Safety and emissions

I've been asked questions about this before so i'll try to give a few pointers for how to prepare for this test.

The information I'm going over is related to the standards set by the state of Utah, every state is different so your mileage may vary.

A basic rule before getting your test done is to know whether or not you need the test at all.  in 2011 cars from 2010 to 2006 that are even numbered do not need a test, if its an odd year car you will need it. If your from out of state these standards are the same (you want utah plates you go by utah standards, likely the same for other states too)

call ahead of time to see when the best time to come in is.  its easy and beats waiting in line for excessive time.

Make sure you have proper paperwork with you at the time of the test.  You are required to have your current registration and insurance in your car at ALL times.  make sure to have these with you and easily accessible to whoever might need it.  If you just bought the car the title/bill of sale are acceptable to bring so long as your information is on it and its accurate 100%

A law in Utah is that inspectors are not allowed to tell you if your car 'fails' prior to the test. Its the law.  If your curious as to whether or not something might be rejected ask us what the law regarding that specific thing is. we can tell you the written law but we're not supposed to outright say "yeah that'll fail"

Before you take it to be tested stop and think if theres anything that might cause a rejection.  is that crack in the windshield too long? are your windows tinted too dark? what about your tires? from your knowledge of your car think about whats not working right, you might need to fix it.

Now you can go get tested. when you arrive it'll take (should) around 20 minutes to test it properly.  The older the car the more time it'll take.  schedule enough time so your not in a rush.

Be polite and respectful, it does you no good to cause a scene by screaming and yelling if your car is rejected.  remember your still in public.  make sure you understand what the problem is, we're here to help you. and remember you might have to go back.

If you feel your car has been rejected for an unjust reason, contact the Utah highway patrol.  They're in charge of the safety portion of the program and the emissions is controlled by the Salt lake valley health department (SLVHD) if you have questions or concerns let them know.

There are many places in Utah that can inspect cars.  Dealerships, some gas stations, jiffylube and its spin offs, and there are locations that only do safety and emissions.  And they all have different types of people and standards for what is inspected (although they all should be the same... their not)

jiffylubes (and likely their spinoff's) are not repair stations, they are inspection stations.  They cannot make major repairs on your vehicle. where as a dealership can.  so take into consideration who you go to for the inspection and whether or not you trust them.

Being an inspector I have seen many many MANY cars, yours is not special to me.

Every year (seriously) the rules change so if your car passes for something your aware of, don't be surprised if it doesn't pass next year, the more risque the more likely it is to be rejected.

If your car passes for something and fails the next year, remember we are all human.  it might have passed last year because the inspector was careless/forgot/didn't care/whatever.  report any concerns to their respective overseers

Your car/truck/motorcycle/RV is not exempt from anything in the safety and emissions program. Period. If its explicitly marked in our manual its liable to whatever standard is set.

Get your car inspected at the same place every year.  Build a (positive) reputation at your station of choice, don't go to new ones every year, you'll wish you didn't.

We understand some of you are curious about what happens during testing, the more you bother your inspector the longer it takes for the test to finish.  I personally hate it when people look over my shoulder. Be patient.

Building a relationship with your station is important, it allows you to better understand who it is your working with.  And their more likely to want to talk to you and help.

As an inspector I hate cars with little 'nuances'.  if it takes a group of scientists to open your door/roll down the windows/start the car. be aware that those might be grounds for rejection based on the severity.

Your car is your responsibility, you bought it you get to fix it. you are 1 out of potentially 20+ cars a day that get this test at a single station.

The month your car is due, is when its supposed to be done.  If its due in February, do it in February. Not March/July/November/January.  And the further you push the inspection to the end of the month, thats time lost to getting repairs done.  If you show up on the last day of the month and get rejected its YOUR fault.  Don't blame us for your procrastination.  If you do go over the month and get pulled over, show the officer your getting the work done, there is no guarantee he won't ticket you.

Take into consideration the condition of your car, not based on your standards.  everyone loves their car.  what you might see as your precious point A to point B car. is potentially the next pile of crap to be tested. cars are not created equal (especially when owners are added to the equation) your car might meet your expectations but your expectations are not the same as Utah's.

If you feel that a certain rejection is outrageous, take a moment to consider why it might be a rejection.  broken bumpers that stick out can cause injury to people walking by.  Battery braces keep your battery from causing fires or even exploding.  cracked windows obscure your line of sight.

