Inspection laws, PA

I need to get my hands on a copy of the PA safety inspection code. Anyone know how? I've already hit a couple shops, searched the webz, asked at AAA, and called the DOT.

I'm so tired of building a kick-ass custom car only to have PA deny me inspection because of some nebulous rule that they can't prove exists. They have an inspection manual but 99.9999999% of what they see is bone-stock appliances. All they have to do is check brakes, tires, and lights and they forget about the other 6000 rules in the book.

A couple years ago I took my 66 Bonneville in. I had fabricated lower trailing arms for the rear and some upper control arms for the front. Nice work if I say so myself. Of course it wouldn't pass because they were home-made. I went home, ground down the welds, filleted them in with Bondo, and slapped some Edelbrock stickers on them. Went back two days later and got my inspection sticker. The same tech commented, "I didn't know ELDERbrock made suspension parts..." Idiots.

http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/inspections/pub_45.shtml

http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/pdotforms/pub_45/SubchapterK.pdf

Give these a read:

PA Vehicle Inspection and Equipment Regulations

Subchapter E - Passenger cars and light trucks.

Subchapter K - Street Rods, Specially Constructed And Reconstructed Vehicles

curtis73 wrote: A couple years ago I took my 66 Bonneville in. I had fabricated lower trailing arms for the rear and some upper control arms for the front. Nice work if I say so myself. Of course it wouldn't pass because they were home-made. I went home, ground down the welds, filleted them in with Bondo, and slapped some Edelbrock stickers on them. Went back two days later and got my inspection sticker. The same tech commented, "I didn't know ELDERbrock made suspension parts..." Idiots.

10 internets for that one......

IDK much, my only dealing with them was attempting to drive my '95 sho back from pittsburg after I bought it.......they didn't like the fact it was trailing a bit of an oil cloud(stupid VC gasket), and really were pissed at the fact it had valid PA plates/registration, yet the inspection sticker was 6 years past due..... Needless to say, I found a uhaul that would take cash to rent a dolly, and then towed it the rest of the way back to Indy. They're berkeleytards, beauty of being in Pennsylvania.

Inspections suck. I of the few nice things about MI is that we don't have them.

Pennsylvania MV inspections are a scam and a racket. I've been a PA resident for about 12 years. I've given up on finding an honest inspection shop. I have found a shaddy one with terms that I can live with.

Seriously, if you don't know that (some) SAAB 900s have the P-brake on the front wheels, you have no business inspecting that car, let alone failing it to because you're clueless. I could cite more examples, I'm sure all the other PA residents that frequent this forum know exactly the frustration that I've experienced.

PA resident my entire life. Andy's right on track. Find a shop with terms you can live with, or just go without stickers...

also it matters how you have the car registered because the inspection changes on say a classic plate than a normal plate or a street rod plate. i dont know what they are not passing you car for this time but i never have a problem with them. you should of been in Pa when it was every 6 months. i think inspections are a good thing i cant imagine what is on the roads of states that dont have them

In reply to cutter67:

Rusted out hulks driven by people who lack licenses, valid plates, and insurance......otherwise, we don't really have any issues. Just one less hoop we must jump through. Then again, one of my 4 cars has catalyst, all 4 are modified, and one would be declared a "Rolling Disaster Zone" if I ever were to be stopped in PA(teh bimmer).

Basically, without inspections, sure you run the risk of people not maintaining E36 M3......but its one less thing the government controls. I'd love to see some solid proof that inspections do indeed help prevent accidents.

does it help make the roads safer how can it not is all i am saying

part of a article wrote on the subject

At the time the district was considering scrapping the program, AAA Mid-Atlantic, which covers Washington as well as Pennsylvania, took a dim view of the proposal. AAA said in a March 2009 statement that the cancellation came at a time when cash-strapped motorists were already looking for a way to cut expenses. AAA expressed fears that the cancellation could end up with more unsafe vehicles on the road. According to AAA, in Washington, some 35 percent of inspected vehicles failed in 2008.

The club called the scrapping of the inspection system short sighted.

In New Jersey, Martinez of the Motor Vehicle Commission, told the state Assembly that of the 1.9 million of initial vehicle inspections, 6 percent are rejected "due to more serious mechanical defects related to brakes, steering, suspension or tires."

