We don't have any equivalent of that $450 (it was the kind of thing I meant in my previous post).

They don't force you to scrap a car. But if it doesn't pass it can't be used on public roads.

The emissions are tested as per year of make, same as with you. Old enough cars have wider limits and very old cars have almost no limit (I think it's likely a "gross smoke" test).

I expect there are a few wrong fails (milliions of tests = some mistakes), but, other than those, cars are not failed for a few bits of rust. If they point to or are failures of safety-related items (strut mountings, seat mounts, etc) then they are failed and, frankly, really they ought to be. If you've heard otherwise, sorry but I think someone's exaggerated to the point of stupidity. There are urban myths, such as that leapers are not legal, but they are myths.

 

None of that was ever tested here.

Our safety inspection consisted of:

Proper operation of headlamps and exterior lighting - all bulbs intact (and legal - you would fail for clear corner lamps and or smoked lenses etc)

Tire wear and alignment (based on tracking - car was driven on a test device)

Tires extending past the fenderwells - popular with the 4x4 set.

Operational horn

Broken / cracked windshields or other glass

Operation of windshield wipers and washer

Installation of illegal equipment - window tints on the front windows / windscreen, tv's within the drivers view etc.

Brake operation, - they accelerated the car and stopped on a machine that reported each wheel's brake force.

Exhaust modifications - removal of catalytic converters, and decibel level of exhaust.

Emergency / parking brake - will it stop the car from a roll

Another "safety" violation was anything hanging from the rear view mirror - air freshener, religious emblem, anything. It was considered a visual obstruction to the driver.

Plus the still existent emissions testing atop that.

No in the car test of seat mounts, or strut towers or anything of that sort, or of suspension components at all. All in all, I don't think he was trying to imply that the UK failed cars unfairly based on it's own standards, but that the UK test was much more comprehensive, and that alot of the cars on US roads wouldn't be able to pass it.

Hope this clears things up.

George

 

Yep, suspension stuff (excess movement in bushes etc) is all tested. Windscreens must be sound, etc. (You can hang stuff off the mirror, but why?)

 

Hey Jon, today when the talking gas gauge spoke, I drove Joyces Jag to the fill station and noticed a slight squeel on the rear's. I haven't checked them in several months, but we just hit abit over 57k on the originals. Since tomorrow looks like a "snow day", I might check em' out and depending if anyone is open, I will get busy.

 

Yea, I heard that Jersey got rid of full vehicle inspection... I used to hate it until I moved to Ohio... You wouldn't believe the dangerous junk that is allowed to drive on public roads. Now, looks like Jersey is going to be the same....

Honestly, I really believe that there should be mandatory MOT type inspections. So many people drive hunks that are just plain dangerous. Those same morons follow me at 80 down the highway.. Thank goodness they are normally behind me..Just an accident waiting to happen..And it impacting the "collector vehicle" market is a bunch of bunk..Collectors don't drive junk. If anything, an "unsafe" car being taken off the road kills it's value making it cheaper for someone to pick up and restore. It also makes for more parts showing up in junk yards, again helping the hobby.

 

The MoT sounds very similar to Pennsylvania's annual state inspection. It is not taken lightly in this state at all. Everything is checked over including suspension mounts and other assorted goodies. I had to replace a drag link on my Rover to pass this year, it was worn but not broken.

Older vehicles get the emissions "sniffer" test with a device stuck in the exhaust. Newer vehicles use the OBDII port. Emissions results are recorded in a computer that sends the results directly to the State - very hard to sneak around an emissions test.

Surface rust is mostly allowed, but any structural rust or holes will fail. My brother in law's Jeep failed because he had a seperate switch for his aftermarket fog lights, he didn't wire them into the low beams.

Like anything else, some shops are extremely picky, others mostly slap a sticker and go after a cursory once over. Combined inspection and emissions cost is usually around $70.

I know several people who keep cars registered in Ohio (about 30 minutes from here) with a relative's address to avoid inspection all together. JOsworth is correct, the rolling scrap you see on an Ohio road is incredible. 2x4 wooden bumpers, missing body panels, etc are not all that uncommon.

 

Rick,

I wouldn't be surprised if Joyce's rear pads are about to give up the ghost at just over 57,000 miles. I expect to be changing Jan's at the next oil & filter interval (60,000 miles). Keep us posted on whether you indeed have to change them, what pads you choose, and how easy the job turns out to be....

 

Cops here in suburban areas love to bust chops for equiment violations. So stuff like that wouldn't fly here. In the "urban" areas things are a little more lax, but that's not where you see stuff like that.

