Car Inspection
 

I had a problem with getting my car inspected in the Lakes Region. I do not want to reveal what garage it was but I thought it might help someone if they have the same problem.

Here is:

Yesterday I took my car to get it inspected and the mechanic said that it failed because there the valve and oil pan covers were leaking oil and was going onto the exhaust manifold. Also one front axle CV joint bearing was leaking.

I asked him what each one of these problems had to do with meeting the inspection criteria. He said that it was a fire hazard to have oil leaking on the exhaust manifold and that the front axle CV joint shouldn’t be leaking,
I then asked him where it said in the Safety inspection administrative rules that you couldn’t have an oil leak.
He said it’s a fire hazard and he wouldn’t put a sticker on it.
I said Ok give me an estimate as to how much this will cost me. He said he would work one up and let me know tomorrow (which is now today).
So I went on the internet and download the NH auto inspection procedure (saf-c 3200 OFFICIAL MOTOR VEHICLE INSPECTION REQUIREMENT) and read the thing from front to back. I could not find where checking for oil leaks was part of the inspection, so I called the NH safety division in Concord and asked them if an inspection station could reject my car for an oil leak. The guy said no they couldn’t because it’s not part of the inspection procedure. He said that the garage could tell you about it and recommend that I get it fixed but they couldn’t reject it for that. He said that there are a lot of things that need to be changed with the inspection procedure because some inspection stations use their own rules and don’t follow the procedure as it is written. He thanked me for that and said that he would bring the oil leak problem up at his next meeting.

I then went back to the station and told the owner what I had found out and he then told the mechanic to put a sticker on my car. No argument and explanation as to why they rejected it in the first place.

I got under my car and checked all three oil leaks and they were just minor wet areas around each one of them. The front axle CV joint bearing was more like water moisture than transmission fluid.

Also all of the fluid levels were OK so they couldn’t be leaking very much.

The manager didn't even know what saf-c 3200 OFFICIAL MOTOR VEHICLE INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS were.

http://des.nh.gov/organization/divis...appendix-v.pdf

http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rule...saf-c3200.html

You handled it right. My stepson is a mechanic and had a disagreement with the dealership where he bought his car. It took a printout from the reg.s and a return trip to settle that matter. Unfortunatly things got heated so he's not bringing his car back there for continued maintenance. lol.

If I were you I might consider a different shop too.

If you live in Maine then you can't have any oil leaks that will constitute a fire harzard.

This is what is states:

Reject vehicle if it leaks oil in an amount or in such a location as to
constitute a fire hazard.

16-222 Chapter 1 Section 170 page 9 of the below Inspection Manual:

http://www.maine.gov/dps/msp/license...n%20Manual.pdf

Inspection
 

I bought a used SUV from Autoserve three years ago. From the get go the check engine light was on. Code is 'General emission failure'. The first few months I would spend a day in the shop everytime the check engine light comes back on. I just don't have the time to run back and forth from the dealer, so they assure me as long as I own the vehicle they will make sure I will pass inspection. They also assure me that they would give me top trade in dollar if I should trade it in.
When I disconnect the battery, the CEL will be off for several thousand miles and it will light up again. So the dealer would disconnect the battery a week before inspection. It will pass inspection.
Yes, it is my fault I let them get away with it. I love my Jeep.

Have Autoserve buy you an OBDII Code Reader.

I had a vehicle that did the same thing and no matter what they did to fix it the CEL kept coming back on.
So I bought a INNOVA 3100 CAN/OBDII Code Reader for @ $100.00 at Wal-Mart. It has a feature that allows you to turn the CEL light off and that is what I did until I traded the car in. See YouTube video below.

Here is the tool that I have: http://www.amazon.com/INNOVA-3100-OB...=innova+obd+ii
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA300_.jpg

<iframe width="960" height="720" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qMDWyz5i6MU?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

You are a better person than me. I would let the name of the mechanic fly. Although, if the estimate came back 50 bucks or so to fix I'd think differently, that he was trying to help. If his estimate is a couple hundred or so he was trying to line his pockets. It's amazing that some people only think short-term and don't see the value of a life-long customer and repeat business.

