner]

i'll "ask around" tomorrow.....

Thanks!

[BajaOklahoma]

What make, model and year of car?

[the-boulder]

wal-mart sells an OBD II scanner for 58 bucks. Tells you the code, but more importabtly, will reset the CEL. Soemntines you can get autozone to turn them off for you....

[TheUnnamedSooner]

What make, model and year of car?

2001 Mazda Millenia

[Sooner Eclipse]

There is a way to "temporarily" turn off the check engine light on most autos. You need to find a friend who owns a diagnostic device that will temp. turn it off for you. You might even try the ol' Internet with your make and model of car and see if there's any suggestions for turning off that light. (Whatever happens, I do NOT suggest really doing this as it is probably all very illegal.) :D

PS. If you're going to do this, get it inspected RIGHT after you do so because the idiot light won't stay off very long.

Depends on the year of the car. In texas, inspectors are required to use IM240 testing standard for 1996 and up vehicles. This testing uses the vehicles onboard emission diagnostics to inform the state's computer system (plugged into vehicle at the testing station) if your diagnostics have registered any emission related faults. There can be as little as 20 or so or as many as 100+ different tests that are run at different times during the time the vehicle is running. If the test passes or fails the computer sets what is referred to as a "flag" indicating such. If the test has not run, it will not set a flag. To pass the IM240 test, a vehicle has to have no failed flags and no more than 3 tests with flags "not set". Any failed flag for a test deemed by the Gov to be emissions related, will cause the check engine light to light and to fail the testing.

This means that clearing the diagnostics by using a scanner to clear codes or removing the battery (or fuse) to clear codes will cause all flags to drop and the vehicle will still fail testing at that point. Your only hope for this method is to clear the flags and try driving and hope that the test that is failing is one of the only 1 or 2 tests that havent run yet when you go to the testing facility. Depending on which test fails, this is not very likely to almost impossible to do. To get the flags to set, you must drive the car in several different driving conditions. It can take as little as an hour to as much as 2 weeks to get all flags to set.

Otherwise, the only way to pass this test without doing something illegal is to fix the problem.

On 95 and older vehicles, testing is done thru inspection and tailpipe testing using a dyno and exhaust gas sampling equipment. Part of this test is a visual inspection to see that the check engine light (if equipped) comes on when the key is turned on and then goes off after the engine begins to run. Thus, you cant just take the bulb out unless the inspector doesn't check for the check engine light.

Basically, if the car is 1996 or newer, in Texas its almost impossible to cheat the diagnostics part of the test.

[jk the sooner fan]

i asked one of our appraisers who know all the shops in town, this is the "lecture" i got in response:


In a word, No. Every shop that I know that offers State Inspections has to be above board because of the DPS certifications, re-inspections, and they face a stiff penalty if caught fudging.

The Check Engine light can come on and stay on for a number of reasons. Sometimes the vehicle manufacturer puts a check engine light after a certain amount of miles to have to take it in and have everything checked out.

Sometimes it's a simple as plugging in a monitor to the on board computer and clearing the codes that set off the light on the dash.

When the shop plugs the monitor into the computer it will run through every program in the computer and show any codes that are setting off the light. These codes are specific to what problem exists in the vehicle.

Just because the check engine light is on the dash doesn't always mean that it won't pass inspection. The vehicle has to be legal ie: lights/horn/brakes/etc but also they put a wand up the tail-pipe to check for emissions. If it doesn't pass they give you a receipt and give you a chance to reapair the vehicle up to legal standards.

There are many small shops around the area that don't charge as much as a dealership for the check out with the computer and clearing the check engine lights and subsiquent reapairs if needed.

I use a small shop in Richardson called Hi-Five Auto Care . They are honest, as inexpensive as any other shops, and will not over-sell the repairs.

I suggest that all vehicles need to be able to pass inspection. If it requires mantanence, then that's part of the responsibilty of owning a car. It's not just for the owner of the vehicle, but also for you and me. If they fudge for the emissions, will they fudge for the brakes/lights/horn/etc?

[mdklatt]

I suggest that all vehicles need to be able to pass inspection. If it requires mantanence, then that's part of the responsibilty of owning a car.

:les: BUZZKILL!

[OzarkSooner]

SoonerEclipse, that's some great information...

