Where do I start? Please read until the end. My family and I moved to LA in 2009, and we've been taking our cars to In & Out Smog Test Only Center for many years for polite, very quick and good price smog check especially with their $10 off/25% off discount offer. I was happy to be their loyal repeating customer for years but things changed quite bit a few days ago.
My 23 years old car started to show some wear and tear and I've been dealing with the strange issue with my fuel cap that doesn't get tightened anymore. A few years ago, the engine + 2 other lights came on so I immediately took my car to my mechanic. He identified that it was little fuel evaporation fumes detected near the gas cap. Clearing the code, cleaning the area, and changing the gasket of OEM cap didn't help and the engine lights kept coming back typically a week after cleared or when I pump. It was my experiment to use the new gasket only on my old OEM cap because it can be just a worn gasket, besides the new cap from Amazon didn't fit well. This minor annoyance now became a big issue because DMV registration this year required a smog check!!! Even I knew Engine light = No Smog Check.
I decided to go check and see how In & Out Smog Test Only Center can help to test and pass. I explained the situation, but they only scared me away by saying the current condition of my car with the lights on has no chance for passing the test and even if no pass, they still charge $60. They suggested to do a smoke test with my mechanic to identify the location of the problem and fix it before Smog check..., they said it's $169 for a smoke test when I asked if I want to get it done there. I was thinking of a simple process like clear the code, test and pass so what they said really stressed me out. I kept talking about the gas cap, but they kept saying it's normally a MUCH BIGGER problem!!!
I placed the new gas cap I already had along with the gasket that evening so I at least, removed one problem that was for sure triggering the engine light to come on. Next day, I visited Mr. Lee at Allen Smog because I remembered one of my ex-coworkers was saying great things about this shop. I explained about my gas cap issues again to Mr. Lee and he immediately placed the reader to clear the code, took time to examine my both old and new gas caps, then told me to drive some miles and come back. It was next day, I went back to Allen Smog after driving 93 miles to report him that the engine light didn't come back. My car passed a smog check 10 minutes later. I was so relieved and happy.
I strongly recommend everyone who needs a smog check to visit Allen Smog. Mr. Lee is vey caring, knowledgeable, honest, timely, and professional. You will receive the great quality customer service you deserve! read more