What have you done to your vehicle lately?
- Thread starter TheCytochromeC
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Changed front brake pads and small parts on my Duramax, 218K miles on original pads. May do the rear pads tomorrow, there was still about a 1/4 inch left on the front, I expect more on the rear. If I remember correctly, the front brakes do 60% of the stopping. There were some hairline fractures showing in the pad surface , no rotor damage. I will need to replace the front compression bump stops, no one I have looked at has any in stock, I think just weak google-fu.
southtexaspilot
TGT Addict
All my emissions fell off.
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Axxe55
Retiretgtshit stirrer
That's going to be an expensive ouch!
Axxe55
Retiretgtshit stirrer
I was a Texas state certified vehicle inspector for many years, along with having a certification for DOT inspections.
IF a person tried the windows down, won't roll up to get past testing the window tint, (and a few did.) I wrote a rejection slip for the inability to test the window tint.
If they had an issue with receiving a rejection slip, I informed they were more that welcome to discuss the matter with the local DPS office or district vehicle inspections official in Austin.
IF a person tried the windows down, won't roll up to get past testing the window tint, (and a few did.) I wrote a rejection slip for the inability to test the window tint.
If they had an issue with receiving a rejection slip, I informed they were more that welcome to discuss the matter with the local DPS office or district vehicle inspections official in Austin.
Nobody is surprised.
Axxe55
Retiretgtshit stirrer
Well, when the first violation of not doing a proper mandated vehicle inspection is $5000, and the second violation can be as high as $10,000, I didn't cut any slack on inspections.
But I'm all ears to hear how you would handle a vehicle inspection.
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I've had inspectors help get a car passed over the years for various things, and tint was definitely low on their list of cares. It's not the inspector's requirement to determine whether or not you use the windows at all, and the state doesn't require your side windows to even be present much less functional. So, people got a pass. Personally, I always did 35% on the sides and honestly only ever had ONE inspector actually test.
Last year I went to get my truck inspected.
First shop didn’t even take my money, said the side windows were tinted and had to be removed.
So I drove to another inspection place literally across the street and passed, no problemo.
Window tint in Texas is a non-issue for most folks and LEO’s, methinks...it’s hot as hell in Texas.
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First shop didn’t even take my money, said the side windows were tinted and had to be removed.
So I drove to another inspection place literally across the street and passed, no problemo.
Window tint in Texas is a non-issue for most folks and LEO’s, methinks...it’s hot as hell in Texas.
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I was pulled over by the DPS in my 79 turbo mustang, in 1979, because of the tint.
He almost made me remove the tint on the spot.
Saturday, before and during my shift at the shop it was time for yearly maintenance on my wagon.
I did a oil and filter change with some fresh mobile 1. Replaced front wipers, topped off fluids, set tire pressures. I also installed a new hood star (mercedes). I finished off with a state inspection as the reg is up in 12.20
I have a list started on crap I have to put on the docket though. The tires are about cooked. Currently 245/45 17 on all 4 corners. I have 2 sets of 18 inch take off tires with no rims that will fit. I am trying to decide if I should buy 4 rims in 18 inch trim or 4 new tires. It is about the same cost. Motor and transmission mounts are shot. It is a crappy job with the Mercedes 4matic (all week drive). The passenger motor mount is very tight with the diff bolted to the motor. I also noted the right front axle inner boot is toast. Like not leaking grease because it is all gone. The only lubrication left is the orange dust coming out of it. I have to move up that fix as it will certainly fail on a week night in the rain when I am headed somewhere important.
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I did a oil and filter change with some fresh mobile 1. Replaced front wipers, topped off fluids, set tire pressures. I also installed a new hood star (mercedes). I finished off with a state inspection as the reg is up in 12.20
I have a list started on crap I have to put on the docket though. The tires are about cooked. Currently 245/45 17 on all 4 corners. I have 2 sets of 18 inch take off tires with no rims that will fit. I am trying to decide if I should buy 4 rims in 18 inch trim or 4 new tires. It is about the same cost. Motor and transmission mounts are shot. It is a crappy job with the Mercedes 4matic (all week drive). The passenger motor mount is very tight with the diff bolted to the motor. I also noted the right front axle inner boot is toast. Like not leaking grease because it is all gone. The only lubrication left is the orange dust coming out of it. I have to move up that fix as it will certainly fail on a week night in the rain when I am headed somewhere important.
