What have you done to your vehicle lately?

[Sam7sf]

Been a long work week. Truck seat got some good gas rippin.

 

[Texasgordo]

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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There used to be a local place like that who never checked any thing and always passed me with 0% tint on every window.

 

[southtexaspilot]

I’ve passed inspection with neither me nor the vehicle being in state. Just cost a little more. But cheaper than driving to Texas for an inspection.

W


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[Axxe55]

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.

Brains, I'm not talking about vehicle emission testing or inspection, since I have never in my life ever performed such an inspection. I was a certified vehicle safety inspector. They are two very different types of inspection.

The computerized system I am referring to is the one the inspector logs into to input all of your vehicle information, along with your insurance information, along with several other types of information. As soon as he logs on, all that information is then forwarded to a DPS database in Austin. Which means, if a DPS trooper fulls you over right after you leave from getting an inspection, all that information is at his disposal now.

One of the things that they were trying to combat was station jumping. People going to multiple places to see who will "skirt" the rules and let it pass inspection. Now if they are trying to do that, it throws up a huge red flag. Another part of the system was to catch inspectors not doing a proper vehicle inspection.

Frankly, I'm not in the game anymore. Doesn't matter to me anymore either. But, I'll leave people with this thought, and something to think about. Many of the public think vehicle safety inspections are a useless, or a waste of time, and many look down their noses with contempt of the person doing the inspection. I did too, many, many years ago. But, here's the thought. The next time you look at some vehicle on the road, look at the inspection sticker. Think about the person that did the inspection, and wonder if that inspector did his job properly, or if he cut corners. Then look over at your family in the car, your wife, your children, your mother, or your brother or father. Think about that vehicle. Does it have safe tires? Or brakes, or any other thousands of safety items that could make it unsafe, and a danger to other vehicles on the road.

 

[Brains]

The next time you look at some vehicle on the road, look at the inspection sticker. Think about the person that did the inspection, and wonder if that inspector did his job properly, or if he cut corners. Then look over at your family in the car, your wife, your children, your mother, or your brother or father. Think about that vehicle. Does it have safe tires? Or brakes, or any other thousands of safety items that could make it unsafe, and a danger to other vehicles on the road.

An inspector can't stop someone from driving a shitbox, so that thought would never cross my mind. Hell most shitboxes will never see the inside of an inspection station, so the point is pretty much moot. Plus, you at best get into the station once a year. Leaves a lot of time for maintenance to lapse if you're the type who doesn't care about keeping your vehicle in proper condition.

The bigger reality is that laws don't stop bad behavior, they only deal with the repercussions if you're caught.

 

[pronstar]

Brains, I'm not talking about vehicle emission testing or inspection, since I have never in my life ever performed such an inspection. I was a certified vehicle safety inspector. They are two very different types of inspection.

The computerized system I am referring to is the one the inspector logs into to input all of your vehicle information, along with your insurance information, along with several other types of information. As soon as he logs on, all that information is then forwarded to a DPS database in Austin. Which means, if a DPS trooper fulls you over right after you leave from getting an inspection, all that information is at his disposal now.

One of the things that they were trying to combat was station jumping. People going to multiple places to see who will "skirt" the rules and let it pass inspection. Now if they are trying to do that, it throws up a huge red flag. Another part of the system was to catch inspectors not doing a proper vehicle inspection.

Frankly, I'm not in the game anymore. Doesn't matter to me anymore either. But, I'll leave people with this thought, and something to think about. Many of the public think vehicle safety inspections are a useless, or a waste of time, and many look down their noses with contempt of the person doing the inspection. I did too, many, many years ago. But, here's the thought. The next time you look at some vehicle on the road, look at the inspection sticker. Think about the person that did the inspection, and wonder if that inspector did his job properly, or if he cut corners. Then look over at your family in the car, your wife, your children, your mother, or your brother or father. Think about that vehicle. Does it have safe tires? Or brakes, or any other thousands of safety items that could make it unsafe, and a danger to other vehicles on the road.

Valid points. Most folks barely maintain their vehicles to an optimal standard. Usually, they buy a car and it’s all downhill from there.

But as a “car guy”, I will have failed in life if I relied on an annual state inspection to tell me what maintenance my car needs.


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[Brains]

Most folks barely maintain their vehicles to an optimal standard.

Or houses, it would seem. For a house that's only 9 years old, I'm sure having to do a LOT of maintenance and small repairs. So many things loose, dirty, broken, or half-assed.

 

[pronstar]

Or houses, it would seem. For a house that's only 9 years old, I'm sure having to do a LOT of maintenance and small repairs. So many things loose, dirty, broken, or half-assed.

