Poor Clifford had his annual physical today at the emissions testing facility in North Scottsdale.
To start with, I completely embarassed the poor kid getting in the wrong line, so when we were 2 cars back, and could finally read the fine print, the technicians had to move pylons so we could get over 1 lane and into the correct bay.
Now on the rollers, I got into the passenger seat. The technician, who was shorter than me (in my platform flops) and out-weighed me by at least 200 pounds, had one heck of a time getting his right foot, and then the rest of his body into the driver's seat. While there, he put Clifford in drive and took him through a battery of 'Highway Simulation' tests. Our attention rapt upon a computer screen, the technician kept 'cyber' Clifford on a hilly road. It was actually pretty cool to be going 60 mps and not moving. Clifford seemed to like this part, and he performed flawlessly. The technician kind of rolled out of the driver's seat, and said that I could get back into it. He was taking a big funnel off of Clifford's exhaust, and we almost crashed into each other on my way around the back!
Then he asked me to open the hood, so I did. He then made several passes - driver side / front / passenger side / front / driver side, before he went and got a metal folding chair. He put the folding chair next to the driver side open hood and hopped (well, maybe not hopped) up onto it. He got down. He took the chair in front of the Cherokee and again got up on it. He got down. He took the chair to the passenger side, stepped up on it. The guy was actually using Clifford's cage, and VERY lucky I don't care about paint smudges! Got down. He said something I couldn't understand to a woman who worked there. She breezed past Clifford and said 'It's right there'. So the tech got back up on the chair on the passenger side and I saw him put a clamp thing on something near the firewall.
I don't know exactly what the test was for, nor can I recall the acronym they used. The screen kept flashing 'Pressurising' and 'Holding Pressure', seemingly over and over; I was holding my breath! Then it was time for the ever popular 'Gas Cap Test'. As I watched in the mirror, they put what looked like a vaccuum hose on his gas cap.
"That'll be $27.75 please", the tech said. "Did he pass?", I asked? "I don't know yet", the tech said, "we won't know until after I enter the payment". Well that figures, right? Clifford passed with flying colors and I bought him a great big tank full of of fresh gasoline to dilute the 'Guarenteed to Pass' solution he'd been sipping on all morning.
On my way out of the emissions testing station I asked one of the techs if they had a scanner they could plug in and clear my 'Maint Reqd' light. They don't. I also stopped at Vato Zone on the way home, neither do they.
Clifford had a great day and is obviously feeling great! He's ignoring the 'Maint Reqd' light, why can't I? d
To start with, I completely embarassed the poor kid getting in the wrong line, so when we were 2 cars back, and could finally read the fine print, the technicians had to move pylons so we could get over 1 lane and into the correct bay.
Now on the rollers, I got into the passenger seat. The technician, who was shorter than me (in my platform flops) and out-weighed me by at least 200 pounds, had one heck of a time getting his right foot, and then the rest of his body into the driver's seat. While there, he put Clifford in drive and took him through a battery of 'Highway Simulation' tests. Our attention rapt upon a computer screen, the technician kept 'cyber' Clifford on a hilly road. It was actually pretty cool to be going 60 mps and not moving. Clifford seemed to like this part, and he performed flawlessly. The technician kind of rolled out of the driver's seat, and said that I could get back into it. He was taking a big funnel off of Clifford's exhaust, and we almost crashed into each other on my way around the back!
Then he asked me to open the hood, so I did. He then made several passes - driver side / front / passenger side / front / driver side, before he went and got a metal folding chair. He put the folding chair next to the driver side open hood and hopped (well, maybe not hopped) up onto it. He got down. He took the chair in front of the Cherokee and again got up on it. He got down. He took the chair to the passenger side, stepped up on it. The guy was actually using Clifford's cage, and VERY lucky I don't care about paint smudges! Got down. He said something I couldn't understand to a woman who worked there. She breezed past Clifford and said 'It's right there'. So the tech got back up on the chair on the passenger side and I saw him put a clamp thing on something near the firewall.
I don't know exactly what the test was for, nor can I recall the acronym they used. The screen kept flashing 'Pressurising' and 'Holding Pressure', seemingly over and over; I was holding my breath! Then it was time for the ever popular 'Gas Cap Test'. As I watched in the mirror, they put what looked like a vaccuum hose on his gas cap.
"That'll be $27.75 please", the tech said. "Did he pass?", I asked? "I don't know yet", the tech said, "we won't know until after I enter the payment". Well that figures, right? Clifford passed with flying colors and I bought him a great big tank full of of fresh gasoline to dilute the 'Guarenteed to Pass' solution he'd been sipping on all morning.
On my way out of the emissions testing station I asked one of the techs if they had a scanner they could plug in and clear my 'Maint Reqd' light. They don't. I also stopped at Vato Zone on the way home, neither do they.
Clifford had a great day and is obviously feeling great! He's ignoring the 'Maint Reqd' light, why can't I? d
