Failed State Inspection by mistake

[JohnJohn]

So yesterday my wife drove the Bronco to the local gas station to get a VA yearly state inspection.
The 20 something inspector failed me because the Wipers, turn signals, and Defroster did not work.

When I got home I checked things out and could not find a problem.

I took it back to the place this morning and showed them how to turn things on. They expected the side marker lights to blink, they turned the wiper delay all the way over and did not wait long enough for them to activate, and they could not figure out how to pull both knobs to get the defroster on.

The defroster can be a challenge if you don’t know how to get it working but the wipers and turn signals are hard to miss.

so I got my sticker in the end and the inspector now knows how to operate a bronco.

 

[bmc69]

LOL..that's great. Always appreciate stories like yours. But how come the wifey didn't set the guy straight the first time around?

 

[blubuckaroo]

That's a good laugh! I love it. Reminds me of the first time I tried to swap tanks with the gauge selector switch on the dash. Any bonehead used to be able run one of these.

 

[needabronco]

You have to have wipers, and a working defroster to get licensed? WHY? I once registered a Karmann Ghia with no glass in it at all, no headlights, or working turn signals, they even inspected it... As far as turn signals go, last time I checked your arm out the window is a 'legal' form of signalling...

 

[Heus33]

I can see the wipers but thought the defroster requirement was odd.

One time I failed inspection in my 97 nissan altima because my wiper blade had a tear in it (really guys??)

The first time I inspected my bronco I didn't even have wipers installed and they passed it. Its all about the vehicle and the inspector.

 

[JohnJohn]

The wife had the kids and the kids were driving her nuts so she was not in the mood to remember how to work the defroster and wipers.

VA will let me run beadlocks but my defroster has to function or they will not pass me. There have been a few times in the winter where my windshield was so fogged up I could not see the road. Strange but true.

I could get classic car plates and not have to do the inspection but you are not allowed to drive all over the place like I do with them on so I went with the standard tags.

 

[needabronco]

Yes, but a motorcycle is not required to have functioning turn signals, windshield wipers, or a defrost and they are legal? What gives?

 

[DirtDonk]

They are if they were originally equipped with them!
Around these parts at least. You desert-denizens have it made.
Defroster? What defroster? We don't need no stinkin' defroster!

Paul

 

[Explorer]

That's a new one for me! Never had them inspect the defroster. Did have one turn me down on my wife's old BII because the drivers power window wouldn't roll down.

 

[turbotim2]

Ha good one!

I took mine in for an inspection a few years ago and I offered to drive it in the garage, they refused for insurance purposes. Anyway, after 5 or 10 minutes watching this guy trying to get it in gear I went out. Never drove a column shift, thought it was an auto, had the T-case in neutral, he was a mess. After I got him straightened out, they failed it because the horn wasn't loud enough! I never went back.

 

[BronCowie]

One reason I like living in Oregon... no inspections required. Pay the tag fee and drive on.

 

[Broncobowsher]

What would this kid have done if you gave him a 3-on-the-tree?
My guess is fail you because the nuetral start interlock doesn't work (thinking you had an automatic).

 

[ken75ranger]

What would this kid have done if you gave him a 3-on-the-tree?
My guess is fail you because the nuetral start interlock doesn't work (thinking you had an automatic).

LOL- I've heard more than one story of a thief being defeated by a 3 on the tree.
My friendly neighborhood mechanic did my inspection yesterday.
it goes like this.
Mech- Does everything work.
Me- yup it's all good.
Him- Let me scan, and print it but your going to put your own sticker on. I've got customers I can make money on here. Let me know when your ready to sell it.
Me- Thanks George but I'll never sell it.
He's also an honest mechanic I can trust to work on my wife's car and not be ripped off.

 

[krisbassett]

What's with the inspections? No such thing around here. Just go to the courthouse and license it. Makes me glad I live here!!

 

[turbotim2]

What would this kid have done if you gave him a 3-on-the-tree?
My guess is fail you because the nuetral start interlock doesn't work (thinking you had an automatic).

It was a three on the tree! After giving me a line about all the old cars they take in, it was pretty funny. I wonder what he thought the clutch pedal was for.

 

[turbotim2]

What's with the inspections? No such thing around here. Just go to the courthouse and license it. Makes me glad I live here!!

Here they are just safety inspections. You should see some of the crap people try to drive around, parts falling of them, lights not working, etc. It is a good way to get someone else to check your bearings, ball joints, exhaust, etc. for only $12.50.

 

[Mac2Night]

JohnJohn,

I can certainly appreciate your frustration, been there, done that! Growing up in VA I use to have to pull some crazy stuff out of my a$$ to get my Broncos inspected. Being a young stupid kid, I often had dismantled half of the things that needed to be inspected (horn, back up light, etc.) or had the bumpers/frame too high to pass. One year I got so frustrated by having it not pass at three different stations, I MADE my own passing inspection sticker and taped it to my windshield. :-X:-X:-X

Needless to say, one day I was driving and passed a State Trooper on a two lane road and his eagle eyes spotted my well drawn replica inspection sticker.... he ripped me a new one and gave me a ticket.... oh the mistakes I have made over the years, but they have only made me stronger! ;D

 

[rockingm82]

I took an old F100 3 on the tree in for an oil change once. I lived in an apartment complex where they wouldn't let me do it on the lot. I give the guy the keys, he goes out to move it and pulls it right up to the bay. He then gets out to work on something else. In the mean time, I'm reading a magazine in the lobby and I catch movement out of the corner of my eye. There goes my truck rolling by. So I sprinted out the door and jumped through the passenger side door hitting the brake pedal with my hand. Out comes the Jiffy Lube guy saying, duh man, what happened? I said it's a manual transmission, why didn't you put it in gear or set the brake? He commented that he thought it was an automatic and I then asked him about how he moved it before and if he remembered pushing in the clutch, because if he didn't, he moved it by some miracle. He just looked at me.