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reliable place to get emissions check on my car? — Brooklynian

reliable place to get emissions check on my car?

lnelson
lnelson
edited November -1 in Park Slope
my car needs its annual emissions checkout. i'm from CT, and there, you go to a special (if special meant horrible) state-owned place and wait in line for hours. i'm pretty sure it's different here. but - do you make an appointment in advance? any recommendations about where i should go? (or avoid?) how long does it take, and do i drop off the car or wait?

help me, internet!

Comments

  • djuoh
    djuoh
    I go to Pep Boys (next to Staples on 4th Ave and 5th-ish street). I've gone during the week for inspections and have been out of there in under an hour. I imagine that the wait is longer on the weekends.

    In NY a lot of small garages and bigger oil-change type places do inspections. They get licensed by the state and will have their permit hanging up.
  • booklaw
    booklaw
    It's much more difficult on weekends, because a lot of gas stations don't open their service bays on Saturday, or close them at noon. I don't think anyplace at all works on Sunday.

    I believe I've had a NYS inspection performed at the Firestone tire shop on Empire Boulevard (which intersects Flatbush at the end of Prospect Park ) .
  • daniel
    daniel
    Holy Land Auto, on Union between 3rd and 4th is great. I've brought my car to them many times, mostly for oil changes and inspections, and never once have I felt like they've tried to take advantage of me. They are very honest and do great work.
  • modsquad
    modsquad
    Minh's Auto Center on 3rd Av. and 15th. I have an 87 Landcruiser he has worked wonders with. He has personally rebuilt an automatic transmission for me, something those specialized tranny shops don't do, (they send them out or install a rebuilt from China). Very honest and friendly. 718 832 3096. Just tell him you met somebody with an 87 LC who recommended him. He'll know.
  • eat_snacky_smores
    eat_snacky_smores
    Are they affordable? I don't know what inspections are like here bc my car is registered in OH where I am originally from. We need emissions checks that I am going to fail in October because I need a catalytic converter replacement for my 99 corolla.

    A good converter is apparently $600+
    A universal, which might not work is $250+

    Obviously I want the job done well- so I look for the recommendations from others- but I have to look for deals too. Did your xmission replacement cost you lots? I've heard that is incredibly expensive.
  • booklaw
    booklaw
    For potentially serious (i.e. expensive) repairs, I would go to Parkside, at 584 Union St. ... just across the street from the aforementioned Holy Land Auto. Charly, who owns and runs Parkside, is absolutely honest and reliable, and a very nice guy also. (I am not he; nor am I a relative or friend... just a longtime customer.)

    Nothing against Holy Land; I've never used them. I just trust Parkside. Its number is (718) 852-7969.

    Don't confuse Parkside with Park West on the same block.
  • modsquad
    modsquad
    99 corolla? Why bother. It's value can't be much more than what it would take to repair it. If they replace the cat conver. the whole exhaust will have to be replaced. I still would recommend Minh. He can be very imaginative when trying to fix a beater, or as you say in the Midwest, a "field car". A lot of junk yards are on line now. I routinely check long island and upstate for parts for my 87 LC. There's got to be a converter for your car sitting in somebody's yard.
  • eat_snacky_smores
    eat_snacky_smores
    Ohio has a rule that if you fail the E-check, you have to put in $x of repair ...$300-400 actually. It has to be verified by an approved repair shop and then called into the inspection site. Theres a bit more to it- but I sort of forget about it intentionally until it is upon me and I have to schedule a family vacation and annual errand run in the heartland.

    The car only has 64k miles - and it's in awesome shape -exhaust system included- from what I've been told- it's just the converter leaking emissions that makes me fail my check. I maintain everything as much as I can.

    I've never heard the term "field car" haha though my family was originally NJ- so I picked up the east coast terms and left OH for NY rarely saying pop or tennis shoes- and I guess field car falls in between.
  • longtimesloper
    longtimesloper
    Hmm-I have a 1997 Toyota Camry LE in great condition. Recently, my check engine light went on and my mechanic (who we have used for 20 years now), told me the catalytic convertor needs to be changed-he said it would only cost me about $200 or so, otherwise I will fail inspection come January. Of course I am going to have it changed.

    Anyway, as for emissions inspections, a lot of private mechanics are licensed by the State to do the inspections test-perosnally, I would stay away from pep boys and the like, I just think they are more likely to try to get you to buy things to pass inspection (oh, you need new tires, etc. etc.). i would go to a regular mechanic.

    Mr. Lee on President Street between 3rd & 4th Avenue is a good, honest, reliable guy. An inspection costs $35-pass or fail. Of course, if they find things wrong with your car, that is another story.
  • eat_snacky_smores
    eat_snacky_smores
    Is Mr. Lee the one you went to for the $200 converter? Likely, your car uses a "universal" - if mine could handle it well, I'd do it for that too.
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