Passing inspection......

[Davetopay]

ALways makes me feel better.

This time I had to fix the horn circuit, get some new marker light sockets, a set of tires, a steering box, and new front brake pads.

[camjck89]

holy crap a steering box, i thought north carolina inspection was a little loopy

[Davetopay]

Originally Posted by camjck89

holy crap a steering box, i thought north carolina inspection was a little loopy

My old one( a junkyard piece off a 75 K10) blew out the input seal and hosed down the brakes bad enough that it made right turns while stopping.

On the plus side, I got to check and make sure the frame wasn't cracked!

[QKENUF4U]

Originally Posted by camjck89

holy crap a steering box, i thought north carolina inspection was a little loopy

so you would rather the car beside you be a POS and not be able to turn/stop when needed ?
rainsylvania has a yearly inpection also , they check it all, lights,brakes,suspension,etc. and now have a communistfornia add on ---emissions (might only be visual) . started out at like 16$ but now is 50$+ from what im told.
we dont have inspections here in AZ. and ive seen some pretty scarey stuff on the roads..

[bigguy69]

i think anything 35 years and older dosent need an inspection in nc

[BIG ORANGE]

We dont have inspection in SC either, but we did years ago! I'm glad they dropped it after the stories I've heard folks tell. just saying!

[swierker]

Originally Posted by QKENUF4U

so you would rather the car beside you be a POS and not be able to turn/stop when needed ?
rainsylvania has a yearly inpection also , they check it all, lights,brakes,suspension,etc. and now have a communistfornia add on ---emissions (might only be visual) . started out at like 16$ but now is 50$+ from what im told.
we dont have inspections here in AZ. and ive seen some pretty scarey stuff on the roads..

I agree, although it's a hassle to get your car inspected at least you know that all the cars on the road are as safe as yours. I wouldn't want so POS jalopy hitting me just because the car was not maintained.

The only thing that failed my inspection on my truck was the windshield washers did not work. I think that's a little overkill, especially since they are only really needed when they put salt on the road when it snows.

[Longhorn Man]

inspections can be a good thing, but then some states get carried away with it, then you get inspectors that get carried away, and it becomes a huge hassle/PITA for people. It seems to hurt the low income people who are already doing everything they can to keep gas and insurance up.
I was failed by a big headed inspector for a drain hole in my muffler once. He said exhaust leak and wouldn't hear it when I tried pointing out to him that it was a factory hole.
I've been failed for a squeeling belt.
Had a neighbor who was sent home with no sticker becouse he had a sticker in the back window of his 69 GMC. (it was a small edelbrock sticker in the lower corner) They also wanted him to pull off his drums so they could look at the brakes.
I ended up printing out the Tx inspection and keeping it with me for the yearly hassle. Every year I would call them out on BS that was not even required. Funny how they never noticed ball joints ready to blow out, or never picked up on wheelbearing rumble... you know, IMPORTANT stuff.
I'm glad we don't have it in this part of Ohio, but next month that may all change.

[vectorit]

CA doesn't have inspections, other than the smog test.

I would like to see a BASIC safety inspection done on cars here though, but I'm keeping my mouth shut on that. Since the state and DMV here does some wacky things, so knowing all that I know for a fact they would pervert the testing beyond belief.

My family lives in ID, and their testing from what I have seen seems to be fair and affordable.

[ed2552]

My Neighbor is a large truck mechanic and got a call one saturday afternoon from the state patrol, saying they had a 70's International that they wouldn't let move from the side of a major highway here because the windshield washers didn't work. They can do roadside inspections here, but we don't have yearly inspections. The gov't is trying to get all old cars off the road and using whatever method they can. Basically, if it has it, it has to work, especially on anything that would have to be DOT'd.

/endrant

[Shyguy]

Missouri has safety inspections every two years, but it if a person looks real hard they can find an inspector that is reasonable.

The cost is not bad either.

My son is an inspector and has told me all the requirements so I make darn sure my vehicles are ok before I take them in for an inspection.

[rusty baker]

But if vehicle is 25 years old or older in Missouri, you can get Historic tags. No more inspections and lifetime tags. I have a 1980 1-ton box truck that failed inspection one year for no inside rear view mirror. The truck was 20 years old and had never had one. I mean all you can see with it is the box, just stupid.

[Bishops Trucks]

Originally Posted by camjck89

holy crap a steering box, i thought north carolina inspection was a little loopy

Virginia tends to get very strict, just depends what place you take it to.

[MVHandy]

What is the issue here, inspoections are no secret and the standards are pretty clear. If you had a blown steering box and went hard right as you brake, had a bunch of lights out, etc why would failing be a surprise? As long as there are regulations and the state enforces them it is a fact of life, we all have an interest in keeping unsafe junk where it belongs, in teh scrapyard.

[71 super]

NC is loopy in that if you live in specific counties you get smogged, but in others you do not. The smog counties cost $30 while those that are not, cost $9.25 or so (less than $10) and vehicles that are older than 96 or when ever ODBII came out don't have to pass smog, they just get the visual inspection and basic systems have to work. The older vehicles tend to be run through and go on, the newer vehicles can be HUGE money makers for the stations. If service engine light is on, you will not pass inspection and you have 1 month to get it fixed or you get a ticket. The state has now tacked the tag onto the inspection so if no inspection, no tag and visa versa. In my opinion it is just a money maker for the state, and the test is crap anyway. My 2000 GMC has the service engine light set most of the time, but it goes out every once in a while, I can run and have it inspected and it passes- mind you the light may have been on for weeks, yet when it is on the inspector's computer the systems (emissions) are all within the .001 of where they were when the truck was new????? Loopy money making crap!

