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December 20th, 2010 
KristinB
Written By: Kristin Brocoff Kristinsblog@carmd.com
During two recent trips to New York I observed that most of the taxis I rode in had some sort of dashboard warning, such as a check engine light, on. This concerned me because this light is designed to notify drivers when they have a problem ranging in severity from something that pollutes the environment to a serious safety issue.
About 10 to15 percent of vehicles on the road are considered gross polluters, which mean they emit so much pollution they account for more than half of all vehicle-produced smog. I wonder how many taxis fall into that “gross polluter” category? And while I haven’t been able to find a clear answer to my question, I did learn that 86 percent of the taxicabs operating at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport have improperly issued vehicle inspection stickers. I also found that back in 1993, Los Angeles County cracked down on a scheme that allegedly sold emissions certificates to fleet operators, such as taxi owners, who wanted to avoid emissions-related tests and repairs.
That’s why I’m so glad to know that many states and municipalities are making strides to improve the safety, fuel economy and overall health of their taxi fleets. Cities such as Burbank, Calif.; Tokyo; and London have switched their cab fleets to electric or hybrid vehicles. And NYC is in the midst of its quest to find “The Taxi of Tomorrow.” Commissioned by The New York Taxi and Limousine Commission, the Taxi of Tomorrow will be a specially-designed vehicle that meets the highest safety standards, has a smaller physical footprint, lower emissions and improved fuel economy. Design finalists include Ford, Nissan and Turkish truck maker Karsan, with some cool features like cabin space for everything from strollers to guide dogs, ADA-compliant ramps, Wi-Fi and cell phone chargers. The Taxi of Tomorrow winner is expected to be announced in early 2011, and phased in as older models retire.
There are currently over 13,000 licensed taxicabs in New York City. About 90 percent of them are Ford Crown Victoria models. According to the CarMD diagnostic database, which we’ve been compiling since 1996, the Ford Crown Victoria has had 32 known safety recalls! The number one reason the Crown Vic’s check engine light comes on is a “fault system too lean” code, which means it’s sucking in too much air and not delivering enough fuel. If left untreated, it can cause a misfire, rough idling, poor engine performance and costly repairs. I’ll bet some of the taxis I rode in had those problems. I wonder how many of those drivers would have allowed me to plug in my CarMD tester for a diagnosis? After all, taxi drivers are just like you and me. We’re all trying to minimize repair costs to keep our vehicles running longer. The only difference is a taxi driver can’t call a taxi while their vehicle’s in the shop!
I also wonder if I noticed those glowing check engine lights on the taxi dashboard because I work in the automotive industry, or because I’m an astute consumer – or both? How many of you have gotten into a taxi that had a noticeable problem? A blinking check engine light? A service engine soon light? A broken seatbelt? Something else that just didn’t seem right? CarMD wants to know! Tell us your Taxi Check Engine light story here on this blog, on Facebook or Twitter, and be entered to win our weekly prize drawing of a CarMD products and a grand prize of $1000 gift card! Send us a photo and double your chances of winning! Click here for contest rules and entry information.
Kristin Brocoff, marketing manager at CarMD.com Corp, helped develop the CarMD® Vehicle Health System. She has over 16 years of experience in marketing and public relations, including a decade in the automotive aftermarket. She serves as a member of the AskPatty.com female friendly advisory panel and the Car Care Council Women’s Board. Kristin is committed to empowering drivers – women in particular – to make smart decisions about car maintenance. She has appeared on regional and national TV and radio programs, including Fox News, Extra! TV, The Motorman Show, and more. Kristin currently resides in Las Vegas, and is a full-time working mom to two active kids and a dog.
Questions about my blog? Comment here or email me at Kristinsblog@CarMD.com
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By Alan Moore, December 21, 2010 @ 7:47 pm
My check engine light comes on all the time. Somebody said that when that light is on, it could be missing. So I checked it. The engine is still there. Believe me, if it was missing, I’d notice. It kinda takes up the whole engine compartment.
By Alan Moore, December 21, 2010 @ 7:50 pm
On a less humorous note, I’ll tell you how cab drivers in Dallas get around the city inspection when their check engine light is on. They do like I did on Y265 back in the day. Take the gauge cluster out of the dashboard. Remove the offending bulbs. Now you can’t leave them out or the computer up in the dash will beep at you. So I took the advice of the cabbie behind me in line and painted the bulbs with nail polish, then put them back in. No beeps. No lights. No problem. No joke.
By minority scholarships, December 28, 2010 @ 9:06 pm
Do you people have a facebook fan page? I looked for one on twitter but could not discover one, I would really like to become a fan!
By KristinB, December 29, 2010 @ 11:57 am
Hi There,
Yes we do have a facebook fan page, it is located here: http://www.facebook.com/carmd stop by and say hi!
By Danielle, December 29, 2010 @ 1:18 pm
Broken seatbelts? If only! I rode in a taxi that had no seatbelts. True story. I was in a rush to make my 10AM flight from Philadelphia to Atlanta and hailed the first available taxi. After putting up my bags and all that jazz, I finally sit back only to realize this is a seatbelt-less taxicab. My desire to get home for the holidays overrode my sensibilities. Happy Holidays huh? That has to be illegal by the way.
By Mariann Keamo, July 7, 2011 @ 4:08 pm
Hey, I just hopped over to your site via StumbleUpon. Not somthing I would commonly read, but I liked your thoughts none the much less. Thanks for generating something worth reading.
By Michael, July 13, 2011 @ 7:27 pm
I just got back from my very first trip to NYC… and since my in-laws live in Staten Island and we wanted to see the city, we had to take some form of transportation multiple times a day.
My partner is a mechanic as is his brother… but other than that, I wouldn’t say I notice things such as check engine lights and the sort any more than an average consumer.
Anyway… from the very first taxi from the airport to our hotel until the “hired car” (which was also basically a taxi without the yellow paint, plexiglass divider, the touchscreen /credit card machine in the back, and the meter on the dashboard… but it was a crown vic, had the seat upholstered like all the taxis, and he had to display his certificates and licensure) we used to go from the hotel back to the airport… every single one had either a check engine light or some other malfunction light on!
Unfortunately I had to squeeze into the front seat of a Hybrid Ford Explorer taxi in Times Square and was unable to wear my seatbelt. I’m 6’6″ and because of the divider and touchscreen installation, the seat was as far forward as possible. Also, part of the meter was on that side… so there was physically no way for me to buckle up… and though we didn’t get over 15 mph very often or for long, the seatbelt light kept blinking and would ding!
Anyway… the point is that out of about 8 different taxis, the final hired car, and a “town car” we had to hire during the trip as well… every single one of them had at least the check engine light on!!!!
And of course the majority of the drivers barely spoke English… so trying to ask why it was on was near impossible. But one driver attributed it to the smog and the fact that so many cars are jam packed together while idling, the O2 sensors go haywire. My partner didn’t know if this was true or possible as he had never heard of it or seen it… but for about 2 seconds it made sense!
I know I’m out of the contest, but love the site! Thanks for this post! Glad I’m not alone in noticing this stuff!
By Stoney, September 20, 2011 @ 12:32 pm
I just bought this car MD thing and was reading a few things and noticed a new blog which I opened, and was surprised to learn about the two types of check engine . That was news to me and I’m so glad I found this out. Thanks so much.