For a few years around 2007-2010, I was driving a '99 beige Ford Contour that I bought on Craigslist from a police officer down southern NH for just $1500 which was a low price even for that. It had a manual transmission, plus the check engine light came on at about 110,000 miles and never shut off till it went to a junkyard at 175,000 miles. After looking at the check engine light for maybe a month, I came up with the bright idea to just cover it with a square piece of black tape, neatly cut to size with a scissors, and I never found out what problem the check engine light was indicating; but by 175k it had about 5 other mechanical problems, so I sold it off to Mitt Romney in Wolfeboro........ha-ha-ha ...:laugh: ..... sorry, couldn't resisit that remark......no it was sold for $75 to a salvage guy who hauled it away on a flat bed truck...... but one day over in Wolfeboro I think I saw Mitt out in a nice looking Cadillac.

And if you lived in Florida, you'd have cheered—when, with only emission-check exceptions for a few metro areas—Florida did away with all auto inspections. At the time, my car had just been rejected due to the horn being too loud. :rolleye1:

My assumption is that if you have a 1997 or newer vehicle and check engine light is on - you fail inspection. OBDII took effect in 1997.
All 1997 and newer vehicles are hooked up by computer to Concord.
If this information is incorrect then please state.

Also, if a shock absorber or strut is leaking - then that is a failure. If the shock is leaking then the shock or strut has failed or failing.

My personal vehicle is always an older vehicle. I am lucky to obtain cars in very good condition. I always make sure that if anything mechanical is worn out or broken I have it fixed.

Those with older cars. I was getting an inspection sticker a few years ago. I was speaking with the owner of shop and one of his competitors came in for a visit. As the sticker was being placed on my car the competitor friend asked my inspection guy how much he was charging me for repairs. Nothing was the answer. Then the competitor friend stated that he never lets any older car come to his shop for inspection without at least $250.00 in repairs. Joking? Could have been. But he stated with a straight face.

OBDII vehicles must be connected to Concord computer to get a sticker. But I learned a long time ago to hold onto the registration. If I go to a place that I do not know the mechanic I do not provide the registration. I then ask for a mechanical inspection and agree to pay for this. If it fails I ask what is wrong. If the repair sounds or looks legitimate and the price is reasonable then I will get fixed there or take to another shop. After car passes inspection then I provide the registration. It used to be that if a car failed that failure was written on the back of the registration. So that you could not take car and registration to another shop as that shop would just read the back of the registration and see what the other shop had failed. Not sure how that works today with the newer type registration form.

All boils down to the fact that all should find an honest good local mechanic and to get routine oil changes and such to build up a relationship with this local mechanic. We are lucky in this part of the country having local mechanic shops. The newer major cities such as Phoenix mostly have the chain franchise repair shops. Those places make their money replacing parts whether needed or not. Same holds true for the new car dealers for the most part.

And I still can't figure out folks with older cars and trucks that don't get their vehicle oil undercoated every year. I see rust buckets at repair shop with people pouring lots of money into these rust buckets to keep them going.

songkrai,

As a result of the federal Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, newer more advanced OBD systems, known as OBD II, were built into all vehicles manufactured starting in 1996. OBD II systems monitor vehicle conditions and components that are related to vehicle emissions, such as the catalyst in the catalytic converter, engine misfire, the engine coolant temperature, and the oxygen sensor.

Therefore, beginning in 2005, as required by the federal Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, New Hampshire's annual vehicle safety inspection will include a test of the OBD II system on all 1996 and newer passenger cars and light duty trucks.

If a shock absorber or strut is leaking, your vehicle will fail inspection.

If your car fails inspection, the reasons will be printed out on the emissions test report. It will stay on that report until the problems are fixed.

http://des.nh.gov/organization/divis...sp/onboard.htm

Apologize if off one year.
1997 may be the year that the new title rules took effect. I think in NH they do not title any motor vehicle if it is over 15 years old. I think it is a rolling 15 years. If wrong on this one please correct. All must have something to do with budget cuts in Concord. I find it odd that NH does not require a title for anything over 15 years. Those with antique and classic cars just makes paperwork a tad more difficult when selling to a title state. NH does not even allow to pay extra for a title if one asks for any vehicle over 15 years age.