[72lb4x4]

I was failed on my truck because the highbeam indicator in the speedo was the wrong color (red I think). Really!

I think I had a 68 speedo in it. I went home and swapped it for a different one and it then passed.

[Longhorn Man]

Originally Posted by 72lb4x4

I was failed on my truck because the highbeam indicator in the speedo was the wrong color (red I think). Really!

I think I had a 68 speedo in it. I went home and swapped it for a different one and it then passed.

granted, it was 10 years ago i left texas, but that isn't even part of your inspection. Not only that, but the red high beam indicator is grandfathered just like ALL safety features are. Red means warning now, it didn't back then.

[72lb4x4]

Well, it was a 72 truck with an older speedo. I didn't argue (which is unlike me)...

[Davetopay]

Originally Posted by MVHandy

What is the issue here, inspoections are no secret and the standards are pretty clear. If you had a blown steering box and went hard right as you brake, had a bunch of lights out, etc why would failing be a surprise? As long as there are regulations and the state enforces them it is a fact of life, we all have an interest in keeping unsafe junk where it belongs, in teh scrapyard.

To be more clear. I passed today.

That was a list of all the crap that happened every time I went to get it inspected....or at the least the day before! First the horn circuit went to crap. Then the wires leading to the signal/marker sockets fell apart. Then I needed tires. On the way home from buying tires the seal on the steering box blew out. The steering box took the front brake pads with it.

Yesterday it passed.....and he didn't even honk the horn!

[LMN8UR]

I've lived in several states that required inspections, and a few that didn't. Guess what, the fact that a state has inspections doesn't remove the junk from the road. I've seen some scarry crap out there.

The best inspections are done by the states (Like NJ or DE). When you have a shop that stands to make more money off you, naturally they will ping you for boarderline items.

Fortunately,when one of our trucks has to visit a privately owned inspection shop, they know we are mechanically inclined and will fix our own, and they won't make any extra $$$ off us. They'd rather nail the mini van behind us for an $800 ball joint!

[Davetopay]

Originally Posted by LMN8UR

I've lived in several states that required inspections, and a few that didn't. Guess what, the fact that a state has inspections doesn't remove the junk from the road. I've seen some scarry crap out there.

The best inspections are done by the states (Like NJ or DE). When you have a shop that stands to make more money off you, naturally they will ping you for boarderline items.

Fortunately,when one of our trucks has to visit a privately owned inspection shop, they know we are mechanically inclined and will fix our own, and they won't make any extra $$$ off us. They'd rather nail the mini van behind us for an $800 ball joint!

That's exactly right. The woman took her Focus in for inspection and fail because of a problem with one of the struts on the front. We all know you should replaces struts and shocks in pairs. Over the counter, retail on a pair of Monroematic quick-strut assemblies (strut/spring/bearing/top plate) is $288.00

.........she was quoted $900.00+tax to swap a pair of struts. 1.2hours each side, 325 for each strut, and 79 for a basic alignment.

[charx2]

I just had a feeling this was a good Ol' VA thread!!! I moved from Newport news about 2 years ago and that's the only thing I don't miss about VA, the stupid damn yearly inspections!

[camjck89]

what i ment by loopy was that nc inspection is a be otch if you have a car newer than a 95. our truck are no problem for the most part. like it was said before if they cant make money off of you with on board diagnostics sensors they send you on through. i went today to get my toyota renewed and i drove it in flashed the lights turnsignals and beeped the horn and they asked for my registration and in about 2 min i payed and was out!. however i think the price went from 9 and some change to 13 and some. . oh yea.. and there was a 72 std. outside getting exhaust put on.lol.

[BADPURPLE70CHEVY]

I do inspections everyday and the D.M.V is tough on us. In n.c. 96 and up if registered in a emission county is 30.00 and anything 1995 and below is 13.60 Diesels get a 13.60 inspection and if its 35 years old or older it skips inspections all together. Love my 67-72 trucks

[eightbanger]

Originally Posted by Longhorn Man

inspections can be a good thing, but then some states get carried away with it, then you get inspectors that get carried away, and it becomes a huge hassle/PITA for people. It seems to hurt the low income people who are already doing everything they can to keep gas and insurance up.
I was failed by a big headed inspector for a drain hole in my muffler once. He said exhaust leak and wouldn't hear it when I tried pointing out to him that it was a factory hole.
I've been failed for a squeeling belt.
Had a neighbor who was sent home with no sticker becouse he had a sticker in the back window of his 69 GMC. (it was a small edelbrock sticker in the lower corner) They also wanted him to pull off his drums so they could look at the brakes.
I ended up printing out the Tx inspection and keeping it with me for the yearly hassle. Every year I would call them out on BS that was not even required. Funny how they never noticed ball joints ready to blow out, or never picked up on wheelbearing rumble... you know, IMPORTANT stuff.
I'm glad we don't have it in this part of Ohio, but next month that may all change.

Those are horror stories Andy and thank god we don't have to put up with extremes like that here, our vehicles have had to have an annual inspection since the early 60's by law called an MOT (Ministry of Transport test) the criteria for the test does not and cannot vary it's the same all across the UK thus ruling out the opportunity for ridiculous variations on the test from county to county. I will say that you may get a stricter guy at one test station than another but they cannot deviate from the basic test itself which covers lighting, steering, suspension, emissions and general road worthiness.