OK, back from regency.. joy, now I have TWO defect stickers. The old defect is clear and yet they didnt remove the sticker.. hooray.
Anyway, firstly, the front window tint has to come off. I didn't even know the windows were tinted, they are like 2 percent darker than the windscreen.
Secondly, the drivers seatbelt needs to be replaced. Which is annoying because every car more than ten years old has screwed seatbelts.
Next, the car is too low. This is particularly frustrating as I called them and asked the lowest eyebrow height in advance, and my car JUST scrapes in, like exactly legal, but the inspector told me that on my car, 370 is the height. Bummed out. Make up your minds.
He "suspects" the car leaks oil. I did a service recently and since I drained the oil out, there is oil on the sump pan. Have to get the car checked out etc. I suppose that's reasonable, but again, plenty of cars leak oil.. realllllly annoying that everyone in a crapped out XD falcon gets to drive around and leak oil everywhere.
Ah, the knock sensor. The inspector asked me about it and I said, it connects to a microphone, and if the engine knocks, the light lights up to tell me I am about to destroy the engine. Obviously a safety feature, right? On hot days I wont be swerving all over the road, spewing oil everywhere and crashing into cars because the ENGINE HAS DESTROYED ITSELF!! Right??
But, according to another inspector, it adds fuel to the engine. How it does this is a mystery to me, but it is apparently a defect. I'm thinking of getting the user manual and showing them that it doesn't add fuel, but I really don't want to inflame any more defects on my next defect, especially at 110 bucks per trip (inspection + permit to drive).
That's about it, but the car apparently blows a little black smoke on startup, which "might" indicate that the car has a modified fuel system. Now, I'll admit that it did, but now it doesn't. Not a chipped ecu, just a freaking haltech interceptor, which I have removed. Not that I would tell them that of course EVERY example of my car blows black smoke on startup.. a guy I know has a white one, his bumper is black. It is stock. But, now I need an emissions test (greaaaaaat more money) plus, when I go back, they want to see my ECU. Which is jammed in next to the air condtioner behind the glove box. I don't know what they expect to see it do, as it's just a box with wires coming out of it.. but... yeah. It's not like there's flashy lights or anything. Even if it is modified, the ecus in my car are modified internally, so they won't be able to tell if it is.
Overall I am a little disappointed, as most people say it is obviously their job to ensure I don't get to drive my car. It is upsetting that there is plenty of cars which would not even close to pass regency, rusty exhausts, punched out cats, cut springs, windows so tinted theyre like sunglasses, MASSIVE rims, not to mention just plain old rustbuckets, with ruined seat belts, interiors, bald tyres, screwed suspension, and yet.. they're allowed to drive around.
Yet, as a car enthusiast, I ensure my car is in good working order, that the brakes work, that the suspension is correctly set up, that it is safe for myself and other road users.. and I'm not allowed to drive it. I mean if your car starts bellowing black smoke from the exhaust pipe, do you
A)keep driving to work in it every day
or B) freak out and immediately try to work out the problem.
Us car guys always go B!!
But normal IDIOTS are on A, and they're allowed to drive. It annoys me. Just because I can afford (well! not really!) to get my car past regency, why should they make me.
Sorry to rant all over your forums.. but.. dammit, it's not fair that there are two sets of rules...