That would mean some 114,000 vehicles would fail the inspection. Asked how the state intended to cope with those types of vehicles, commission spokesman Michael Horan said it will still run so-called mobile inspection teams. The teams flag down a small number of random vehicles, he said. Police, who are part of the teams, can issue citations if they decide a motorist is driving an unsafe vehicle.

"It should not be the state responsibility to tell you to go get your car fixed," he said. "It is your responsibility to keep that car up."

He said that when it comes to accidents, "It always comes down to driver error."

The Cambridge study reaches a different conclusion. It says that not only does the state’s inspection program reduce fatal crashes and saves lives in the state, but that inspection programs nationally "appear to be a significant factor in lowering fatal crashes."

The report notes that the reduction in fatal crashes is particularly noticeable in vehicles that are more than 3 years old.

A study in Missouri, which requires inspections, tends to buttress the Pennsylvania study. Based on 2006-2008 fatal accident figures, one in 120 fatal crashes in Missouri involved a vehicle defect, compared with one in 84 in states that don’t require inspections, or have limited inspections.

Bill Watkins, assistant director of the Missouri Highway Patrol vehicle inspection division, said, however, that he is "very" apprehensive about changes in the state’s inspection program imposed by the state legislature.

Traditionally, he said, the state had annual inspections. In 2000, that changed to every other year. Starting in 2010, though, the law now exempts newer cars from inspection. Inspectors will get their first look at vehicles when they become 6 years old.

"It is going to allow a lot of vehicles that are in need of repairs to continue to operate on the highways,"

cutter67 wrote: "It should not be the state responsibility to tell you to go get your car fixed," he said. "It is your responsibility to keep that car up." He said that when it comes to accidents, "It always comes down to driver error."

I agree with this right here......and thats scary I agree with something said from Jersey....

I still see it as not so much of an issue and more of a cash cow.....we don't have inspection here, and rarely hear about worn items failing causing fatal crashes. Granted, the most worn items here are tires it seems. I'll categorize this under the "Due to lack of common sense, the Gov't has to step in" file in the book I'll eventually right titled "The Demise of Society".

Sounds like things have changed since I worked at a PA inspection station back in 1962-64. We could count on at least once a year having some car come in with some relatively minor issue that would cause it to fail. When we failed it we were told it was a good thing because it was a "test car" from the state.

Most of the cars that did fail did have things (brakes, exhaust) that made them unsafe to drive.

The local truck repair shop that inspects my Spec E30 every year has told me they rarely see anyone from the state, and if they do it's only to make sure the book is up to date. They don't do actual inspections of any cars. The state is just in it for the money.

Finding the right shop is key. The guys I use, when I asked if the racing harnesses would be a problem vs the OEM seat belts handed me the book and said "Dunno, look it up and see". It doesn't say they have to be DOT approved, so they sticker my car. I just make sure it's got the rain tires on when I take it down.

Pa still does checks on their stations that is a fact. they do revoke lic. maybe if they did a investigation of crash sites like they do when there is a 18 wheeler truck is involved then maybe we could really see. i feel members here know their cars better than the average people do. after dealing with cars as long as i have i am amazed all the time of what people will drive out there and they dont know anything is wrong or they dont want to know.

i think inspections are good and every state should have them

cutter67 wrote: i think inspections are good and every state should have them

i respectfully disagree but anyway. guys like us do things that make their cars handle better, stop better, and both of those things make cars generally safer than stock especially when you need to yank the wheel or jam the brakes to avoid an accident, but tons of the parts we use would fail because they aren't original - like curtis's control arms.

i bought a truck from PA where rust holes will fail you. it has foil duct tape rockers painted red - no "rust holes" but the rockers were GONE. it had a current sticker.

the amount of cars in PA that get sold on the youngstown ohio CL is probably greater than the amount of ohio cars sold there.

curtis you can "move to ohio" and get historical plates for the pontiac that never need renewed and are good for 50 years. use my address, don't care. no inspections either. just has to be 25+ years old and provide plate # of daily driver to prove it's not your only transport.

regardless of what state yur from, 'truck nuts' should be an instant fail

Around here, there are some real piles of E36 M3 that should never be allowed on the road. The accident report may say 'driver error' (and I will agree that nearly every one can be traced to that. Come to think of it, not maintaining a car falls under 'driver error' if you think about it) but the bald tire that caused the wet road skid may be what started the whole thing. Or the brakes that take three pumps before anything happens and the moment the foot comes off the pedal you have to hit it three times again.

