Ohio E-Check...What a joke!

[blksn8k]

A few weeks ago I had to take my 89 T-Bird SC in for the mandatory emissions testing. I have been through this process several times with this vehicle as well as several others. But this time was a little more special than most others. The guy in front of me had a C4 Corvette with a manual trans and the person who put it through the test had to adjust the seat because he/she (I'm still not sure which, LOL) could not reach the pedals. It also couldn't figure out how to adjust them so the owner had to show her/him/it. After seeing that I should have known I was in trouble. The tester (being kind now) drove my car in next and proceeded to set it up for the test. It/he/she placed the front wheels on the rollers and the wheel choks at the rear wheels. They also position a fan in front of the car to simulate airflow. Well, you guessed it, my car is NOT frontwheel drive. Who knows what would have happened if I wasn't watching all this and hadn't started yelling at the nearest he/she/it. :lol:

 

[Kevin Palmer]

I am to the point that I simply buy a new vehicle every three years JUST to avoid the E-check. By buying a new vehicle your exempt for the first year and since it will always be an odd year vs. the testing year I get two more years before i must get it tested. By then, I am ready to sell it.



For example, 7 days ago I bout a New 07 Explorer. That will take me thru 2010, at which point I'll sell it...



Those places can be very dangerous to your vehicle....



It would have been interesting to see him test your RWD vehicle.... Glad you caught it...

 

[Gary DiPietroSr]

What a moron, I'd write the state and vent to them.

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Emissions testing that puts a car on rollers and that simulate airflow...WTF.



That's a new one for me.



PA and NY simply have it all computer controlled and the vehicle is parked and running...I think they do have to rev the engine to a certain RPM range for the test to be valid, but no rollers, no simulated airflow, etc.



I can't technically understand why rollers and airflow would be required for a emissions test, but hey, who knows.



TJR

 

[WXMotorSports DecalsPartsAccs]

They do the roller here as well for older cars. Otherwise, it's the OBD II port

 

[Thomas Rogers]

SST, how long have vehicles been coming with OBD II ports? Maybe I have always had a vehicle with one (or at least since emissions were done)...



TJR

 

[Todd Z]

NY ( LI any way) is OBD port testing on all 94 and up.... 94 to I think 87 gets a rolling dyno testing.



The operator puts a sniffer in the tail pipe and drives the car at certain speeds on the computer. It actually has a course you follow with the engine and car speed.....



I am glad they went to the OBD testing,...... Just have to keep them from looking under the truck.... LOL



Todd Z

 

[A K]

Don't get me started on PA's emissions testing. The fact that it's limited to 6 or 8 counties--despite the population--is absurd.

 

[Bob Alcaro]

It's my understanding the wheel rollers are to check the brakes.

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Thanks, Todd. My '89 GMC S15, and 81 Ford Escort used to get emissions testing in NY (central NY and Westchester County), and it was never on rollers. Just the tailpipe sensor. Maybe I just took them to shoddy places...

 

[EddieS'04]

The wheel rollers are to put a load on the engine, as if you are driving and a sniffer in the tailpipe. Here in Harris county Texas, all obdI vehicles get the roller. Usually '94 and older. At 25 years only a look for everything to be hooked up, emision wise.



edit; OBD II only gets the plug in with engine off and a physical look over.

 

[Brian Wolf]

Glad I live in an Ohio county that doesn't do the e-check.

I hear it's coming to all counties, but they've been saying that for years.



You'd think they would do regular inspections in Ohio. I've seen some junk on the road here that they wouldn't even let you own back home in West Virginia.

 

[Tom Schindler]

I can't technically understand why rollers and airflow would be required for a emissions test, but hey, who knows.

Those rollers simulate driving conditions. Many vehicles will pass an idle test, but will fail a driving test since the engine is loaded up. As for a fan in the front...If you know anything about cars, you will notice that when driving at 45 MPH, the air goes through your radiator at about 45 MPH. If you did not have that air entering your radiator, your engine can overheat.



Blcksn8k, they did the same thing on my Dad's 1989 T-Bird. We went a step further. I let them spin the tires, then I went out to the tech and corrected him. I also told them to put the mirror under the car to see when that shaft was to the back wheels. He said it is a drive shaft. I ten said Why the F@#k did you put the front wheels on the dyno?



We also had a friend mechanic give me a "bill" to inspect the drivetrain for damamge. I got a check for $100.00 from Envirotests systems for checking out my vehicle for possible damage.



E-Check was free for us on that vehicle till Dad finally sold it.



My uncle has a 1986 Porsche 911 Cabriolet. He took it to the E-Check location on Copley Rd. (You know where that is at and its proximity to Buchtel HS) Every single "hood rat" had to sit in it pretending they were staring in some rap video. Finally, my uncle came out and told them to get out and he took it to the Falls location. You know, hot summer day, got the Porsche out for a ride, top down, radio up, etc.)



Pretty sad...isn't it.





Tom

 

[Rodger Tellefson]

They put my rear wheels on the rollers. Why would they put the non-drive wheels on the rollers is beyond me. BTW - Our ST passed the e-check, and went 6 yrs. before having to do so.

 

[Todd Z]

Rodger, I hope they put your rear wheels on it.... :lol::lol:



TJR,

The testing requirements changed here almost every year for the last 4-6 years, SO I am sure your cars did not face the new stuff....



20 years and older is exempt now, 20 years to 1993 is roller tested and 94 and up is OBD2...



Last year it was all 20 year to present got dyno run....



Good old NYS....



They also required different pieces of machinery, so the shops dumped 100K plus for the old standard and then 2 years later had to drop another 60K on the new stuff....



Todd Z

 

[WXMotorSports DecalsPartsAccs]

TJR I have no idea. When I renewed the 2001 ST they just hooked it up-to the OBD II port. 1 min later they said it past inspection.



When I lived in Nevada they would stick the probe in the exhaust pipe. This was back in 1983-1995

 

[Rodger Tellefson]

Todd, I was referring to what blksn8k said about putting the front wheels of his 89 T-Bird SC until he yelled at the person(?).

 

[Jeff C]

Love the south!

 

[user 62851]

LOL in MD if 96- newer they just plug into the OBD-II port. 87-95, they just use the rollers. I kind of get lucky with my 95 ranger. Since its bagged. I don't have to do the roller or the OBD-II port. They just have me park and bring the rpm's up to 2500 for couple mins and I'm done. Reason I said 87-95 b/c now a vehicle only needs to be 20years old to get historic tags.

 

[Nelson Atwell]

I had the rollers here in Poland. They also use it to test the brakes. They spent about an hour on my car and wrote up all the crap that didn't meet EU specs (headlights, tail lights, window tint, etc.) It didn't matter, since I am exempt from EU requirements as part of the treaty with NATO. People stare, cops pull me over (six times so far), but when I show the NATO ID to the cops, they just tell me to have a nice day. :lol: