[FooFighter]

OK well I finally got my car inspected on Monday. The news was not good! Firstly I the car obviously failed, or else the title of this topic would be different… There is good news and bad news.

I will start with the good. Out of everything that failed the inspection nothing under the hood failed! I also know all the main faults of my car, there are no longer any hidden problems. 8)

OK now the bad, I will list all of the things that failed.
Driver's Compartment
-Clutch Disengagement
Body Exterior
-Headlamp Aim
-Side Marker Lamps (needs to be amber)
-Front Reflectors (???)
-RR inner fender (is rusted through)
Undercarriage
-Wheels & Tires (all 4 wheels are "wrong application", rear tires tread depth is too low, all wrong lug nuts for rims)
-Exhaust System (is too loud)
-Constant Velocity Joints (riboot???) :?
Wheel Alignment
Front Wheel Alignment

As you can see that list is very long! However don't judge me by what you see on that list. It was against my will that the car was inspected anyways. To make a long story short, I don't have a garage so I had to work on my car in my uncle's garage. Now winter is coming and he wants my hunk of junk out of there so he can park his minivan in there. So they scheduled the car for an inspection assuming I was done just because the car "looked done".

I have yet to talk to the mechanic who did the inspection. My dad was there and got the list I told you about and that's it. Since he knows jack **** about cars some of the things on the list seem vague to me and I would like a better explanation of them.

None of those problems is very big or very hard to fix. However some of them, particularly the wheels & tires needing to be replaced will be a large burden in relation to cost.

-For the clutch problem I am not 100% sure but I think that means I need a new one?
-Headlamp aim, well I have been trying hard be unsuccessfully to buy a set of headlights from some of you, but who ever I find that has a set seems to be to busy to get pictures of them for me.
-The front corner lights need to be half amber I guess… So that means I have a perfectly good set of useless after market corners lights for sale…
-Front Reflectors, well I am not sure what the problem here is, maybe it's because the car doesn't have any?
-The RR inner fender is rusted through so I guess I need a new one.
-Need new wheels, tires, and lug nuts. :x
-Constant Velocity Joints well if anyone knows what those are then please tell me!
-Front Wheel alignment is only like $40.

Ok well any advice, rants, insults, I told you so's, and condolences will be appreciated. I al going tomorrow to talk to the mechanic about quotes on how much it would cost for him to fix some of this stuff, and then I can compare that to the price of me doing it plus the time and see which is a better course of action.

 

[Penz]

don't give up man

 

[baker_jeff]

Just put amber bulbs in the front corners to fix that problem. They can't give you **** for that.

WTF is "wrong application" for wheels? Are they all matching? If they are all the same size, call bull**** on that, because it should matter what wheels are on the car, as long as they are good shape. Just throw new rubber on them.

 

[FooFighter]

I wont, also some good news is my dad said he would finance the repairs so that I could get the car out of his sister's garage. I will just have to pay him back later but at least I won't have to wait months for the car to get fixed!

 

[FooFighter]

Just put amber bulbs in the front corners to fix that problem. They can't give you [crap] for that.

WTF is "wrong application" for wheels? Are they all matching? If they are all the same size, call [bologne] on that, because it should matter what wheels are on the car, as long as they are good shape. Just throw new rubber on them.

I agree with you on the wheels. Since kalTIRE inspected the car they would try to get me to replace the wheels at any cost! However like I said I need to go down there and talk dirt with the guy. See what needs to be done and what doesn't.

 

[stick]

My advice for you is to ask around for a decent shop that won't rake you over the coals like that. I took one of my vehicles into a small shop recommended by one of my friends (with a crapload of little problems like yours) and they passed me. But they did talk to me about the problems they spotted and let me know that if I needed any work done on it, they'd be more than happy to get me a price quote. They were more interested in customer loyalty, than forcing me to get work done against my will. Don't get vehicle inspections done at big chain stores like Canadian Tire or KalTire. Those guys don't exercise any reasonable discretion. (they pretty much have a policy of "when in doubt, fail it").

Why is it that you needed an inspection? Was the car from out of province?

 

[FooFighter]

Yes it was out of province. I think I might try another place in town. It is where the guy who sold the car to me told me to go...

 

[stick]

In the meantime, I would fix as many of the little things as you can. For the front reflectors, just get some cheapies off of ebay. (clear corners and clear lenses for the bumper).

 

[ComposiMo]

This whole "inspection thing" sounds like a real hassle. Good thing we don't have those here.