Title laws vary greatly state to state. I once purchased a used vehicle online from Ohio. I went to pick up and the dealer demanded that I obtain an Ohio title. I had to go to the Ohio DMV and have an Ohio title created for that used car and the Ohio title had my NH address on it.

But this post is about vehicle inspections in NH. Don't wish to digress too much.

I'm not sure that holding onto the registration matters much any more...if the vehicle fails, the fail is reported via computer to the DMV. That fail will show up on the next shop's computer when they plug it in and contact DMV, regardless of what is/isn't written on the registration.

Although resetting the check engine light using a scan tool works to hide the obvious evidence...you have to put some minimum amount of driving time on the car before there will be valid results for the DMV computer to read. There are some number (7?) of common items that the computer checks. Each value can be "good", "bad", or "not ready." If you drive to the inspection station and reset the light in the parking lot, the light will be off, but it won't have enough valid history data, so it won't pass.

NJ Inspection
 

Fifty years ago, New Jersey had State Run inspection stations. (Maybe they still do..?) The State performed the inspection in their own facility's.

There was NO Incentive for the facility to FAIL you to line their pockets.

Any repairs required were done by an outside repair shop of your choice. I'm not a big government person at all..BUT I think this method would keep the repair shops a little more honest. :look: NB

That's why I send my wife to get her car inspection done at Jiffy Lube. They don't do any repairs, so they have no incentive to fail her. Even in this day and age mechanics will try to fool a woman into extra repairs. Obviously they try to fool men as well but it seems like they are more brazen with women.

At Jiffy Lube I always tell them, I just changed the air filter, don't bother pulling it out. I'm not going to buy a new one. They still do it.

Up-selling is an important part of their income. This season I'm getting a "No, I don't want a service plan" button to wear when I Christmas shop.

Cel
 

Had the CEL go on, on my 2004 Jeep V8 Grand Cherokee. To get the code on a jeep, (maybe all cars?) all you need to do is cycle the ignition on and off 3 times. After the 3rd time the code will pop up in place of the odometer. E0308 was what came up. I looked up the code online and it was misfire on #8cylinder.

I called the Jeep Dealer (Mariano in Concord) where I bought the Jeep (used) and they had me bring it in. Turned out to be a blown head gasket. Because I had bought the extended warranty, the cost of repair to me was the $100 deductible. They even covered a Hertz rental for 5 days while they tore down the engine and rebuilt the head.

Sometimes the extended warranty is a GREAT Deal. :):)

Agreed.
My point is for the visual mechanical inspection. Not the computer part.

Many with older vehicles can have issues develop that may or may not be based in fact. Brakes, shocks, etc.

So if in doubt don't have the computer hooked up until the visual stuff is viewed. If in doubt just pay for the visual inspection and drive away and obtain a 2nd opinion.

Granted most places are completely honest. So none of this applies.

Sadly, there are still some unscrupulous places around and some will end up having their Mulligan pins, Murphy pins, Donut ring bushings, Exhaust overflow sensor and many other items replaced for real money.

In my younger days always trusting most everyone I had the rear coil springs replaced on my car. The big box mechanic told me that they were "worn". I bit. I paid for new springs. I took the old ones home with box. I telephoned the manufacturer of the springs and I spoke with one of the engineers. And with some technical talk the bottom line was that springs either work or break. To test coil springs a repair place would need a very expensive compression machine - that no repair place has. Mine were not broken. Not even rusty looking. All were same length new and replacements. I just fell for the story of mechanic at the big box repair place. Is this a common or uncommon story?

Folks with newer cars and trucks rarely run across issues.

If you ever need a muffler bearing...you can get one here :D:D

http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main...index&cPath=12

Thanks patman, a mystery has been solved for me. :D

I think I got some of their Spark Plugs put in my car a while back.

