Virginia State Vehicle Inspection; How Strict?

[cpayne5]

Originally Posted By: thastinger
Well, it is a safety inspection so the focus is on safety of the vehicle. They check ball joints, bearings, lug nuts, brake condition, headlights, defroster, wipers and the exhaust can't have any leaks in it. The windshield can be cracked all the way across so long as it isn't in the driver's field of view. There is a limit on window tint if you have that in your car.


I don't believe they can fail you for that (couldn't find with a quick search of the manual) during an inspection, but some officers do have devices that can check the level of tint and will write a ticket if they go that length and the tint is out of spec.

 

[TinyVoices]

Originally Posted By: cpayne5
Originally Posted By: Astro14
Originally Posted By: cpayne5
What part of VA, Bottom_Feeder?


He's in "occupied Virginia" which = Northern Virginia...

No state emissions inspection, by the way, it's a beltway thing, but there is a safety inspection everywhere.

I'm actually a fan. I saw so many hopeless, dangerous heaps on the road in Colorado (tire cord flapping as the car passed me doing 80, just to name one) that had to pass emissions inspections (my lungs thank you, but my heirs might want to sue) but didn't belong on the road that I am a fan of State safety inspections (capped at $17 or whatever it is this year) to reduce the danger that morons pose to others.

Driving is not a right...


I would agree with you if the inspections were thorough and consistent (and I believe good intentions exist with the law), but they aren't. An inspector failed me last year because my windshield wiper was 1/8" too long and rubbed the windshield frame upon completion of it's downward stroke. 95% of the other items in the inspection manual were ignored. "rusty frame? who cares - no time to check - only making $16 on this. Bad brakes? eh, it'll stop eventually. Windshield wiper rubbing the trim? OH MY GOD, GET THAT CAR OFF THE ROAD!". I don't know his motives, but I suspect it had something to do with the overpriced wipers he had hanging on his wall.

My story is anecdotal, but it's a good example of what's wrong with the inspection process in Virginia.

Maybe do inspections once every two years and allow the shops to charge $75. That would compensate them properly for what they're supposed to be doing now (but don't). A thorough inspection every other year is better than a half hearted one every year.


MD does the wiper scam. They fail you for "worn blades" every time to get you to replace them at their shop at shop cost.

 

[bbhero]

Yeah that's pretty dumb cpayne. One thing of note here is that you can always downsize your wiper blade. My car calls for a 28 inch left side blade. It's way long and it is not necessary in my opinion. I get a 26 inch blade that is just fine. I may even go down to a 24 inch blade.

 

[cpayne5]

Originally Posted By: bbhero
Yeah that's pretty dumb cpayne. One thing of note here is that you can always downsize your wiper blade. My car calls for a 28 inch left side blade. It's way long and it is not necessary in my opinion. I get a 26 inch blade that is just fine. I may even go down to a 24 inch blade.


Yeah. This same guy passed the same wiper the year before (and I think the year before that!).

My fix was pulling the wiper arm off, rotating it a couple teeth on its post and reinstalling. Basically, I just adjusted it so the wiper didn't go as far down in its resting state. It stops about 1/8" from the trim now.

 

[willbur]

What gets me about the process is that the same shop can fail a car and then charge to repair it. [/quote]

Classic conflict of interest. NJ used to have state inspection stations where the state inspectors had absolutely no financial interest in your car passing or not. This is the best way to do it. But now there are no safety inspections of any kind in NJ.

Be happy you don't live in super strict Japan where (last I heard) your car is just about torn apart for an inspection. Rather than deal with this, many ppl just buy a new car at 3 years. These used cars are shipped to Russia, etc. for resale. Besides the new car sales, Japans auto industry benefits because the engineers get an early idea of car quality and can implement improvements quickly. This may contribute to the (perceived) Japanese car quality because bugs are spotted early and worked out in Japan before a "new" model is introduced overseas. Essentially, their owners are the field testers.

 

[CR94]

Originally Posted By: loneryder
... During annual inspection they will remove a wheel to check brakes, ...
... and grossly misadjust (too tight) the wheel bearing when they put the wheel back on. That's my most outstanding memory of Virgina inspections. That happened two years in a row, at two different shops near Richmond. Sometimes they find actual problems, but that doesn't excuse abusing the customer's car.