Check engine lights/ service engine soon lights are a big deal.  If that little orange light is on, something potentially serious is wrong with your car.  the longer you drag it out, the worse it can become and therefore, more expensive to repair.

Many vehicles that come in are not ready for the emissions test (if your car is '96 and newer), that comes up on your paperwork as 'not ready' that means you have disconnected your battery or have battery issues and memory is not being kept in the cars computer.  Getting a car ready shouldn't be difficult if you follow the proper procedure.  all makes and models are not created equally when it comes to 'not ready' status.  Some are easy and many are not.  If you come up not ready call the dealership of your make.  Ask them for the "Manufacturers recommended drive cycles" doing this will optimize your chances of becoming ready by the time you return.  Keep in mind it may take more than one try.

Big expensive cars have big expensive repairs, end of story. things like oil changes and light bulbs turn into big deals the more you pay per month. Big brand names are big bucks every month.  that payment is not the only major expense you'll make with that car from gas to oil to wiperblades.

thats about it, if I remember something I'll add it later.  feel free to pass this information on to other people you know.

Rage (Homework)

My life is stressful.  Every moment of everyday.  At work is where I’ll focus cause that’s where the brunt of my stress happens.  Now I’m just a messenger, here to inform you.  You however, don’t see it that way.  What I do for work is inspect cars.  I go out of my way to look into every nook and cranny, every crevice and open space.  Any rubber pieces or rubbing metals.  This is what I do.
But the rules I work by are not of my own decision, if something is 2/32 out of spec its my job to make sure to tell you that this has to be fixed.  But instead of acting like civilized people who are respectful and understanding, they let out a form of rage equal to the power of the sun.
A white truck, just a small one.  The owner says its for his job, seems like a nice fellow.  I do my job and his turn out comes red.  I tell him of his windshield that is out of legal acceptance.  After five minutes of explaining that he has no choice but to fix it he refuses to pay.  I’m fed up by this time and allow my manager to deal with it.  Him and the customer walk out and view the situation.  I’m gone, working on other things.  After a minute I hear “Scott call the cops!” my heart races like I’ve stomped on the gas.  I whip my phone out and dial those three little numbers.  The cop appears “Pay them or come with me” lets just say he paid.
A family’s mini-van.  Dad brought it in to get its inspection.  He informs me that he has disengaged his horn cause his child has seizures or something like that.  A stupid move if you ask me, but I take it in stride.  If I decide to make him fix it he’ll just drive down the road, fix it and come right back.  I mark it in my notes and continue.  I sit in the car and almost fall into the backseat.  His seat is broken, and not in a simple way.  I mark him red for that and he leaves.  Time goes by and I have a phone call, its dad.  Talk about upset.  He thinks I’m a pushover, he doesn’t know me very well.  “I can’t afford to fix that!” he said “See if you can get a waiver from the highway patrol” I reply “I don’t think that’ll work!” “Then get it fixed” we repeat this process for a few minutes.  Me just sending him in circles and him getting even more mad with every lap we run.  He hangs up on me and I smile in victory, I haven’t seen him since.
An orange jeep.  Now this one I didn’t do personally but I was there for the storm it brought.  Daughters jeep needs smaller tires, she doesn’t really care.  Daddy however does, quite a bit.  He pulls into our lot like he’s in a race “Where is your inspector!!” he yells, making over exaggerated hand gestures.  Turns out his inspector is our manager, and he too has a short fuse.  Staying out of eyesight me and my colleagues listen in on the back and forth.  Daddy storms out to his car, arms flailing like he was on fire and our manager on his heels pointing his finger.  He probably wished it was a gun, I know I would “You people are outrageous bastards!!” Daddy yells out “You sir are out of control” manager yells back.  I don’t like our manager but its moments like this that made me glad he was around, makes things entertaining for the rest of us.
 A white jeep.  This one was pretty recent.  Surprise surprise, it’s another jeep with big tires.  This one also came over the phone.  “Those tires have been that way for over ten years and everyone has passed them!” he says with a stern and upset tone “Says here in the book its got to be dealt with” we go back and forth he wants me to pass his truck and I say no.  He hangs up and I never hear from him again.
It seems to me that people like to make me the bad guy, when in actual standing I’m not.  I’m here as a representative, a messenger.
I would like to apologize for protecting you from yourself, cause its all my fault.