On Sunday, June 11, a sizable gathering of Alfisti from all over New England turned out for the season’s second AONE Tech Session in Pawtucket, RI. The subject this time was vehicle emissions testing, and in particular the enhanced testing program recently rolled out in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and soon in other areas.
The organizer and instructor for the event was AONE’s Tom Letourneau,
who is Compliance Audit Manager for Rhode Island’s Emissions and Safety Testing
program. Tom gave us an information-packed two-hour discourse on many important aspects of
emissions testing as they pertain to our cars and what we can do to stay ahead of the
game. He covered the various types of pollutants and their causes and effects, factors
that influence their production and removal, and how the new generation of equipment
operates to detect them in our vehicles. We were then given a demonstration of the
equipment in operation, including the two-speed idle test and running a car through its
paces on the dynamometer. No injuries were reported.
Tom also distributed to all attendees three multi-page handouts that we were able to take home with us. These were the pertinent sections of the Rhode Island and Massachusetts Training and Procedural Manuals as they relate to safety and emissions inspections, and what variances, exceptions and exemptions exist in the laws of each State. If any AONE member not present would like these handouts (and they’re worth having!), mail a self-addressed 9x12 inch envelope with $2.09 in postage attached (don’t send money!) to Tom Letourneau, 24 Old Reservoir Road, Cumberland, RI 02864-1633.
We all came away with a lot more knowledge about vehicle
pollution, and a lot more respect for emissions testing programs and the benefits that
they provide for all of us. We also came away with Rhode Island Emissions and Safety
Testing coffee mugs, an unexpected surprise. Many thanks to Tom for giving us such a
well-prepared and informative presentation.
Thanks also go out to Gary and Joan Leiper, owners of Mel’s Auto Clinic in Pawtucket, RI, who opened their facility on Sunday for us and were our gracious hosts. If you’re ever in their area, stop by, gas up, and say hello.
After the tech session, we all wandered across the street to Mama
Spumoni’s Italian Restaurant for lunch, where we had a chance to d
iscuss what we had learned and ask a few more questions. While we were there,
a storm blew up, sending all of the top-down types at our table scurrying outside to
batten the hatches. We also partook of a wide variety of scrumptious Italian fare. No one
ever leaves Mama Spumoni’s hungry, and many of us carted away sizable leftovers to
fill our cockpits with the aura of garlic for the trip home.
All in all, a day well spent in every regard.