Here is what they say about how their plugs work:

Spark plugs are often misunderstood by most people. A spark plug's name is quite literal. They are designed to plug the line - and suppress any spark that may come through. Of course, you know what happens if a spark finds an open fuel source!! That could get ugly! KaleCoAuto extra retardant plugs block 99% of spark, and allow 95% of ignition molecules to pass through. That's 25% more than the competition, and unlike the competition, KaleCoAuto plugs never need cleaning.

This site is hilarious! Someone has a lot of time on their hands; although I guess that they're making money from the sponsorships!

CEL can be anything or nothing. If it's comes up just after your odometer has passed a solid point like 20,000 40,000 100,000 etc... It's probably the scheduled maintenace reminder.

Otherwise you could be in trouble but check/change the gas cap. If the light doesn't go out after a few days and maybe half-dozens start-ups then it's something else but that's the most common reason for that light to come on.

My wife has an older car 2001 honda acoord ,runs great but check engine light is on.I went to get sticker in mass and asked if that was an automatic fail and was told yes. I asked him what he would do if it was his car. He told me go home disconnect battery and come back.

I went home disconnected it went back maybe 7-8 mile ride got sticker.
light came back on next day .

not always a good idea
 

There is a problem with that though. The check engine light comes on for many different things, some of which can cause more problems down the road if left unchecked.

Steve:

Obviously, an extended warranty can come in handy in instances such as yours. However, these programs are designed to be big money makers for the manufacturers so the odds are not in the consumers' favor. Hence, JRC's comment.

It can also be trivial things such as loose gas cap, oxygen sensor. The car owes me nothing and runs great.

Yup you are right as is my Xterra, but it would really $uck to break down on one of my 4.5 hour drives up to Maine on a cold snowy night.:eek:
Cause you know if somethings going to happen it isn't likely to be in your driveway on a nice sunny day. :coolsm:
Yes it COULD be a gas cap, but you know as well as I a gas cap is doubtful.
Guess we look at safety differently, to each their own. :cool:

I read the first couple posts and didn't bother finishing so excuse me if the name was given. My point is why bother with this post if you do not let people know what station this occured?

Agree
 

I agree, especially one that so blatantly tried to keep you from getting your car inspected by trumping up false problems.

That is a valid question to ask.

My objective in posting this was to possibly educate some viewers about the NH auto inspection procedure (safe-c 3200 OFFICIAL MOTOR VEHICLE INSPECTION REQUIREMENT).

As I said in my original post: "I then went back to the station and told the owner what I had found out and he then told the mechanic to put a sticker on my car. No argument and explanation as to why they rejected it in the first place."

The owner of the business took the proper corrective action to satisfy a customer so I don't have any hard feelings toward him. The owner has to take the word of his employees and if the customer doesn't complain, then he won't get involved.

I must note that if my car was dripping oil on the exhaust sytem then I would want them to tell me because that is a safety problem even though the procedure doesn't say that. However it wasn't doing that and was only slighting damp with oil around the gaskets and axle bearing.

Well that's one spin to put on it personally I don't agree. The owner knew what was going on and was caught by someone who gave a damn to follow up plain and simple. Did it ever occur to you that's why the sticker was put on so easily without any argument? If the mechanic felt there was a legitimate issue he/she should not (and doesn't have to) put the sticker on the car as it's their reputation and certification in jeopardy. That's the spin I put on the outcome.

I'll make one point
 

Inspections were initially required for safety, which is a good thing. It has evolved more to an environmental issue which may or may not have merit with regards to sensors.

cars that are more than 10 years old.
 

After talking with various folks in the motor trade and googling the web, cars that are or approaching 10 years of age and built after 1996 have mega problems with emissions let alone check engine light on. Yet the laws do not take into consideration vehicle's age. Most folks end up with salvaging a perfectly good car because it fails emission test. Or better yet ship the car to a state like Florida that do not have annual inspections. Will this will become a major problem as the years go by?

Maybe DC Santa will rejuvenate a CEL bill similar to the clunker bill to help pay for their foolishness.