It's gotta' be tough for some people living in Tejas. On the other hand, you probably don't have a lot of junkers running the roads there like many other states. Not much worse than rolling up behind a big ol' junker at a stop light or fast food window and getting "fogged for skeeters" by their putrid exhaust.

[jk the sooner fan]

oh we have plenty of those rollin around

hell the company i work for insures most of them......

[bluedogok]

We still don't have that level of testing down here, but I think it is coming soon. Yep, I think only the DFW and Houston areas have that type of testing now. The rural counties have very little emissions related testing, we have in between the two right now.

I have heard from others that the light on is an automatic failure as well. I have done the battery disconnect (usually overnight) to clear the light. I had the dealer tell me that if the light comes back on quickly, then there is usually something wrong but if it doesn't it is a minor fault or could have been a error in the diagnostics.

[jk the sooner fan]

i think in san antonio (at least when i lived there), all they checked outside the norm was the gas cap leak....not much else

[goingoneight]

Well, I'm not ASE certified, but the 'Check Engine' or 'Service Engine Soon' could mean a few things as they've all stated above.

First step: Tighten you gas cap until it ratchets, when the car is running, listen for a hissing noise at the cap. If you hear that, you have a fuel system vacuum leak-- replace the gas cap, problem solved.

Second try: Listen under the hood for hissing noise as if air was leaking out of a baloon. Except this is not compressed air, it is again, engine vacuum. Pinpoint where it is, if you hear the leak. small rubber hose or plastic transfer pipe is cheap and easy to replace, and a nice guy at a service shop will do it for free some times.

Third try: Watch your exhaust pipe once your car warms up to proper operating temperature... if you have any colored smoke, excessively blue, white or black... you ain't gonna pass inspection anywhere in the USA.
Blue Smoke = Coolant discharge from water jackets into combustion engine-- most likely a head gasket. Not likely your problem, but that's a possibility.
White Smoke = Oil passing through engine exhast system. Again, not likely you problem, but bad news if it is.
Black Smoke = ECM (engine control module) or FDS (fuel delivery system) is putting out too much fuel. Could be electronic, could be something so simple as a clogged air cleaner filter.

Check all of you fluids, because there are level and condition sensors that trigger 'Check Engine' or 'Service Engine Soon' codes.

Disconnecting the battery terminal at the negative (ground source) post and let the car sit uncharged for about three minutes (long enough that all capacitors and wiring loses its charge. Most vehicles will temporarily clear the 'Check Engine' or 'Service Engine Soon' light as you have reset the computers. But liek a computer with a virus, the problem will return.

There are many different "nooks and crannies" that can trip sensors and cause trouble codes. Things like excessive mud on rotary sensors, oil leaking into magnetic sensors, Radiator running too hot, etc.

You wanna back-yard fix it? Be careful not to ground the yellow wire inside the dash panel (as that's an airbag wire)... find the light bulb directly behind the 'Check Engine' or 'Service Engine Soon' indicator and disconnect it. Don't cut the wire, the loose end of the hot side (positively charged wire) could ground out on the airbag accidentally and you won't even know it until it hits you in the face. And that's not too fun in traffic when your trying to drink coffee or something and a nitrogen filled balloon comes out at approximately 200 mph and sticks you in the jaw, know what I'm sayin'...

Those are the at-home checks, and PM me if you find out anything about it. I'll let you know if someone's hustling you or not.

I'm afraid anything else needs to be checked by a ECM or PCM scanner, and most O'Reilly Auto Parts Stores and Auto-Zone stores will check the codes for you and tell you the number and trouble code they find. An example is PO309, meaning oxygen sensors.

[goingoneight]

oh we have plenty of those rollin around

hell the company i work for insures most of them......

OUr company drives them... :D



:(

[Sooner Eclipse]

We still don't have that level of testing down here, but I think it is coming soon. Yep, I think only the DFW and Houston areas have that type of testing now. The rural counties have very little emissions related testing, we have in between the two right now.

I have heard from others that the light on is an automatic failure as well. I have done the battery disconnect (usually overnight) to clear the light. I had the dealer tell me that if the light comes back on quickly, then there is usually something wrong but if it doesn't it is a minor fault or could have been a error in the diagnostics.

Sorry, should have added that. Currently it only applies to Dallas/Tarrant and adjacent counties and Harris County and adjacent counties.