Ditto... And even better in FL, no emissions either yAy!

 

[SETI20]

Inspections are good. They keep the POS cars off the road so they don't run into me.
Nitpicking like this however, is bullcrap.

Driver's Compartment
-Clutch Disengagement

New clutch. Or, adjust your cable.

Body Exterior
-Headlamp Aim

That's easy. Shouldn't even take them 5 minutes.

-Side Marker Lamps (needs to be amber)

Always have a set of original backup ones to pass inspection.

-Front Reflectors (???)

That's what the amber thing is.

-RR inner fender (is rusted through)

That might be the biggest issue.
Undercarriage

-Wheels & Tires (all 4 wheels are "wrong application", rear tires tread depth is too low, all wrong lug nuts for rims)

Bull. Replace ires, be done with it.

-Exhaust System (is too loud)

DId they do a DB test? If not, bull.

-Constant Velocity Joints (riboot???) :?

CV joint boots are a common fault. CB boot is $15 per side. It's just a rubber cover.

Wheel Alignment
Front Wheel Alignment

Easy fix too.

I've heard worse problems. Those are all easy. Shouldn't take you more than an afternoon and a few hours in the shop to fix this and pass.

 

[rex2nr]

CVs are the front axles

 

[Krix]

a quick fix for the exhaust, if the holes arent to big. Ive used that muffler tape stuff from the auto parts stores to get the car to pass inspection in a pinch. it falls off in about a month but it passed inspection.

 

[SETI20]

Trust me. People find enough retarded stuff to do to their cars.
And there are still plenty of shady shops around.

And big o'-honkin mufflers won't make you fail. Just look at all the crap I did to my car. :lol:

 

[Penz]

Since i buy my CRX in US, i have pass inspection too ...

I was pretty scared to felt on a freak ...

I'm lucky, one shot deal!

Don't give up, CRX is the best thing on earth

 

[crxgator]

ive never seen an inspection deal with an alignment issue...how are they to tell without putting it on the rack... :?

 

[Baker]

-The RR inner fender is rusted through so I guess I need a new one.

What is that and how does that fail a car for inspection?

 

[ryan_long_01]

Put stock corner lights (borrow them from a friend if need be) to meet the requirements for both amber lamp and the front reflector...then after you pass inspection, put the clears back on (if that's what you want). If you want an aftermarket set that will pass inspection, just get a pair of cheap eBay all-amber corners (dirt cheap).

Unless your tires are dangerously low on tread, a shop that DOESN'T sell tires should pass you on that and the 'wrong application".

Like SETI said, (if "riboot: means "ripped boot"), then just replace the rubber boot. If you aren't hearing the telltale clicking on tight turns in either direction, they will probably last you quite awhile. If they are on the way out, you might want to replace one or both (but if money is an issue, the new boot should pass you for the time being).

As was mentioned also, adjust your clutch cable. It could be a free, 2 minute fix as compared to laying out the cash for a new clutch. Another shop might pas it as-is anyway, so i would want a second opinion before I started spending money. Ask the import car guys around town where they take their cars for inspection...I'm sure they know of a shop that doesn't look down on modified imports and nit-pick every little thing. Hell, you might be able to throw the dude a $50 to pass you.

This thread makes me awfully glad we don't have inspections or emissions testing here in Indiana (although I belive a couple of counties up by Chicago do).

 

[Baker]

If you want an aftermarket set that will pass inspection, just get a pair of cheap eBay all-amber corners (dirt cheap).

Yeah, the all amber ones IMHO look way better and a little more OEM than then ones that are currently on his car.

Here is my car with amber bumper lights and amber corners. Had not trouble passing inspection with them.

This thread makes me awfully glad we don't have inspections or emissions testing here in Indiana (although I belive a couple of counties up by Chicago do).

Same here for Upstate NY!

 

[Angry]

Damn, thats alot of nitpicking on just a little CRX... :shock:

I have to get my car fixed by the end of january, so I get inspected every year and sometimes cops will do a "free" inspection when they pull you over, At least here in VA. SUCKS....But does it keep some of the idiots off the road. Also to get inpected it costs 14 bucks.

Like everybody has said, all of that is easily fixable.

RR Fender thing though, is that basicly a hole in the wheel well? Can it be patched?

 

[Dodo]

I know how this is going to sound but it works. Put Duck tape over the rust. I know lots of people around here that put ducktape over it and it has no problem passing. State law say that no rust can be visable at time of inspection. Its a slight loop hole for all people that have to pass the inspections.