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Axxe55
Retiretgtshit stirrer
Personally, I tested everyone that had non-factory tint. Because you never know when they are looking to catch you slipping up.
Some years ago, the DPS sent an "undercover" car in for an inspection. The caught five guys "fudging" the inspections and fined them. One of the five it was his second violation! That was in about a month period.
On a personal note, I didn't care how dark the tint was. Wasn't my concern, but the State of Texas that issued my certification did care. I'm not a rich man, so even getting the first violation of a $5000 fine would have been hard to pay.
I knew of a lot of state inspectors that cut corners, or overlooked things, and even turned a blind eye to vehicle defects. If they want to take a chance and end up paying the fine, so be it. Not my problem. I simply was pointing out why I didn't cut corners, and never did.
Pretty sure doors aren't required either.
I should add that I live ‘hood adjacent.
A shiny new inspection facility in Plano may be sticklers for the law.
But the inspection place I go to in South Dallas takes about 3 minutes to inspect a car or trailer.
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A shiny new inspection facility in Plano may be sticklers for the law.
But the inspection place I go to in South Dallas takes about 3 minutes to inspect a car or trailer.
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Axxe55
Retiretgtshit stirrer
Texas went to a computerized state inspection system some years ago, but I can't remember exactly the year. The system is set up on an internet line, which all information can be viewed remotely by any state vehicle inspection examiner. One of the reasons was the ability to track inspectors that were over-looking violations or defects. One of the ways, is it's also a time-based system. Which means only one vehicle can be logged on for an inspection at a time. Also they allot a certain amount of time for doing a proper vehicle inspection. Doing more in an eight hour period than should be able to be done, is going to send up huge red flags.
State To Track Vehicle Inspections In New Computerized System
A new system for conducting annual vehicle inspections in Vermont will make it easier for the state to gather information and identify inspection…
www.vpr.org
It doesn't matter to me how other inspectors are doing it, or whether they are cheating the system or not. None of my business anymore. I haven't done any inspections is some years now. When, or if they get caught, not my worry. I'm not the one that will be paying the fine.
I was simply pointing out my reasons for doing them the way I did and for informational purposes only.
The computerized tests are the easiest to pass with a non-compliant vehicle. I may or may not be "aware" of certain instances where a vehicle of some sort may or may not have had a powertrain setup that not only barely resembled the factory, there was no way in hell it would ever actually pass. No cats, no air injection, no PCV, no EGR, smelling like raw fuel due to such a severe cam profile (LOTS of intake/exhaust overlap), and barely idling at 900 RPM. But to the computer everything was present, functional, and passing all the tests 
A funny story about not always going by the book. One time I took my old Firebird into the dealer. I was dumb enough to buy an extended warranty when I first got the car, and after a couple years about the only thing left stock was the interior. It was a street car, but ... yea not really. On the way to work, the A/C compressor seized up and as luck would have it the next exit was a Pontiac dealer. So I exited and pulled into the service lane, car loud as hell and camming its ass off. All the service writers come out of the booth to see what the hell was going on. I figured they'd laugh me off the lot, but after asking a bunch of questions about the car and what it had in it, they asked "and uhh how can we help you today?" I mentioned I had the extended warranty which got some seriously funny cross-eyed looks. He then asked what was wrong, and I said "The A/C compressor locked up." He smiled huge and said "Oh! We'll fix it!" Sure enough, they shuttled me to work and had the car ready that afternoon.
A funny story about not always going by the book. One time I took my old Firebird into the dealer. I was dumb enough to buy an extended warranty when I first got the car, and after a couple years about the only thing left stock was the interior. It was a street car, but ... yea not really. On the way to work, the A/C compressor seized up and as luck would have it the next exit was a Pontiac dealer. So I exited and pulled into the service lane, car loud as hell and camming its ass off. All the service writers come out of the booth to see what the hell was going on. I figured they'd laugh me off the lot, but after asking a bunch of questions about the car and what it had in it, they asked "and uhh how can we help you today?" I mentioned I had the extended warranty which got some seriously funny cross-eyed looks. He then asked what was wrong, and I said "The A/C compressor locked up." He smiled huge and said "Oh! We'll fix it!" Sure enough, they shuttled me to work and had the car ready that afternoon.