I could write a book on the half-ass crap I’ve found in homes in just the short time I’ve been renovating them LOL



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[cycleguy2300]

An inspector can't stop someone from driving a shitbox, so that thought would never cross my mind. Hell most shitboxes will never see the inside of an inspection station, so the point is pretty much moot. Plus, you at best get into the station once a year. Leaves a lot of time for maintenance to lapse if you're the type who doesn't care about keeping your vehicle in proper condition.

The bigger reality is that laws don't stop bad behavior, they only deal with the repercussions if you're caught.

And that is where I come in.

I stop them and write them tickets for un-registered vehicle, no insurance w/ prior conv, no DL or DWLI.... and then have to let them keep driving until those tickets turn into warrants because it's Austin. SMH

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[Brains]

And that is where I come in.

I stop them and write them tickets for un-registered vehicle, no insurance w/ prior conv, no DL or DWLI.... and then have to let them keep driving until those tickets turn into warrants because it's Austin. SMH

I'm honestly surprised you bother anymore, with that plus DA's and judges cutting anyone and everyone loose. Y'all even go to court anymore if it isn't required?

I will say this, I've noticed a LOT more shitboxes running paper tags than usual. Some are so laughably bad (wet, wrinkled and in a ziploc bag taped to a dirty ass car) it's got to be luck of the draw they haven't been stopped yet. Well, unless it isn't worth it to even try.

 

[cycleguy2300]

I'm honestly surprised you bother anymore, with that plus DA's and judges cutting anyone and everyone loose. Y'all even go to court anymore if it isn't required?

I will say this, I've noticed a LOT more shitboxes running paper tags than usual. Some are so laughably bad (wet, wrinkled and in a ziploc bag taped to a dirty ass car) it's got to be luck of the draw they haven't been stopped yet. Well, unless it isn't worth it to even try.

It's my duty to make stops and arrest or cite the violator.

What happens at the detective or, DA or court level can't be my worry, that is on their head, not mine.

I sell my tickets, I get thank yous after writing the tickets so I don't have to go to court very often anyway. A traffic stop by nature is confrontational, but it needn't be adversarial on my end.

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[Sam7sf]

I sell my tickets, I get thank yous after writing the tickets so I don't have to go to court very often anyway. A traffic stop by nature is confrontational, but it needn't be adversarial on my end.

Solid outlook. Many people by nature ignore self accountability.

 

[Axxe55]

An inspector can't stop someone from driving a shitbox, so that thought would never cross my mind. Hell most shitboxes will never see the inside of an inspection station, so the point is pretty much moot. Plus, you at best get into the station once a year. Leaves a lot of time for maintenance to lapse if you're the type who doesn't care about keeping your vehicle in proper condition.

The bigger reality is that laws don't stop bad behavior, they only deal with the repercussions if you're caught.

Brains, you would probably be surprised at the stupidity of these people thinking their shitbox is going to pass inspection!

What amazed and floored me, is that I knew that these vehicles didn't get into the unsafe condition they were in, in just a year's time. Another inspector a year before was passing them and putting a sticker on them!

Before the computerized inspection systems went into place, they would just jump to another station until they found one with an inspector that would just slap a sticker on the vehicle.

 

[Saltyag2010]

Took a few weeks off from driving the spyder for some dumb maintenance. Pulled the motor mounts, brakes, axles and axle seals. Replaced them all.

Motor mounts are poly now so I probably won’t ever have to replace them or the axle seals again. The original soft rubber mounts in the front and back had enough play to change axle angle coming into the diff and pushed my seals too far in causing a leak.

I went ahead and painted my brake calipers, heat shield, and engine cover just because.

 

[jetcycles]

I thumbed the starter and beat on the Z1000 as if it owed me money!

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[jetcycles]

And then I put a deposit down on this leftover 2019 KTM 690 SMC-R...I really want back on a supermoto and the newer 690's seem to be just the ticket.

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[TheDan]

Buddy of mine got a new turbo installed on his Fiata. Was going fine for a couple days, but then the damn studs fell out!

Full write-up here: https://bookautowerks.com/turbo-stud-say-bye/

 

[Brains]

Nice work. Might want to check 'em again after a few heat cycles.

 

[TheDan]

Nice work. Might want to check 'em again after a few heat cycles.

Yeah the thought had cross my mind.

 

[Gummi Bear]

Maintenance.

Lots of maintenance


I’ve just been keeping everything running


This weekend I’m taking the Mrs truck out to the farm for some love. Shocks, fuel filter, air filter and some spark plugs. Gotta check bearings and bushing while I’m in there and plan the next round of maintenance. Keeping a 20 year old truck going is a little work.

Twerpy car is next on the list. Also 20 years old.



I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...

Henry David Thoreau