Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2008 21:00:58 EDT
Reply-To: Dvdclarksn@AOL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David Clarkson <Dvdclarksn@AOL.COM>
Subject: Inspection bummer
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I see the Virginia inspection as being a necessary evil and as Big Brother's
attempt to protect us from ourselves. I work in a dealership and see
rejections constantly that customer's don't understand or agree with. Our techs are
simply following the letter of the law so they do not loose their license.
You must have good credit and personal and professional references that suit the
Va. State Police as well as a minimum number of years of automotive repair
experience. These techs are constantly required to test out on the safety
inspection regulations and are spot checked on their inspections as well as the
facilities record keeping and sticker counts. True, a lot of repair work is
generated through the inspection process but the customer can have that done
wherever they wish. Your results were fairly typical as some inspection
surprises are quite expensive repairs (SRS control units, body frame rust, engine
mounts, leaking power steering pumps.etc.) What you have with your brakes for
instance means that you had less than 2mm of pad/shoe material remaining.
I've seen cars that were totaled when the rear trailing arm bushings on a Honda
gave out and caused the car to loose control and crash. I used to look at
inspections as an attempt from the Commonwealth to control another aspect of our
lives. I am just too big on vehicle longevity via preventive maintenance and
safety checks especially with our aging and sometimes tired Vanagons. If you
fail an aspect of inspection in Va. then you have some things to do that
should be observed as part of basic maintenance. As a consumer you should have
the inspector show you the failed item while your vehicle is still in the
inspection bay and show you the printed regulation that addresses said failure.
If you have any questions you should contact the State Police about any issues
that concern you. There will always be disreputable and lazy non-observant
inspectors out there that should be reported. Grin and bear it and know that
the other idiot in the lane next to you would be a highway catastrophe had he
not been failed for something.
David Clarkson
90 Westy (253k) in Roanoke, VA
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