Some enlightenment on PA MV Inspection ?? Not a big deal OR prepare to get bent over

[son of the revolution]

With the current PA Emissions Related Thread , and another a couple weeks back someone posted about the ass load of money they had to spend passing Inspection in their Pathfinder ?? got me thinking . Since we're going to be moving over there soon , what can I expect for my first trip thru PA Motor Vehicle Service and Registrations /Inspections ?

I've been to PA enough to see the " Tags /Regs/Insurance " outfits all over the place , no idea what the advantages/disadvantages of dealing with them over the State Offices might be .

Will my Motorcycle and Boat Endorsements on my NJ License just transfer over ?

How strict are the Inspections ?? We dont have any truly dangerous safety violations on any of our vehicles , but two out of three are definetly showing their age and have some worn out suspension components . Worn in the sense that ride quality isnt to cushy , but nothing that would compromise safety in any way .

I was hassled by NJ Inspections ( private Contract Company running State Facility ) because they claimed the drivers side power window in my wifes Bronco didnt go up and down " smoothly " enough for their taste . It was blatant BS , and I found out later from actual State employees that there have been endless complaints about the Company involved inventing infractions in order to compell re inspections and pump up their profits .

What about Lifted 4x4 's ?? I vaguely remember some horror stories being reported a few years back in one the Off Road Mags about PA Cops nailing people going to a show in Carlisle ??? Writing tickets for everything imaginable , even in cases where people were from out of State and the vehicle MET their home States requirments

This is important because my wife has a Full Size Bronco thats going to go from a daily driver to a project toy after we find her another SUV and I have a Dodge Ram 4x4 Pickup that I'd like to lift at some point down the road .

In a way it sure would be nice if PA was more like Florida in certain aspects . Warm weather for more of the year , NO State Income Tax , NO Motor Vehicle Inspection , etc I saw trucks of " Big Foot " proportions and full tube chassis sand rail dune buggies tagged and legal on the roads of Central Florida . When I asked a friend that was a Deputy about this , his reply was basically as long as you had head/tail lights /blinkers , seatbelts , brake lights and a tag , you were good to go , they had more pressing things to be concerned with .


So someone school me on what I can expect from PA DOT

Thanks

[Virtus985]

It all depends on who you go to. Some places will do the PA mandated inspection, you'll pass, and that will be that. Some places will do the inspection, you'll pass, and they'll figure out some way to say you failed.

Other places you walk in and tell the shady man "¿Puedo tener un... ummm... 'sticker' ... de la inspección por favor?" and slide him 100 bucks and you'll have an inspection sticker. hahahaha

[Jolly]

I moved here from Michigan where they do not have inspection or emissions. I grew up in Texas where if the horn honked and the wipers wiped, you pass.

I have tried several different places and they all try to get work out of the deal. I do my own automotive service so to me its a PITA. Honestly, I find if your service engine soon light is on then you are going to have issues as all I have talked to will not even inspect it. Other than that its a crap shoot with maintenance related issues.

[Farbmeister]

Its a vehicle SAFETY INSPECTION. I want the trained mechanic to look for all the bubba lift kits and duct tape on your car... so it doesn't run me over, or hit my car.

Suck it up, take it to a Sears or big corporation where you have avenues to address failures.

[LittleRedToyota]

It all depends on who you go to. Some places will do the PA mandated inspection, you'll pass, and that will be that. Some places will do the inspection, you'll pass, and they'll figure out some way to say you failed.

Other places you walk in and tell the shady man "¿Puedo tener un... ummm... 'sticker' ... de la inspección por favor?" and slide him 100 bucks and you'll have an inspection sticker. hahahaha

this is truth.

the actual statutory requirements of PA inspections are absurd...much of the requirements have absolutely nothing to do with either safety or even protecting the environment.

however, the application varies greatly from one inspection station to the next.

(oh, and you only need to get emissions testing done if you live in certain highly populated counties. i don't know which all counties need it, but i know allegheny does, but elk does not. i'm quite sure you also need it in philly, but not sure about any other counties.)

[son of the revolution]

Its a vehicle SAFETY INSPECTION. I want the trained mechanic to look for all the bubba lift kits and duct tape on your car... so it doesn't run me over, or hit my car.

Suck it up, take it to a Sears or big corporation where you have avenues to address failures.

LOL , Care to explain how Corporate Entity XYZ is somehow better then a Mom and Pop Shop ?? Since I have a little history ( a long time ago ) , in basic mechanical stuff . IIRC an ASE Certified Mechanic is an ASE Certified Mechanic , regardless of whether they work for XYZ Corp , or Bubba's Backyard Mechanics Shop .

Not to mention the numerous times SEARS has been caught on hidden camera recommending unneeded services , and my own personal experience with a Sears guy doing a simple battery swap that resulted in spilled battery acid pouring all over my main wiring harness and causing $500 plus in damage , plus a $300 tow bill , plus lost time , etc and no thanks you can keep Sears with the exception of Craftsman Stuff .


I appreciate your concern about rigged lifts or repairs , but not the derogatory " bubba " label you seem to apply to anyone that does their own work or drives lifted vehicles . You dont see me going around calling all hybrid drivers dirty , smelly , tree hugging , hippies do you ??

[Paradigm]

Some places are "fine-toothed comb" places that will find anything and everything wrong with your vehicle. Egads, those places suck.

Some are shadetree mechanic-type places that just want to make sure you have good brakes and nothing loose on the chassis. My mechanic is like that.


The key thing is to talk to people in your area that drive vehicles like you do. Ask around for opinions of the local shops - and don't be afraid to drive 15 minutes extra to go to a shop if it's a good one.

I've been going to my shop for 20 years. In that time, I've learned a lot about wrenching on my own junk...and the owner knows it. He's told me a few times "you can fix this" or "make sure you put new brakes on when you get home." He puts on the sticker and sends me on the way. He's never tried to rob me or do anything shady with the 100s of people I recommend his way.

[Dredly]

I've been passed with the firm "Don't be a dumbass get it back in here within 3 months for new tires or you are going to wreck" and I've been told "you have enough trade for another 6 months but it won't last the year so we are failing you unless you get new tires".

same goes with brakes, some places will give you the "you only have a few months left" some places will fail you.

the only thing I've seen people failed for all the time are lights being out

[wa3ra]

Where in the state are you headed?

A 'good' private shop is far superior to most chain shops. I had a chain shop try dinging my wife's car 4 different times in a row. The last time, we took it to a PSP mechanic who gave it a clean bill of health, the back to the mechanic who once again failed it, without ever breaking the seals placed by the trooper. That shop doesn't inspect cars anymore (as a matter of fact, it is now closed).

Dumb shit...'you seat goes back too far' (dealer modified with a factory kit when the car was new; I have a 34" inseam!) to 'your front shock are bad' (replaced them myself two weeks earlier; he sprayed them with WD-40 and said they were leaking; they are still fine, 35,000 miles later!)

The guy I use now will tell me EXACTLY what condition everything is in, and when he suggests work, it is truly needed. Oddly enough, he's a LOT less expensive than the 'book rate' shops.

[son of the revolution]

So is it " better " to go to a private garage that does Inspections ? Or an official State Facility ?? Or does PA not even have State owned inspection places ??? NJ has both .

What about the private Tag/Reg/Ins Offices vs State DOT offices for titling, Reg Docs , etc ??

License Transfer ? Including aforementioned Boat and Motorcycle endorsements ???

What are the vehicle modification laws like ?? Lift Kits , Over sized tires outside the fenders , window tint , auxiliary lights , exhaust , etc etc ????