Stickers

The final part of the whole procedure  is finally here. Writing and recording the inspection stickers takes about 2 minutes total. Take all the paperwork to the safety inspection booklet and begin writing all the customer info into the spaces. You will need to fill out the registrants name, city, county, VIN number, insurance company name, expiration date, vehicle year, make, type (sedan, coupe, convertible etc.), plate number, insurance account number, brake measurements, tire measurements, new sticker number, new sticker expiration date, and the inspection price. Once all of that is properly filled out and you have signed and dated the entry, you must now fill out the back of the safety sticker. The info that goes here is the VIN number again, current vehicle mileage, sticker expiration date, the current date, your repair facility number, and your signature. The back of the emission sticker just needs the VIN, current mileage, expiration date, current date, facility number, and your signature. Now flip both stickers over and place the gray expiration month sticker on the inspection sticker. This years inspection stickers have a 12/13 on the front for the years 2012 and 2013. If a sticker expired October of 2012, you would but a gray 10 sticker over the 13. So the sticker would read 12/10. If it expired October of 2013, you'd place the 10 sticker over the 12, reading 10/13. The gray sticker is always the month the sticker expires.

Repairs?

If during the inspection procedure a vehicle fails for one or more items, the repairs needed must be recorded on the repair order along with the reason it fails. For example, if a car has a shattered driver side mirror, the repair order must state that the mirror is shattered. This way if the customer refuses repair  work and they get into an accident due to the failed component, you're protected since you noted it and the customer refused. Also your manager knows which repairs are needed to pass the inspection which makes it easier for him/her to explain it to the customer. And with it written down on a hard copy, if any problems arise throughout the months, just as I stated previously, you are protected. Finally, any repairs that were needed must be fully completed before a safety sticked can be affixed to the vehicle. If a customer or your manager tells you otherwise, refuse to do it. It is illegal and your license will be taken away.

Exhaust & Fuel components

After you've checked over the tires and braking system lower the vehicle back to the ground and start the engine. It is easier to check for exhaust and fuel leaks with the vehicle idling. Raise the vehicle all the way up to where you can walk under it comfortably. Walk under the vehicle and check the whole exhaust system for any leaks. An easy way to do this is to have a coworker or partner hold their hands over the exhaust tip/tips while you listen for leaks. This way the exhaust fumes are forced out of any leaks and are easily heard and found You can also use a smoke machine to check for leaks, which is demonstrated in the video below. Check the for any fuel leaks too while you're under there. Fuel leaks are usually easy to sense because the scent of gasoline is very strong. But even if you dont smell any fuel, visually inspect the fuel lines from the fuel tank all the way to the engine for any thing that may cause a future problem with the vehicle.

Brakes, lines & hoses

Before removing the wheels, pull the parking brake and be sure both rear wheels lock and release easily. You may now remove the wheels in order to inspect the brakes and brake components. This is another simple check which involves the tread depth gauge and a good eye. First use the tread depth gauge to measure the thickness of each inboard and outboard brake pad. This task is much easier if you unbolt the caliper from the hub. You can also get a better look at the pad incase it has cracks or chips in it. On bonded brake pads, under 2/32" fails and on riveted pads, under 1/32" fails. But brake pads should be recommended at 4/32". As for checking the rotor thickness, use your micrometer and compare the rotor thickness measurement to the factory specification. If it is below minimum, the rotor must be replaced. If you felt a brake shimmy on the initial test drive, you might find the reason why. Check and measure the front and rear brakes and compare them to factory specifications. Don't forget to take a close look at the brake hoses and metal lines going to the calipers. If the hoses are cracked enough to see the cord inside it, or the brake lines are leaking, they will need to be replaced before applying a safety sticker.

Tires

Inspecting the tires is the easiest part of the safety inspection. Using a tread depth gauge, check the depth of the tires tread across the full width of the tire. The majority of passenger tires brand new have a tread depth of 10/32nds. A tread depth of under 5/32nds should be replaced for traction reasons but does not fail. If the tread depth of a tire is at 2/32nds on 2 adjacent treads it fails an inspection. Sidewall bubbles from impacts and punctures will cause a vehivle to fail too. Check for edgewear on the tire. This can indicate an alignment problem and you can upsell that to the customer. If there is abnormal wear on a tire and it goes into the secondary layer of rubber this fails. The term for this is secondary wear. This layer of rubber comes right before the metal cords in the tire and is extremely dangerous to drive on. If a customer refuses to install tires with secondary wear, be sure to note down that the customer refused to install tires so in case a blowout does happen, it doesn't fall back on you.

