Sometimes I feel like Rip Van Winkle. My auto mechanic days ended during the old timing lights on fly wheel marks! Yesterday, I “got caught” with a peculiar problem related to these newfangled automobile computer gizmos. (Apparently having been installed in vehicles since 1996, according to my mechanic son!).
Lesson learned. My son had put in a new battery in my 2011 F-150 pickup, about two weeks ago. Since I retired, I don’t drive it as much as I used to - so it had been sitting in the driveway since the new battery was installed.
Well, in the interim, the calendar flips over to a new month - the month my vehicle license runs out. And in Texas, as y’all know, ya have to now get your vehicle safely inspection done before you can renew your license. (Another way for the state to charge you more. Inspections used to be ~$30 and now they’re almost $40; actual inspection $25.50 & license renewal inspection $14.25).
Anyway, my pickup truck fails inspection! (And some of you may know this already but IF there are any other Rip Van Winkles out there, let me warn you now). If you happen to have a battery replaced close to when you have to have your car inspected, you’ve got to drive that baby some, so those damn little computers can get reset!
The inspection guy said I just need to go drive it about 75 miles. My son told me it’s a little more specific than that (at least for my Ford F-150). He said I have to drive it for 20 miles BELOW 40 mph AND 20 miles ABOVE 60 mph. So there I go, adding gasoline cost to this year’s inspection!
[Took it back and then it passed inspection] What a PIA️
Lesson learned. My son had put in a new battery in my 2011 F-150 pickup, about two weeks ago. Since I retired, I don’t drive it as much as I used to - so it had been sitting in the driveway since the new battery was installed.
Well, in the interim, the calendar flips over to a new month - the month my vehicle license runs out. And in Texas, as y’all know, ya have to now get your vehicle safely inspection done before you can renew your license. (Another way for the state to charge you more. Inspections used to be ~$30 and now they’re almost $40; actual inspection $25.50 & license renewal inspection $14.25).
Anyway, my pickup truck fails inspection! (And some of you may know this already but IF there are any other Rip Van Winkles out there, let me warn you now). If you happen to have a battery replaced close to when you have to have your car inspected, you’ve got to drive that baby some, so those damn little computers can get reset!
The inspection guy said I just need to go drive it about 75 miles. My son told me it’s a little more specific than that (at least for my Ford F-150). He said I have to drive it for 20 miles BELOW 40 mph AND 20 miles ABOVE 60 mph. So there I go, adding gasoline cost to this year’s inspection!
[Took it back and then it passed inspection] What a PIA️