Jetiwarrior
Well-known member
Unfortunately, my yearly experience with the emissions branch of the Arizona MVD occurred today.
I brought my 2003 5-speed Jetta TDI to the MVD location on 50 South Beck Avenue in Chandler and proceed to wait (for over half an hour) for the emission clowns to take over. For those of you outside of Arizona, here light diesel vehicles are required to be tested for opacity (smoke density) yearly on a dynamometer.
After the test was completed, the fool performing the test informed me that my vehicle had failed because of an opacity reading of 100%. After I pointed out that such a reading was nearly impossible without copious black smoke pouring out everywhere, a second technician informed me that a vehicle could have a opacity level of 100% and have completely translucent exhaust smoke. I informed him that their equipment was clearly malfunctioning, and they immediately proceeded to argue with me that their equipment was perfect in every regard and would not allow them to initiate a test with a dirty or malfunctioning sensor.
They performed a second test (free of charge) in which the car passed with an perfectly normal opacity reading of 2% (well below the maximum of 20%), and told me that the first test must have blown loose crud out of the exhaust. They recommended in the future that I floor the vehicle before bringing it in.
Somehow they must have missed the fact that I snapped a photo of them cleaning the sensor before the second test.
Folks in Arizona with TDIs - avoid this station, they obviously think I drive 60s diesel farm equipment!
https://www.dropbox.com/s/03554nfcvbaj75p/report.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/i35sxhpriggpd95/AZ emissions test.a.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/xn7v50r143n9ap4/AZ emissions testing.b.jpg
I brought my 2003 5-speed Jetta TDI to the MVD location on 50 South Beck Avenue in Chandler and proceed to wait (for over half an hour) for the emission clowns to take over. For those of you outside of Arizona, here light diesel vehicles are required to be tested for opacity (smoke density) yearly on a dynamometer.
After the test was completed, the fool performing the test informed me that my vehicle had failed because of an opacity reading of 100%. After I pointed out that such a reading was nearly impossible without copious black smoke pouring out everywhere, a second technician informed me that a vehicle could have a opacity level of 100% and have completely translucent exhaust smoke. I informed him that their equipment was clearly malfunctioning, and they immediately proceeded to argue with me that their equipment was perfect in every regard and would not allow them to initiate a test with a dirty or malfunctioning sensor.
They performed a second test (free of charge) in which the car passed with an perfectly normal opacity reading of 2% (well below the maximum of 20%), and told me that the first test must have blown loose crud out of the exhaust. They recommended in the future that I floor the vehicle before bringing it in.
Somehow they must have missed the fact that I snapped a photo of them cleaning the sensor before the second test.
Folks in Arizona with TDIs - avoid this station, they obviously think I drive 60s diesel farm equipment!
https://www.dropbox.com/s/03554nfcvbaj75p/report.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/i35sxhpriggpd95/AZ emissions test.a.jpg
https://www.dropbox.com/s/xn7v50r143n9ap4/AZ emissions testing.b.jpg