Steering components & wheel bearings

In order to check the rest of the steering components, the vehicle must be lifted into the air with all 4 wheels off the ground. Lift the car to around chest height. Grab each side of the tire and turn it left and right WITHOUT engaging the steering gear. This test checks for play in the tie rod ends. There is an inner and outer tire rod end on every vehicle except some jeeps. To determine which one is loose, have someone shake the wheel until they feel the looseness while you go under the car. To check the outer tie rod, hold it and twist in until it cannot move. To rule out the inner tie rod, hold in and pull it up or down. If the looseness goes away with while holding the outer, then the outer is loose, and vice versa with the inner. To check wheel bearing play, hold the top and bottom of the tire and shake up and down. If any play is felt, have a partner shake the wheel while you go under the car. Feel the axle for movement. If the axle moves the same as the wheel bearing, the wheel bearing is loose. You can also test the wheel bearing by pushing the axle straight up or down which would hold the bearing in place if it is loose. Repeat the above with the rear suspension. Loose tie rods or wheel bearings fail an inspection. Below is a video showing a loose wheel bearing and how to check it.

Checking ball joints

After you are finished with the emissions test it is time to check the suspension components for looseness. Quick tip: If you are working an an SUV or a pickup truck, you should check the ball joints because these parts tend to get loose more often than most vehicles. This can be performed by jacking up each side of the vehicle on the lower control arm. Try to place the jack as close as possible to the wheel, this will take the load off of the ball joint so it can move freely when you test it. After the wheel is off the ground (about 4-5 inches), place your hand on top of the tire and use a pry bar under the tire to life the tire upwards. If either lower or upper ball joint is loose, you will feel it with your hand on the tire. Now to check the upper ball joint, leave the jack where it is, and push and pull the top of the tire. If the upper ball joint is loose, the tire will move in and out. On some volkswagens the lower ball joint can be checked with the car fully lifted in the air. Just place a prybar between the control arm and the steering knuckly and pry up and down gently. Record and play. These suspension problems will fail a safety inspection. Below is a video of a very loose lower ball joint on Toyota 4runner.

Underhood inspection

Now that the emissions is done, you may begin the full safety inspection. Inspect the wiper blades for tears then open the hood. Make sure the battery is safely secured and held down tight. While you'reunder the hood, take a look at the belts and check the engine fluids and note down any problems you may find. Also check for the emissions components under the hood such as the pcv valve, air pump (if originally equipped), the EVAP canister and any broken vacuum lines. A loose battery hold down or torn wipers will fail the safety inspection. Also if the hood latching mechanism is not working properly, this will fail safety too. Remember, even though a car may have passed the emissions test, missing or incorrectly emissions components will fail the safety inspection.

Emissions testing

DLC connector

It is now time to perform the emissions test. After entering your drivers license number into the emissions machine, the machine will tell you to scan the vehicle registration. This is why you verified its expiration date in the first step. From there follow the directions on the screen. It will have you enter the vehicle year, make, model, transmission type, registration county and GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating) if its a truck or minivan. Then you will have to perform the gas cap test. Connect the gas cap to the proper adapter located by the testing machine then connect the emissions air hose. begin the test and the machine will apply a set pressure to the gas cap to ensure it isn't leaking. When that is finished, connect the DLC(data link connector) to the DLC in the vehicle. This is the rectangular connector usually located on the driver side foot well, but some European cars have them on the passenger side or integrated into the center console. Start the car and press enter to begin the test and the machine will scan the car for any problems while it is idling. If all goes well, the test will be over in less than a minute and you will start writing the emissions sticker.

Exterior check

Upon pulling the vehicle back into the shop after the test drive, honk the horn to make sure it works and have a fellow employee assist in verifying all exterior lights are in working order. Any light that doesnt turn on when commanded to fails for the safety inspection. Be sure there arent any aftermarket equipment in front of any of the lights for this is grounds for a failuer and will require removal of the part prior to affixing a safety sticker. Broken lenses, missing lenses or cracked lenses will need replacing before a vehicle can pass the inspection. During the light check, walk around the car and check for any body damage or protruding body parts. Body damage may fail depending on the extent of said damage. If a bumper is just hanging on or flopping around or has sharp corners sticking out, that is considered a hazard and will fail.

Paperwork Verification

The first step before even getting in the car is making sure the registration and insurance is valid and is the correct one for the car you are going to work on. The paperwork must be valid prior to any testing because expiration dates are sent to the dmv through the emissions machine, and the state inspection record booklet. Verify that the VIN on the paperwork matches the VIN located on the lower left hand of the vehicles windshield. If so you may begin the second part of the inspection procedure.

Interior Inspection & Test Drive

Once inside the car check all of the mirrors for cracks and discolorations, and make sure the windshield wipers work properly and do not leave streaks. Windshield cracks can fail the safety inspection along with broken/missing door handles and non working window switches. The horn must also work and be easily audible. The interior check out  should take less than a minute. Now take the car out on the open road and see how the steering, brakes, and suspension feels. Listen for suspension and brake noise while driving. Also, if traffic permits, brake hard from a decent speed and feel for a brake shimmy or vehicle pull. This will give you tips on things to look for when you have the wheels off.