> Texas Car Insurance

Auto Inspection

Date: Apr 18, 2005
Contributor: Kelly Vento

Your Turn, NH:
If you’re in the business, an auto inspection is really expensive


EVERYBODY HAS a price they think their garage should charge for a state auto inspection and OBD II test. But has anybody ever sat down and figured out what’s involved? A state safety inspection takes a lot of time.

You take all four wheels off and check the pads and/or shoes, wheel cylinders, calipers, rotors and drums. Now check the front end for any damage, loose or worn ball joints, tie rod ends, leaking struts and worn or loose bearings.

If you have ever taken the drums off an older Toyota truck in the rear, well, you will know where I’m going with this. These are the worst things to get off if they are rusty. It takes heat to loosen bolts screwed into the drums and a lot of tapping and more heat and turning and tapping; then finally the drum loosens, and then it might come right off or you might spend more time. Finally it’s off. Not bad, an extra 15 minutes. Now do the other side.

Don’t forget the gas for the heat costs money.

Now we move on and check the exhaust — is it leaking anywhere; are the hangers good? Check the brake cables. Check the tires; if they are worn, check the tread depth, which must be no less than 2/32 of tread.

Seat belts work properly? All windows and doors work? All glass in good order? Now check the play in the steering wheel. It cannot move more than two inches before the wheels move.

Check all lights in the dash. Speedometer work? Parking brake holds the car in gear? Heater and defroster work? Check if it starts only in park and neutral. Horn work? Lights work?

Now get the headlight aimer out. The aimers to do this job cost me $900. You have to have them or you lose your certificate. It’s a must. Are we having fun yet?

You must check anything you think is a safety problem. Are we checking all the mirrors? Now get out the registration from wherever. Some people hide them in the worst places.

Check the VIN with the registration. If it’s OK, go on.

Now, this is not everything you’re supposed to be checking, but it’s the basics. How much time do you have so far? I would say an hour or more. Now get the OBD II computer out and turn it on. You’re supposed to have this out already. But I like to do safety first. I have a sign in my shop that says “safety first.” It works two ways.

Now you have to follow the instructions for this machine. Check the plate number and the registration. OK? Scan the VIN with scanner; it doesn’t always work but give it a try. If it doesn’t work, load it in by hand. Now you can start the test.

It takes about 90 seconds to scan the computer. But it has to make a call and let the main computer know what you’re working on and if it had been rejected once already.

Someone had said it only takes 90 seconds, but that’s not the whole truth. When you’re done with the OBD II test you have to tell the computer what you found wrong with safety check. This has to be done by hand. You have to tell it what you corrected.

Now load the sticker number in. Now it makes another call and tells mother the rest of the information. Another call? Is this another $3.40? Who knows. If you work for, let’s say, $15 an hour, which is about right for a technician — I use technician because a mechanic repairs a problem, a technician replaces a problem until it’s gone. So $30 in labor for the technician plus $3.40 times two for the calls. A separate telephone line is needed for this at $26 a month, plus a month’s lease at $50. Then $2.50 for the sticker, paper, ink, lights and power for the machine.

Do you think you can do it faster? Try it in your driveway and time yourself.

We will do this job for better air quality, but don’t tell us to work for half our paycheck. Fifty dollars for an inspection is not stealing money from you. It’s not even making a living.






For more information relating to "Auto Inspection ", please visit our Auto Inspection page.