Don't start here, start with my rant page.

Last update: January 25

12/22/03, ~8am: I discover I had neglected to put my wheel lock key in the car when I brought it up for inspection.  That means they didn't re-do the safety inspection my car.  In  other words, I could be driving on dangerous brakes, putting the lives of myself and others at risk.

12/22/03, 10am: Called the State of PA Inspection Customer Hotline, the CS rep filled out a complaint form and sent it to PennDOT.  Rep stated ETA would be "a few days to a week", but with the holidays that probably means early January.

12/22/03, 12:30pm: Surprise!  Dan from Pep Boys called back, left a VM on my cell phone.

12/22/03, 1pm: Called back Dan.  He says he called and talked to "Doug" at the Inspection Customer Hotline.  He says Doug said that gaskets don't count for a HC repair.  He also shows he doesn't understand emissions diagnosis, he claims that a leaking intake gasket will raise NOx output.  Denies unplugging the EGR control solenoid.  (I suppose HE didn't unplug it.)  When confronted with Pep Boys' not having the wheel lock key, he says they have a tool that can take off wheel locks without damage.  I asked "Why wouldn't you just call me to get the key?"  Answer: "I dunno."  When I question him about the disconnected EGR solenoid, he first gets snippy, then starts talking in circles.  (i.e. I mention that I plugged in my code reader, he responds by stating he didn't plug in a code reader.)  He did make one good point by mistake: if the EGR solenoid was unplugged when I brought it in, I should have failed the visual inspection.

12/22/03, 1:15pm: I call back the Inspection Customer Hotline, ask to speak to "Doug".  The rep (Steve) checks and says Doug isn't at his desk, but offers to help me instead.  I describe Dan's refusal to honor the waiver, and Steve replies "We're not mechanics here, we have no way to validate your diagnosis."

Aha.

So, the Inspection Customer Service department wouldn't have commented on the validity of my diagnosis.  Either PennDOT Steve is lying or PepBoys Dan is lying.  PennDOT Steve doesn't have a reason to lie...

PennDOT Steve refers me to the QA Office, detailed in this FAQ.

12/22/03, 2pm: Called and left a voicemail for "Ed" at the QA Office.

12/23/03, 9:30am: "QA Ed" called back, told me that he's not the right person for Warminster.  Told me to call his main office number and ask for the QA Inspector for Warminster.

12/23/03, 9:40am: Called QA main office.  Receptionist transferred me to "Anne", she takes some information, asks me to fax documentation, seems very interested.

12/23/03, 9:50am: Got a call from George from the QA office.  He had gotten an email about the problem, presumably from my first call to the Customer Service Hotline.  I explain the problem, discuss the waiver/gaskets issue, and he thinks the gaskets should absolutely count since I passed for HC.  He is very interested in the EGR solenoid disconnection (his quote: "I'd love to write them up for this") but apparently it's a long process of internal hearings before it gets to court, and I wouldn't be able to take part until it's in court.  I told him I'd be glad to show up in court or help in any way possible.

Before hanging up, I mention to him that I just spoke with Anne (to avoid duplication of effort), and it turns out he's her supervisor.  That works for me!

12/23/03 12:30pm: Got voicemail from Anne, she asked me to re-fax my paperwork, it hadn't gone through.  Re-faxed it, called back.  She has me talk to their "Fleet Technician" (didn't get his name), had a great conversation with him about what I did, why, etc.  He's been doing this for 30 years and he says he even builds hot rods, he says it's pretty much cut-and-dry that I'm right, and with the parts I changed the car should pretty much sail through.  He said he's going to tell Anne, and that I'll have to take it back to Pep-Boys Land to get it re-tested.

12/23/03, 12:45pm: Anne calls back to tell me to call back Dan and re-schedule the test.

12/23/03, 1:15pm: After a half-hour on hold, Dan finally picks up the phone.  I'm bringing in the car on Friday morning to be re-tested.  He was really pushing for me to bring it in on Monday; at first he implied that if I brought it in earlier and it failed I wouldn't be able to get a waiver because his inspection tech isn't in from Friday through Sunday (what's that?!?), but when I directly asked him he admitted that if it did fail, I'd just have to come back Monday for paperwork.  Somehow I'm pretty sure it'll pass...