 

[Tim_S]

When you said your vehicle is emissions exempt, that doesn't apply here in N. Va. Your 1993 MR2 qualifies to be registered as a historical vehicle and to display those plates, BUT, if registered as such, it must pass an initial safety inspection one time, and then, the vehicle is mileage restricted per year, can't be driven at night, and can't be used for commuting. If you don't register it as historical, and opt for normal VA registration, the car will be subject to emissions testing every 2 years and safety every year.
As a few have stated, the thoroughness of the inspection depends totally on the inspector. Some are picky, some look at very little. The emissions test for OB2 equipped vehicles consists of a visual inspection of components (does the vehicle have a cat-con, is the PVC connected, etc) and connecting to the OB2 connector to see if all readiness codes are green. If the vehicle is not OB2, then stations still use the exhaust sniffer to check for levels of CO and hydrocarbon limits for the year vehicle.
An aftermarket exhaust is not an issue unless catalytic converters have been removed. If it's cat-back, no issues. They've even gotten strict in N. Va on HD diesel trucks, which are safety only, BUT the safety inspection still has a block check for all emissions equipment installed and working. Newer, DPF equipped diesels have squeaky clean exhaust pipes when stock, and if one is soot covered, it will fail.

 

[TinyVoices]

Originally Posted By: Tim_S
When you said your vehicle is emissions exempt, that doesn't apply here in N. Va. Your 1993 MR2 qualifies to be registered as a historical vehicle and to display those plates, BUT, if registered as such, it must pass an initial safety inspection one time, and then, the vehicle is mileage restricted per year, can't be driven at night, and can't be used for commuting. If you don't register it as historical, and opt for normal VA registration, the car will be subject to emissions testing every 2 years and safety every year.
As a few have stated, the thoroughness of the inspection depends totally on the inspector. Some are picky, some look at very little. The emissions test for OB2 equipped vehicles consists of a visual inspection of components (does the vehicle have a cat-con, is the PVC connected, etc) and connecting to the OB2 connector to see if all readiness codes are green. If the vehicle is not OB2, then stations still use the exhaust sniffer to check for levels of CO and hydrocarbon limits for the year vehicle.
An aftermarket exhaust is not an issue unless catalytic converters have been removed. If it's cat-back, no issues. They've even gotten strict in N. Va on HD diesel trucks, which are safety only, BUT the safety inspection still has a block check for all emissions equipment installed and working. Newer, DPF equipped diesels have squeaky clean exhaust pipes when stock, and if one is soot covered, it will fail.


My concern is less about passing emissions (I know I will pass) and more about cops giving out tickets for aftermarket exhausts citing a law that basically states any modified exhaust is illegal. I've great hundreds of accounts of this happening and not being able to fight the tickets.

 

[Tim_S]

Aftermarket exhausts, if cat back are not an issue. As you can see from my signature, we have two "performance" vehicles, both have aftermarket exhausts. The Subaru Sti has a turbo-back aftermarket exhaust, with catalytic converter and has not had an issue. The Boss 302 has a cat-back Magnaflow 3" exhaust, with X-pipe and relatively loud mufflers. The Boss also has factory stock side exhaust, from which I've removed the restrictors. No issues at inspection, or from police whom I've passed while on the loud pedal (though not crazily). I've not heard of any incidents in N Va of the type you cited, and I've lived here since 1992.
There are plenty of cars which sound like they are straight piped, no mufflers of any kind, including some 1/2 ton pickups, and the cops leave them alone.
Now I absolutely can't say what you described hasn't happened here, but I've not heard of it. Now if one roars past a slower, or stopped police car with a very loud vehicle at full throttle, can't say what would happen.
The MR2 is a neat little sports car. If yours is a little loud, unless it's obnoxious, it will be overshadowed by all the super loud, lowered ricer

 

[Silverado12]

Originally Posted By: Tim_S
Aftermarket exhausts, if cat back are not an issue. As you can see from my signature, we have two "performance" vehicles, both have aftermarket exhausts. The Subaru Sti has a turbo-back aftermarket exhaust, with catalytic converter and has not had an issue. The Boss 302 has a cat-back Magnaflow 3" exhaust, with X-pipe and relatively loud mufflers. The Boss also has factory stock side exhaust, from which I've removed the restrictors. No issues at inspection, or from police whom I've passed while on the loud pedal (though not crazily). I've not heard of any incidents in N Va of the type you cited, and I've lived here since 1992.
There are plenty of cars which sound like they are straight piped, no mufflers of any kind, including some 1/2 ton pickups, and the cops leave them alone.
Now I absolutely can't say what you described hasn't happened here, but I've not heard of it. Now if one roars past a slower, or stopped police car with a very loud vehicle at full throttle, can't say what would happen.
The MR2 is a neat little sports car. If yours is a little loud, unless it's obnoxious, it will be overshadowed by all the super loud, lowered ricer


Yes, very true. Loud exhausts aren't an issue here either. I have Flowmasters on my Mustang and the Challenger is getting ready to have mid-mufflers delete. I will leave the back resonators on to stop annoying drone.