Smart Start Interlock Device is deceptive...it's a piece of S***...false readings...car trouble...OMG Irving Texas

First off...I'm going to apologize in advance for anyone I may offend but I'm going to really vent right now.  I got 2 DUI within a certain time span the last being in 2011.  I spent 56 days in jail and as of now I would estimate $6-$7 grand in court costs, probation fees, reinstatement fees, insurance, and FINALLY got my license reinstated. The restriction was that I had to have this ignition interlock device installed in my car for 6 months.  NO problem I thought since I had already learned my lesson to not drink and drive.  I had installed July 2013...my license was reinstated Aug. 13, 2013. I was SO excited to finally be on the road legally again!

The 1st month I had numerous abort hums, early aborts and some other abort I can't remember.  The 2nd month I drank an energy shot 30 minutes before I had to leave for work and it "Warn" me.  Later that month I went to leave for work at 6am and blew and it passed me.  5 minutes later on the "rolling blow" it violated me.  I called the dealer who installed it.  No cooperation or answers except I have to drink water and rinse the blow tube. Also, during the 2nd month my boyfriend who is a mechanic and has his own garage needed to replace the starter.  We called Smart Start to get a code that would allow him to do that.  I was on hold for 40...Yes..40 f****** minutes then they told me he would have to call back from a land line to give him a d**n code.  All we had were cell phones.  They were absolutely no help.   3rd month I had no problems except for early aborts and abort hums.  4th month...blew to go to work at 6am and it violated me.  Had not been drinking the night before...had only water and coffee to drink that morning.  Also during 3rd month...went to leave at 6am...turned on the ignition and it initialized then all that came up on the screen was Recall 3 47h.  It didn't give me the option to blow.  So called the dealer...he said he had never heard of it doing anything like that but next time to just unplug it for 5 minutes then plug it back in. 

5th month...kept aborting hum, early abort, etc.  I would have to blow 4 or 5 times before it would pass me.  Had to be at work at 6 that morning in the next county.  By this time...I pretty much know when it's gonna go off for the "rolling blow". I always kept it in my lap so I could see it go off while listening to my music.  I went out at 4:50am and blew in it and it passed me.  Appx. 5-8 minutes later at the gas station I blew again and it passed me.  I get to work and sitting in the parking lot drinking a Dr. Pepper I had just bought at the gas station listening to music...knowing FULL WELL THAT IT'S GONNA GO OFF AGAIN BEFORE I GO INTO WORK.  It goes off at 5:40am...I blow in it and it just straight up violates me.  This is my 4th violation ok and you are only allowed 5.  I called the installer and told him what happened.  Oh he was sympathetic but I should try rinsing the mouth piece...it must have detected something...is there hand sanitizer in the car?  I mean WTF dude???

So, I know I only have 1 more month and it comes off. To ensure that I don't violate again I start riding to work with a co-worker.  My appt. date is today, January 30.  I come home the evening before and want tomake sure the car will start ok since we have had really cold weather.  I blow in it...I pass.  I pull the car up closer to the garage and let it warm up and I keep coming back out like every 2 minutes to see if I gotta blow again.  Well, it doesn't give me that option.  Recall 3 47h pops up on the little screen and it won't go away.  I turned the car off.  Tried again...no option to even let me blow.  All that shows on the screen is Recall 3 47h.  So I turned off the car, unplugged the unit and took it inside for the night thinking maybe it was the severe cold weather affecting it. 

This morning I'm all set to go...take my little STUPID START out to the car...plug it up...it initializes the up pops the screen Recall 3 47h.  It's f****** stuck there.  AND not only that...today is the day I'm supposed to take it in for it's calibration and reading.  HOW in the HELL am I supposed to drive there if I can't start the d**n car? So I get Chris (my bf) up.  I try everything to get the d**n device to work.  I unplug it...plug it back in. i leave it plugged in hoping it will give me the BLOW signal.  NO WAY...it's stuck there.  I have an important job and can't miss so I go on to work and leave the numbers with Chris.  This is what happens next...

He calls Smart Start. And actually speaks with a live technical expert.  Extension 2283...Jason Phillips.  Jason is asking Chris about the cord and is it frayed...NO  the cord looks brand new...well it sounds like there is a problem with the device itself.  Jason says he will look into it and call Chris back...2 hours go by...no returned call.  Chris tries back numerous times and all he gets is voice mail.  So at 12:18 on my lunch break I call Jason. All I get is voicemail so I leave a msg.  I call the dealer also and tell him what's going on.  He says can you get the car here and I'll see what I can do.  Yes Chris is a mechanic and he can get the car there.  He decides to try and start the car.  It gives him the option to blow..(NOW Chris doesn't drink or smoke)...it violates him then asks him to blow again within 2 minutes. He blows in it and he passes.  Then it asks him to blow AGAIN within 2 minutes....he passes.  It asks him to blow AGAIN and it violates him.  The car was already running so he unplugged the f**king piece of s**t and threw it in the floorboard and took it to the dealer.  

They did the calibration and on every single violation including MINE the readout said Alcohol Violations 0. Now I already had 4 violations.  Chris just got me 2 more.  FOR NO F****** REASON AT ALL EXCEPT THAT IT IS A PIECE OF S***. IT GIVES FALSE READINGS.  When Chris got to the dealer he told him this was a bunch of F****** B******* and that we do have a lawyer and this will be dealt with.  At that point the dealer got on the phone and the top lady was telling him what to do on the computer to see if we had tampered with it.  REALLY????  And the report showed that it had NOT been tampered with.  The dealer kept the device but Chris has to take it back TOMORROW TO INSTALL ANOTHER ONE!!!  OH and it isn't gonna be FREE...it's another $100 bucks.

Now here is where I'm gonna vent.  From Day 1 we have had nothing but problems with this f****** device.  The car was running perfectly fine before we had it installed....then it got where it wouldn't start.  I would have to get a jump on a brand new battery and a brand new starter.  Abort hums, abort fails, early aborts, a WARN after drinking an energy shot, a straight up violation for drinking Dr. Pepper.  Now all these violations are gonna be reported to the motherf******* State of Tennessee and I don't know what they are gonna do to me regarding my driver's license.  And I pay $108 a month to have it calibrated.  It was supposed to come off next month. 

These devices are inaccurate, unreliable, give false readings, get stuck on a screen and won't let you blow, and the customer service is the f****** WORST I've ever dealt with.  Waited all day for Mr. Jason F****** Phillips to call us back with some answers and nothing. And I will say on their behalf that I'm sure they get calls everyday from ppl who have every excuse in the f****** world and many of them have been drinking.  But when a person like me who has spent so much time and money to get her license back and the motherf******* readout says Alcohol Violations-0.  I mean what the f***?? Doesn't anybody at Smart Start or the DMV even look at that??? And think well hmmmm THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY MOTHERF****** SENSE???? 

No...they don't because I think it's set up to make you fail and make you have to keep that s*** on your car for ANOTHER  6 months so they get more f****** money.  It is a rip off...it's a f****** setup...and at the very least it's a cheap piece of electronic s*** that just makes your life more difficult!