I guess we do

My wifes 2005 Camry has been displayning the light for FIVE years. When I go for inspection... I PULL the battery cable the night before. Total Memory Loss. The next day the car passes Inspection. A day or two later the light comes ON again. I bought a very nice scanner and scanned. The problem is one of a FEW Possible problems related to .."Evaperative Emmisions."

The car runs fine and the gas mileage is fine. Just my experience..:look: NB

www.autoservnh.com has a $9.95 complete NH state inspection coupon on page 9 of the lastest, Nov 20, Pennysaver which is a Plymouth based classified ad rag. It says $9.95 complete NH state inspection in Tilton, Laconia or Plymouth and an appointment is required.......reg price $49.95......is what it says.....and it is good through Nov 30, 2012.

And chances are you will not get out of there without something failing.
IMHO Autoserve and Irwin Zone are two of the worst dealerships for service and honesty in the lakes region.
Your best bet I've found is a good local garage, many of which have been commented on around the lakes region in previous posts.
The old saying if it is to good to be true it probably is might apply here.

Oil Leak on exhaust- different answer from NH DMV
 

I just wrote the following to my Senator:
I am writing to you as a citizen of Derry, NH. I was told to contact my legislature if I was unsatisfied the answer I received from the Division of Motor Vehicles and Inspections in Concord at 603-227-4120.

I have a vehicle that was rejected for state inspection for "leaking fumes". The vehicle has no measured odor. It has no visible leaking fumes. It leaks or burns less than 0.8 quarts of oil every 15,000 miles. It does have oil stains on the exhaust.

I asked the experts in Concord what the scientific standard was for rejection for "leaking fumes" due to an oil leak on the exhaust.
I was told the standard was vague and I was welcome to go to another inspection station and that other station could pass it. I was also told that any sized oil stain was allowed by the state as reason for rejection for leaking fumes- even if no odors or visible fumes are evident but others stations are allowed to use odor or visible fumes standards if they choose.

I think this interpretation of only oil stains of any size are necessary to classify as leaking fumes is not likely the intent of the legislation. I would appreciate if you could clarify the intent of the legislation.

In my case, I was told to correct this very minor leak would cost approximately one thousand dollars.

Thank you for your time.

Disclaimer- I own a motorcycle repair shop in the lakes region, I am a state inspection station.

I can tell you state inspections are a 50/50 mix of catching safety issues and enforcing state vehicle codes, some of which have nothing to do with safety.

I do not do autos so some of what I know may be false so do your own homework it is all on line for anyone to read the RSA's.

If you fail a inspection for emissions or other the shop is SUPPOSED to report you to the state. If the repairs are not completed within so many days the state is supposed to come and take your license plates......really.
I do not know of any shop that has done this, but they are all supposed to. crazy .

Buying a scanner is a good idea because they are cheap and though they will not fix your car some times they can fix a light that is on. A loose gas cap can cause the emissions light to go on after it is on you need to drive so many miles for it to shut off a scanner would allow you to turn it off and then see if it comes back.

A mechanic is usually getting no benefit by failing you, though they might fire them if they pass unsafe cars so keep that in mind. A shop makes little money on inspections if they find nothing wrong. being an inspection station is almost a franchise of the state. Car shops have to pay a monthly lease for that computer system the state forces them to use. Nothing to do with safety.

I was at a state run inspection school not to long ago where the state inspection officers did not even know the state inspection laws they were attempting to teach us. If it is as bad on the auto side the shops may have good reason to not know the laws. I have had questionable judgement calls where I needed to call the state to get clarification it is not a bad thing to do.

I also know of shops that have been set up by the state with a sting operation because they are always on the lookout for shops that will let things slide. This can amount to a $3000.00 fine for both the shop and the mechanic all for a inspection charging what $45 ? when in doubt many will fail just to cover their butts.

Not good on either side. There are vehicles I see that are a danger to the owner and others and that's what inspections should be about. Now it is about being green and making money.

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. :D

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 :emb:

On board computer
 

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.

Continuing saga
 

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.

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. :D Cheers: NB

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.

Mass inspection
 

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.

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

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.

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.