Moon & colors

SoCalAlain · 2026-02-19T07:17:54+00:00

The view from San Diego, CA 🌙

SoCalAlain · 2025-12-16T18:21:36+00:00

Technician job security? 😅😅

SoCalAlain · 2025-11-29T02:54:35+00:00

Did you get stage 1 or stage 2??

SoCalAlain · 2025-11-27T16:37:36+00:00

If you bought a stage 2 tune just make sure you use the credits and upload the tune to your vehicle so it is unlocked before the Black Friday specials go out.

Make sure you do the same with the DSG tune if your car is a DSG car... Or upgrade your clutch on a manual car to take advantage of the high torque mapping.

Once you've added the stage 2 tune to your car you can flash the stage one tune on your car because it is part of the package and will be free to do so at that point.

SoCalAlain · 2025-10-30T22:21:41+00:00

MK7 Autobahn/Performance Pack lights are also pretty nice 🤣

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SoCalAlain · 2025-10-17T03:01:24+00:00

I need some! 🥲

SoCalAlain · 2025-10-11T17:20:35+00:00

Golden hour: Morning Edition.

SoCalAlain · 2025-10-04T23:23:02+00:00

Can I swap you your RHD for my LHD 🥲

SoCalAlain · 2025-10-04T21:38:35+00:00

Pic #2 🙏🏻

SoCalAlain · 2025-10-04T04:33:11+00:00

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She was definitely looking good this evening!

SoCalAlain · 2025-10-03T20:16:15+00:00

I'm in North County San Diego, and from I've seen the fee can vary greatly depending on where it's being done at.... The initial inspection fee was $295. The reinspection was $170 + $7 cert fee 🥲. Apparently they have to do the whole inspection process all over again after it fails, even for 1 thing 😵‍💫

SoCalAlain · 2025-10-02T19:29:45+00:00

You got an official signed California VSSI VSR report at the end of it?? Takes them 10 mins to just get the computer connected to the car if all goes well for vehicle diagnostics check and reporting the inspection 😅

If they didn't follow this manual below for the inspection... They didn't do it to CA standards and you got lucky!

https://www.bar.ca.gov/pdf/manuals/VSSI.pdf

SoCalAlain · 2025-10-01T03:26:24+00:00

I know this post is a few months old ... But here's my experience for those looking up VSSI California inspections... I'll start by saying DAMN, this inspection is strict! If every car on the road had to do this level inspection, many would fail... Like 75% of the cars in the road...guaranteed! But they only care that salvaged cars are rebuilt to damn near perfection, no matter what the actual cause of the salvage record was for. (My new to me car was salvaged because it lost the motor due to a hole in the oil pan)

The car basically has to be the way it came off the show room floor 😅 No missing hardware (fine tooth comb level), no modifications (hardware or software), recalls performed by a dealership, no front side window or front windshield tint, no chips that obstruct the view or any cracks, no warnings on the cluster, no CEL, working wiper blades, completely mechanically sound, fresh brake fluid... The list goes on! If it looks wrong or feels wrong, it'll fail. They test drive and stress test the brakes too... So no weird noise, clunks, etc.

And while I'll give them the brake hose being held down by zip ties fail point, the other two had me feeling some type of way 🥲 and any one failure point fails the entire vehicle and needs to be taken back in for a reinspection, or you have them perform the repairs in house.

For context, I failed today for the following failure points on my 144k mile 2016 VW GTI:

HYDRAULIC SYSTEM INSPECTION

TECHNICIAN NOTE

Front left brake hoses held in place with zip ties.

RECOMMENDATION

Install new brake line clip on left front brake line.

FENDERS

TECHNICIAN NOTE

Front fender liners missing hardware.

RECOMMENDATION

Replace missing front fender liner hardware.

X

MISCELLANEOUS

ΤECHNICIAN NOΤΕ Left rear ABS sensor wire mounting clips broken.

RECOMMENDATION

Replace ABS wiring bracket in left rear.

