Vehicles

One of the things I needed to do when I was in Hawaii was to register my Ford Escape. The Registration expires at the end of October.

All during the month of September, I kept checking the post office box for the renewal notice. To no avail. It finally came on September 28th, less than 2 weeks before I was to return to the mainland. I knew that in order to register the vehicle, I needed to get the safety check. For some reason, I thought I needed the renewal to get the inspection. I didn’t! The safety inspection expired in August. I stopped in at the repair shop in town where they do the inspections and made an appointment for the next Tuesday. 9AM. I showed up on time (a new me) and the technician asked for my current registration and my insurance card. Then he told me it would cost $26.00. I gave him the money and he entered some information on his tablet.

Then he went around to the front of the car.

He told me to turn on my headlights. I turned on my headlights. Then he told me to turn on my high beams. I turned on my high beams, He told me to turn off my headlights. I turned them off.

He told me to turn on my left blinker. I turned on my left blinker. He told me to turn on my right blinker. I turned on my right blinker.

He told me to turn on my windshield wipers. I turned on my windshield wipers.

He told me to roll up the window on the drivers side. I rolled up the driver’s side window. Then the same on the passenger’s side.

He went to the back of the car and told me to turn off my right blinker. I turned off my right blinker. He told me to turn on my left blinker. I turned on my left blinker.

He told me to put my foot on the brake pedal. I put my foot on the brake pedal.

He told me to start the car. I started the car. Then he told me to put the transmission in reverse. I did. He told me to put it into park and turn off the engine.. so, I did.

He went into the office while I waited in the car. After a few miuntes, he came out with my inspection certificate and he put the sticker with the new numbers for the month of September and the year 2023 on the back of the car.

My car is now safe.

It has passed the state safety inspection.

I go to the Hawaii MVD website to complete the registration. Cannot do it, because I allowed the safety inspection to expire before getting it reinspected so I need to mail in my inspection certificate, the one that says “Must remain in vehicle at all times under penalty of law!” Hmmmmm. How do I keep it in the vehicle, but also send it in to Hawaii MVD?

I’ll copy it and send in the copy, or keep the copy in the car. Whatever. But I’ll do that next week when I get back to Arizona. In the meantime, my registration renewal has arrived, $117.68 for one year. Registration for my truck in Arizona is about $30 for a year. Oh, well, this is Hawaii!

When I received the registration renewal there was a big sticker on th envelope telling me to notify the sended of my post office box instead of the street address. Back in Arizona, I called the Hawaii MVD. Asked about changing the mailing address for my car registration, and a nice lady helped me through their website to find the hidden link to do this. I asked her about how I send her the inspection certificate but yet also keep it in the car. She told me that I did not need to send in the certificate, that it had been uploaded in the system. All I needed to do was pay the fees. so, I did. Hopefully, when I return in November, the renewed registration will be waiting for me in the po box!

Speaking of my truck in Arizona, one of the reasons I am returning to the mainland is to renew the registration of my truck. It expires at the end of October – and it needs an emission test. I know it will not pass because the “Service Engine Soon” light is lit on the dash. The oxygen sensor in the exhaust system needs to be replaced. The truck is not causing excess pollution, but the sensor is not working anymore, so the state feels that my truck should not be allowed to operate because it is polluting the air. So, I take it to an emission station “just in case” I might get lucky and in the crap shoot of emission station results, I just might pass. Cost – $17.00.

No such luck.

I used up all my luck last year.

The “Service Engine Light” was on last year when I had to get it emission tested,(that’s how I knew what the problem was) but it still passed.

The guys at the emission station told me about a program where the State will pay up to $900.00 for emission related issues. One time per person. So, I took it to one of their “approved” repair facilities – a shop just down the street from the house. They said it would take two weeks. They had to diagnose the problem, then send the results with the estimate to the state ADEQ for them to review and approve. This could take up to two weeks. anything beyond the $900.00 was my responsibility.

Long story short, they repaired the truck, and it passed. Cost me $550.00.

I got my truck back yesterday – three days before I leave for Hawaii, two weeks and two days in the shop.

I went on line last night and renewed my registration – for two years – for $31.00.

So, to register my truck in Arizona cost me $550.00 in repairs, $17.00 for the emission test, and $31.00 registration fees. Total of $598.00. For two years, so divided by two is $299.00.

Hawaii cost $26.00 for the inspection, and $117.68 for the registration fees. Total of $143.68. Less than half what it cost in Arizona. Maybe the system in Hawaii isn’t as bad as I thought!

TTFN!