I don't even know how to start this entry I'm so frustrated and humored at the same time. I headed back down to DMV with my BAR cert. First I'm told sorry, we can't change anything without the title. What? Nobody said this last time I was in here. So I just tell them I'll pay for a new one as if though I lost it. After an hour of waiting and paperwork to fill out they tell me they have change my car to Type Q. I couldn't remember off hand what Q was, but I told her it's suppose to be Type E. She tells me she tried E and it didn't work, but Q worked so she used that. WTF? So I asked her what Q meant, and this part tickles me. She says, "I don't know, but my supervisor said to try either E or Q and the computer didn't allow E but allowed Q so it must be correct". UGH
I leave because I don't know off hand what Q is. After getting back to work I find out they made my car a Hybrid! So I headed back down for trip three to the DMV. Now the two ladies that helped me are out to lunch and I'm told they have to help me again....so I wait. After they returned I explained what Q meant. Now they need a manager to unlock my records because only one change per 72 hours is allowed. They spent a fair amount of time digging through menus and trying different options but couldn't get the computer to take Type E.
Finally I asked if they have entered in the data from the BAR cert since there is a DMV ID# on there and the BAR ref told me they needed to input that information into the computer. Well it turns out this needs to be entered into the smog section which will not show up until smog is due for the car. Yeah, it just kept getting better.
They wrote down everything they had learned on a paper so that when I come back in a month they will know where to start. Luckily the registration is due in a month because the BAR cert is only good for 60 days!
I'm hoping by documenting all of this I can save time for others in California who need to go through this process. I'll keep you posted.
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7 comments:
Hi Brian,
I am little confused that you said
"Well it turns out this needs to be entered into the smog section which will not show up until smog is due for the car. Yeah, it just kept getting better......."
You mean that you have to wait another month for SMOG Section decides if your car can pass or not, or you already get your license now ?
I have to wait a month. According to DMV, the section in their software for SMOG only appears when it's time to get your car smogged. They said they can't go in there and change things whenever.
The BAR ref had said I should wait until my SMOG is due, but didn't explain why. I told him it should be due in a month or so, so he said ok, but didn't tell me why he was thinking that. Maybe he knew more about DMV software than DMV does. :)
Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm converting a Datsun Roadster in California and I still don't know quite what to expect. The roadster is smog exempt, so the smog is never really due on the car. I guess we'll see how it works out but I have to convert the car first.
Good luck on getting it registered properly, you've built an awesome car.
Hey Brian,
I found this on Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_vehicle_conversion
Skip down to the portion about registration of an EV and it seems to spell out the headache that is the california DMV and its politics. Kinda funny how it is explaining exactly the problem you are having.
I just had my DMV appointment today, to reclassify my 914ev as electric. I had my BAR certificate and title. The whole process was quick and easy and no complaints ... except they also gave me fuel type E.
I fully expected confusion when I asked for this reclassification but they all said "ok, no problem". But I was told that type E was no longer accepted by the system and that Q was the new type. Their book said Q=Hybrid (but this book also said E=Electric). I was told the book was out of date and that Q was effectively "other" with the implication that it was electric.
One of my later posts has an update, but my registration is now complete and I am type E now. Hopefully that still means electric or anything which doesn't require the smog check...we'll see :)
Why is it that every visit to the DMV can be so frustrating? Thanks to DMV California I never really get frustrated with them.
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