Car Inspection

[NoBozo]

Cars today are not really inspected. When you take it in to be State Inspected...They go under your dashboard near the steering column and plug in their Scanner to the OBD II plug which is already there. The scanner tells them everything they want to know about what you have been doing with your car..The INFO they get comes from the cars Computer....IE: Check Engine Light..etc...

If you disconnect your cars battery ....(which is required for many routine maintenance procedures)..the night before your State Inspection... and reconnect it the next morning....the computer will lose it's MEMORY. OMG

You will be good to go....Again....until the next inspection. NB

PS: I am an EVIL Person.

[wifi]

Originally Posted by NoBozo

Cars today are not really inspected. When you take it in to be State Inspected...They go under your dashboard near the steering column and plug in their Scanner to the OBD II plug which is already there. The scanner tells them everything they want to know about what you have been doing with your car..The INFO they get comes from the cars Computer....IE: Check Engine Light..etc...

If you disconnect your cars battery ....(which is required for many routine maintenance procedures)..the night before your State Inspection... and reconnect it the next morning....the computer will lose it's MEMORY. OMG

You will be good to go....Again....until the next inspection. NB

PS: I am an EVIL Person.

This is totally incorrect. If you reset the computer, it has to go thru its internal tests before it becomes "ready" and the state will accept it. If you go in after you reset it, you fail and must return for re-inspection.

They still check breaks, front end components, on and on, or atleast they should

I think you are also incorrect on being evil

[BroadHopper]

I was told the computer has to have so many miles on its memory before it will pass inspection. For instance one mechanic disconnected the battery for maintenance on the car. After the work, he told me to have a nice drive to Concord (from Laconia) and when I return the computer will pass inspection.

I do know inspection stations differ. I had a vehicle fail because there are holes in the rocker panel, yet another inspection station claim that as long as there are no holes in the floor panel so that exhaust fumes can get inside the car, the car will pass inspection. Go figure.

I agree with the $9.95 teasers. They will always find something wrong to get a return.

[derrydad]

I tried some Bars Rear Main Seal Repair that seems to have completely stopped the leak. Bars recommends additional additive every second oil change.

The inspection station still wants to still call it failed because I did not correct the problem with the recommended method: replacing the oil pan seal for approximately $1000.

They are presently calling the regional inspector for clarification.

May be time for a new shop.

[derrydad]

I went to a different shop today and he passed the vehicle- I told him I had fixed the leak with the Bar's Rear Seal repair. He said he could tell it had a minor leak at one point but saw no leak now and no fumes nor any deposits left to worry about.

I'm still disturbed that inspection stations are allowed to decide that Bar's seal does not count as a viable repair to a bogus "leaking fumes" problem.

Originally Posted by derrydad

I tried some Bars Rear Main Seal Repair that seems to have completely stopped the leak. Bars recommends additional additive every second oil change.

The inspection station still wants to still call it failed because I did not correct the problem with the recommended method: replacing the oil pan seal for approximately $1000.

They are presently calling the regional inspector for clarification.

May be time for a new shop.

[patman]

Originally Posted by derrydad

I tried some Bars Rear Main Seal Repair that seems to have completely stopped the leak. Bars recommends additional additive every second oil change.

I wouldn't put any more in until/unless it starts leaking again. Your engine has many small passages in it that need to pass oil freely. The leak stop can clog those if you overuse it, and lead to big engine damage. If it ain't broke (leaking), don't fix it.

[NoBozo]

Originally Posted by wifi

This is totally incorrect. If you reset the computer, it has to go thru its internal tests before it becomes "ready" and the state will accept it. If you go in after you reset it, you fail and must return for re-inspection.

They still check breaks, front end components, on and on, or at least they should

I think you are also incorrect on being evil

You are Funny WiFi: I think you should check back to post #33 in this old thread. I don't make stuff up.

I could be wrong on this, but I think the Shop//States Computer/Scanner reporting system doesn't allow a shop to FAKE a report. My wife's car always passes.

Go back and read post #33. Cheers: NB

[SIKSUKR]

Might depend on the shop but I know most will not pass an inspection even if you had cleared the check engine light with your diagnostic tool. The vehicle must be run for x amount of miles and if that check engine problem still exists, the light will come back on. This is why it is not acceptable to clear it and pass it.
I do have a problem with this as far as inspections go. Inspections were designed for safety and are certainly a good thing for the other drivers on the road to know your vehicle is safe. Now most failures during an inspections are for emissions which are definitely not safety related.

[salty dog]

Originally Posted by SIKSUKR

Might depend on the shop but I know most will not pass an inspection even if you had cleared the check engine light with your diagnostic tool. The vehicle must be run for x amount of miles and if that check engine problem still exists, the light will come back on. This is why it is not acceptable to clear it and pass it.
I do have a problem with this as far as inspections go. Inspections were designed for safety and are certainly a good thing for the other drivers on the road to know your vehicle is safe. Now most failures during an inspections are for emissions which are definitely not safety related.

This is true in Mass. I worked as a service adviser for Kelly Auto group. I think Dealerships may adhere to the regulations more strictly than independent garages. But the computer for emissions here is state owned and hooked in to the main network. Often a state tech would have to come repair/re-calibrate the computer when it was down. We would have to send customers to a local shop to be inspected in the meantime. If the check light was on, the vehicle would not pass and we would give the customer the code, the problem and a quote to repair it. Could be anything from a loose gas cap (emissions code) or any number of other engine management or exhaust codes. Once the repair was made, the code was cleared and the vehicle needed to be driven approx 50 miles for the on board computer to "ready" itself for re-inspection. If the light (code) did not return, the car would pass. Failed emissions was by far, the main reason for a failed sticker, not the safety part.

[Rusty]

I am the originator of this thread so I thought I would give you an update. I have been driving my car for over a year with a slight oil leak and it recently passed inspection with the same leak (different garage).
The technician that passed my car said it would take a mist of oil and not a drip to start a fire and the conditions would have to be just right to ignite it. He said that it is left up to the judgment of the technician as whether to pass it or not.
To me that sounds stupid but they can reject it if they want to. I fought it last year and won because the owner of the garage and not the technician was the one who gave me the OK sticker. I guess because I did all the research about the inspection checklist that the owner didn't want to get into an argument about it, so I won...that time anyway.

Here is a good article about resetting the "check engine light":
http://www.smogtips.com/check-engine...urn-on-off.cfm