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Brought the 85 Turbo in for its emission test out here in Portland,OR. The usual drill - drive in, hand the car over to the "technician", and then step into the waiting room to watch through the big glass window. The first tech. got in and drove the car forward onto the dyno rollers while the second attached the smog sniffer to the tailpipe. I watched as tech. #1 proceeded to accelerate, shifting through the gears to get up to highway speed. I could tell by her frowning that she could not get a reading off of the computer screen in front of the car. She tried twice before giving up and letting tech.#2 get behind the wheel. I watched as he got in, RELEASED THE HANDBRAKE!, and this time , got a reading! He then rolled the car forward and out of the test area.
Meanwhile, tech.#1 stepped in to the waiting room to give me the paperwork (passed) and collect the money($21). As soon as she opened the door I could smell the brake pads. She told me that they "sometimes have trouble with those older Saabs". I said "yeah, that's understandable if you're doing this test WITH THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ON!!" Her reply: "Our standard procedure is to set the emergency brake on all front-wheel drive vehicles.
It's for safety - to keep the car on the dyno rollers. But it's okay, because the emergency brake only locks the rear wheels". I tried to explain that on a pre-88 Saab 900 the e-brake locks the front wheels, and that doing it her way would damage the brakes. Her answer - "If you find any damage, call the Department of Environmental Quality to put in a claim for the repairs".
I called the supervisor's office to get the real story, and found that, incredibly, they DO test all front-wheel drive cars the same way, without regard for year or model!
Just a Word to the Wise.

posted by 198.81....

• True Story! Don't Let This Happen to You., Pat85T, Sat, 2 Mar 2002 14:24:27 <-- Viewing This Message
  • I'm in luck, because in WA, it's done it neutral :), ryan , Sun, 3 Mar 2002 20:34:19
  • Great tip, hasn't happened to me yet in MD, but yet, JohnB, Sat, 2 Mar 2002 20:11:07
    • I HATE this test in MD, DaveG, Sat, 2 Mar 2002 20:39:21
      • Same experience in MD (pre- 88 brake conversion!), 85SLED, Sun, 3 Mar 2002 10:56:44
  • I just did that three weeks ago at the DEQ off HWY 26, Ryan Goldade, Sat, 2 Mar 2002 18:19:55
    • This was at the DEQ out in Scappoose, where I've, Pat85T, Sun, 3 Mar 2002 01:06:15
  • Interesting>>>, DougM , Sat, 2 Mar 2002 16:27:34
    • Re: Interesting>>> Depends on operator, John N, Sat, 2 Mar 2002 17:01:38
      • emission test in Portland?, nathanael, Sun, 3 Mar 2002 21:08:25
        • Re: emission test in Portland?, Pat85T, Sun, 3 Mar 2002 23:57:13
      • LAZY, cliff, Sat, 2 Mar 2002 17:12:23

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