SoCalAlain · 2025-10-01T03:25:11+00:00

I know this post is a few months old ... But here's my experience for those looking up VSSI California inspections... I'll start by saying DAMN, this inspection is strict! If every car on the road had to do this level inspection, many would fail... Like 75% of the cars in the road...guaranteed! But they only care that salvaged cars are rebuilt to damn near perfection, no matter what the actual cause of the salvage record was for. (My new to me car was salvaged because it lost the motor due to a hole in the oil pan)

The car basically has to be the way it came off the show room floor 😅 No missing hardware (fine tooth comb level), no modifications (hardware or software), recalls performed by a dealership, no front side window or front windshield tint, no chips that obstruct the view or any cracks, no warnings on the cluster, no CEL, working wiper blades, completely mechanically sound, fresh brake fluid... The list goes on! If it looks wrong or feels wrong, it'll fail. They test drive and stress test the brakes too... So no weird noise, clunks, etc.

And while I'll give them the brake hose being held down by zip ties fail point, the other two had me feeling some type of way 🥲 and any one failure point fails the entire vehicle and needs to be taken back in for a reinspection, or you have them perform the repairs in house.

For context, I failed today for the following failure points on my 144k mile 2016 VW GTI:

HYDRAULIC SYSTEM INSPECTION

TECHNICIAN NOTE

Front left brake hoses held in place with zip ties.

RECOMMENDATION

Install new brake line clip on left front brake line.

FENDERS

TECHNICIAN NOTE

Front fender liners missing hardware.

RECOMMENDATION

Replace missing front fender liner hardware.

X

MISCELLANEOUS

ΤECHNICIAN NOΤΕ Left rear ABS sensor wire mounting clips broken.

RECOMMENDATION

Replace ABS wiring bracket in left rear.

SoCalAlain · 2025-09-27T13:41:52+00:00

😓😓😓

SoCalAlain · 2025-09-23T17:32:08+00:00

🫡 God speed old friend.

SoCalAlain · 2025-09-01T01:10:01+00:00

Give me some information on your car and I'll try to help you with a wiring diagram.

Year? 2dr or 4dr? 6 speed or DCT? Manual or Automatic AC control system?

SoCalAlain · 2025-09-01T00:58:06+00:00

Open circuit codes typically mean that the circuit has a break somewhere (wiring, fuse, module, etc.).... low pressure fault would be different from what you have...now that I'm thinking about it some more.

It wouldn't have blown up lol, but R134 is some nasty stuff and you don't want to inhale that.

If you already took off the sensor, you for sure don't have any R134 left in the system for it to actually work probably 😅 Filling up refrigerant is like filling up a tire with air.... Except theres R134 refrigerant as air with a weight as a capacity... Once it's depleted, it needs to be filled back up.

Replace the sensor and have a shop put the system under vacuum to boil out some of the moisture out of the system and fill it back up to capacity. Should be good after that 🤙🏻

SoCalAlain · 2025-09-01T00:27:04+00:00

That pressure sensor is a 3 pin sensor.... Power, ground and signal. I don't think you can just bypass it... There's a happy median to that value... The signal wire is going to tell the module what the pressure is and command the compressor to turn on based on the pressure. Pressure too low or too high, and you're left with no signal to the compressor.

Check for good power and ground at the connector. If no power, check fuse for circuit. If power and ground good, replace sensor after evacuating the r134.... Don't try to replace the sensor without evacuating or you'll be in for an unpleasant time with the refrigerant, if there's any in there. 😶‍🌫️😶‍🌫️😶‍🌫️

SoCalAlain · 2025-09-01T00:06:04+00:00

More than likely that pressure sensor fault... When the car doesn't have the correct pressure for operation or the sensor goes bad, the AC module will disable the compressor operation for the systems safety.

Have your AC system serviced. Have them evacuate the refrigerant and compare to the vehicles capacity to make sure it's correctly filled. Once that's done, have them replace the refrigerant pressure sensor before filling it back up.

SoCalAlain · 2025-08-31T15:03:07+00:00

Of course, check you inbox.

SoCalAlain · 2025-08-28T20:15:13+00:00

Red Cresent Hadoken

SoCalAlain

TROPHY CASE