The unfortunate thing is (and I see it every day) there are some people who simply refuse to properly maintain their cars. That puts those around them at risk, same as texting while driving, DUI, etc. It sucks that everyone else on the road should bear the burden of their ineptitude or don't-give-a-E36 M3-itis, but there it is.

cutter67 wrote: i think inspections are good and every state should have them

Inspections are only as good as the person performing them. After working in an inspection state, WV, as just a lowly parts guy, the amount of fleecing that goes on is astronomical. Especially when it's a bad bulb found on inspection. That $3 bulb would cost at least $50 repair to get the inspection sticker.

F inspections.

So Curtis, did you find your answer yet or are you still reading the code?

I wanna know how bad my ms3 would fail inspection there. It's lower than stock, not single bit of the suspension (save the upper hats on the front struts) is stock, pretty much the entire intake side of the car is a/m, the ECU's been reflashed, tires are on the fenders, I last saw the cat in my storage locker.... the list goes on. Yet I know damn well it's safer than at least 80% of what's out there. We don't have inspection in MN... but surprisingly not too many death traps.

Also curtis, you're welcome to come "live" with me. They didn't even ask if I had another car when I got collector plates for the mx6. Good for 10 years... and they can't really check mileage that far away.

On a car like a '66 Pontiac, I would either, A. Get Classic tags, or B. Scrape off the remains of whatever sticker is there and not bother. Experience has me reasonably convinced few cops know the inspection requirements for classic cars and just assume an old car doesn't need them.

I had std tags on my '78 Spit 6 because it just fell under emissions requirements in my area, which of course it would never pass. So I just drove sans stickers. Cops would wave to me when they saw the car - staring at me through the spot in the windshield where the stickers should be. Even in a place like Carlisle where if anywhere, the cops should know classic car regs.

You pays your moneys and takes your chances, but that's my opinion.

I hate inspections as much as anyone (especially as someone who modifies my cars, not always legally).

That said, the general public is getting dumber by the year regarding car maintenance. Here in Fairfax (VA) you don't see a lot of "scary" cars driving around due to annual inspection.

But I work across the river in PG County Maryland, and the kind of crap that I see on the road every day scares the crap out of me. I think in MD you just have to get one inspection when you buy the car, and not again. Lots of cars with non-workin brake lights, non-working headlights, wobbling/bent wheels, crazy mis-alignment where the car is crab-walking down the road, and cars wandring all over the road when the driver isn't moving the wheel (e.g. shot steering tie rods, etc). Once saw a car several times in the same month that was driving around on 4 mini-spares....and it was some old sedan like a Lumina or something.

I maintain my cars, so they almost always pass. If I have a mod that is likely to get "caught" I may swap it back to stock if it's simple. Some places are more "tuner friendly" than others. Some places are more extensive than others. I've found places I trust not to try and fleece me.....and if they did, I'd call their bluff anyhow, so not a big deal.

That said, two of my cars are 2008 or newer so they don't have any real issues, and my other two are registered antique, so they don't have to get inspection or emissions......

I'm a PA lifer here. I've hot rodded just about everything I've owned, and haven't run into the problems some of the guys have posted. Even with the more questionable stuff of my youth. If something was that bad, the guys I dealt with would show me the problem and tell me what it would take to make it safe, and pass inspection.

One thing to keep in mind, the guy inspecting your car, as well as the shop, has to be licensed by PA to do so.

I don't do inspections at my shop. The cars we work on usually have antique tags and don't need it. I work with several other shops for the cars that do need inspection. If I wanted to do inspections, my liability insurance would be 10x higher than what it is now.

The key there is liability. If the guy inspecting the car doesn't feel its safe, it's his neck and the shop's neck on the line. Some guys don't want to take on the liability of dealing with a car that's been modified. And by modified I'm talking stuff like discarded bed frame angle turned into control arms, not bolting in a set off off the shelf coil springs.

There are a couple shops I deal with that do fabrication work and inspections. They know the difference from a well thought out and safe modification and a rolling death trap.

Rob_Mopar wrote: So Curtis, did you find your answer yet or are you still reading the code?

Still absorbed in code. But I'm sure the answer is in there