12/26/03, 9:00am: Brought the car up, Dan wanted to charge me another $50 for the emissions test.  "It's state law, I have to" he says.  He should know better than to tell me what state law is.  I don't pay, natch.

12/26/03, 9:30am: Call and leave a message for Anne from the State.

12/26/03, 11am: Anne calls back.  I can tell from her voice she's really getting annoyed at Pep Boys.  She says she called Dan and he agreed to "extend me the courtesy" of re-testing for free.  Thanks, Dan!  You're a swell guy.

12/27/03-1/14/04: Life happens.  Believe it or not, I do other things besides take my car up to get it inspected.

1/15/04-1/17/04: Called Pep Boys several times to talk to Dan, but he wasn't available.  Most likely true, I didn't say who I was.

1/19/04: Talked to Dan.  He's all friendly-like, and says to bring the car up on Sunday and they'd fill out the waiver paperwork and I'd get my sticker.  Thanks Dan, you're swell.

1/24/04: I noticed one of the bolts was loose on my fender, so I tightened it up.  In the process I knocked the connector off of one of the headlights.  Pay attention, in high-school English they call this "foreshadowing".

1/25/04, 9:30am: Fix the headlight connector before taking the car in for inspection.  They're not doing a safety, but I don't want to give them a reason.  Test the headlights, they work fine.

1/25/04, 10am: Bring car in for inspection.  Dan's not there (he said he wouldn't be), the service writer Mike is.  Mike says I have to leave the car, he's real backed up.  He does seem like the kind of guy who's real backed up.  Okay, I go home.

1/25/04, 2pm: Mike calls, tells me he needs me to fill out a form, and he wants to know where the wheel lock key is.  I tell him where the key is; he wasn't supposed to be doing a safety inspection, but I just figure he's being a pissy bitch.  He does seem like the kind of guy who's a pissy bitch.

1/25/04, 2:15pm: I fill out the paperwork he wants me to fill out.

1/25/04, 4:30pm: Mike calls, tells me my headlights don't work.  (See?  Foreshadowing!)  He wants to know if there's a trick to turning them on.  I tell him "Yeah, you pull out the knob with a picture of a headlight."

1/25/04, 4:40pm: Mike calls again, tells me I need new headlights.  I have four Hella Euro-spec sealed beam headlights, they run around $35 each.  Sure, I'll replace those with Sylvania.  I mention that to him, he says "Yeah, I think maybe it's something with the wires.  The high beams work on all four, but not the low beams."  Something with the wires.  Hey, at least he's up on the jargon.

1/25/04, 4:50pm: Gimme my car.  Mike kindly informs me that they're "going to have to charge me next time" I bring the car back there for re-inspection.  He didn't even actually test the car, he says they just wrote up the waiver.  He also tells me it's state law that he had to do the safety test even though I already passed it, and even though I didn't authorize him to do the safety test (the work-order only showed the emissions test).  (Don't they EVER learn?)

1/25/04, 5:00pm: Still in the lot, I check my headlights.  Sure enough, the low beams don't work.  I look to see if maybe I shorted out a wire for the low beams.  I go to turn on the high beams, but something's not right.

I pull the lever, and the passing beams come on, but it won't "stick" on high beams.  Wait, the lever's loose.

The fuckers broke my combination switch.

(The combination switch is a hi/lo beam plus turn signal switch on the steering column, for those who aren't familiar.)

Fortunately, Liz had made me bring up the digital camera.  I have video, I'll upload it when I get a chance.  (I have to fix the headlights first, I drive home from work in the dark.)  I go back in and tell Mike.  He comes out and looks at it, and the only thing he can say is "My guys don't just break stuff."  He says it at least three times.  I'll leave it up to you, the reader, to guess why he felt the need to put the word "just" in the sentence.  I'm thinking:

My guys don't just break stuff.  (They do other jobs too!)
or
My guys don't just break stuff.  (I do that myself!)

1/25/04 8:30pm: Finished putting the column back together.  You can see the video (800k) of the broken switch in the car, or a photo of what was wrong when I took it apart.  I rigged it back up for now, I still need to replace the switch.