There used to be a bustling business "selling" inspection stickers in NJ years ago when everything was on a tailpipe test. They would scan your registration and then hook up a known good vehicle to the tailpipe test. PA is all private right?? PA sounds nuts, especially if it's all run by private shops, seems like too much discretion there.

By removing safety inspections they once again screwed the private shops. 6 years ago they went to a dyno based tailpipe test. They forced the shops that wanted to keep private inspection (which had to compete with free state run inspection stations), to spend about 80k for all the equipment. Then they propmtly switched to the OBDII test 3 years later, and made the dyno obsolete. Since the only people that would generally seek out private inspections were the ones who were hoping to slide something through, most of the shops played fast and loose with the rules. So they sent out an army of under cover DMV inspectors, to try to bust them. They would come in with cars with tires barely at the wear mark, and other obscure violations to try to see who would pass them, and then promptly pull their licenses and fine the shop.

Now the private inspection stations are in a state of limbo again, because the state hasn't licensed them as "emissions testing facilities", which will require a new license, application and fee of course.

They are also REALLY cracking down on out of state tags here, especially ones that live here, not because of dodging inspection, but the state considers it insurance fraud. Our insurance rates are still ridiculous, even though the press has died down about it. I had an issue a while ago with that.

My family owns a home in FL. So, as a younger driver at the time, I didn't feel like paying NJ insurance rates for the BMW M3 I was driving at the time. The state of FL was MORE than accomodating at that time. Not only would they allow you to register / insure cars in their state, they would also issue you a 2nd FL Driver's License while allowing you to keep your NJ, however the FL license was marked "Valid in FL only". I was involved in an accident that wasn't my fault, and presented valid FL registration and insurance, and a valid NJDL. The cop went ballistic for whatever reason, and started writing failure to register vehicle tickets and all sorts of stuff. I had to go to court and the judge basically said I had to pay a fine, and he wanted proof of NJ registration and ins within 14 days or he was going to refer the case to the prosecutors office for insurance fraud.
I believe they have since done away with the valid in FL only licenses.

Take care,

George

 

I'm hazy about why our MoT test came in but what I heard was that, before it did, parts would fall off badly-maintained cars and other cars hit them. Not funny on the motorway (our hwy) at 100mph+ (originally there was no limit) or even 70mph (current limit). Windscreens (shields) were not laminated glass then, either!

 

It's amazing how we end up going from one extreme to the other... That must have been crazy. The only experience besides my friends description of the MOT is some references to it on Wheeler Dealers (another uk show we get) where they start describing arbitrary flaws in the cars and are like and that is an MoT failure, and being from here im like really??

Take care,

George

 

It's the same everywhere, really - people pick out the silly stuff. True of many TV programs. I'm sure there IS some silly stuff, like marginal emissions failures ending up in a low value car being scrapped thus causing huge emissions in a new car being made. But generally I approve of the MoT much as I hate the fear of failure and potential cost.

 

Yes, PA is all private inspections stations, there are not any State run facilities for the consumer.

I'm ok with having the inspections, I think they do help keep a minimum level of safety on the roads. The things that get me are that some counties have emissions tests (urban - Pittsburgh, Philly, etc) while rural counties do not. They just have a visual look to see if you have a cat and a gas cap. No sniffer or OBD. So I guess emissions gasses just stop at the county line then right? LOL...

 

Installed new pads and rotors on the rear of the '05 today. Here's a shot of the take-offs alongside the new. Naturally....the way I photographed it.....pads on the left are from the right side, those on the right came from the left.

50,160 miles on them....unless they were changed in the first 25K or so, not likely as the fronts hadn't been....

 

Funny thing is, you probably still had about 1/4 pad left... That tells you how little work the rear brakes do relative to the fronts...

Take care,

George

 

Yeah....meant to put in prev. post that I measured a min. of 3/16" and max of 1/4" remaining pad mat'l between all 4 pcs. Nonetheless.....the one owning and driving the car was (squealing) that her brakes were squealing....did the fronts over a year ago, had pads and rotors on-hand from then, so I changed 'em...stops are straight and true with no noise (wasn't much noise before-hand, if I'd be honest, save that coming from the cockpit :-))

 

I think our car's rear factory pads may indeed do 60,000 miles. About 55,500 miles on the car today. So we'll see. Some owners have reported the need to change their rear factory pads prior to their front factory pads, which really surprises me knowing how soft and incredibly messy the front factory pads are....

 

When I hear that I think dragging rear parking brake...

Just like the STR's with their separate parking brake pads / calipers. In theory if the EBP is only enabled in park, how do those pads EVER wear out?

Take care,

George

 

Agreed!