Engine warning light?

[leilanidude]

Don't go to any of the chain type shops. Goodyear, Firestone, Lex Brodies, etc. They actually do an inspection because they want to find something wrong so that you have them "fix it" for you in order to pass.

[jrw]

The shop I went is a local shop who does alots of inspection.

jrw

[Durian Fiend]

quote:

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Originally posted by leilanidude

Don't go to any of the chain type shops. Goodyear, Firestone, Lex Brodies, etc. They actually do an inspection because they want to find something wrong so that you have them "fix it" for you in order to pass.

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Yes, and they may go so far as to conjure up a problem out of thin air that doesn't exist. Screw them.

Check engine light on is OK. Airbag light on is a fail.

[b_a]

What kind of vehicle is it?

Why not go get a free code scan so you actually KNOW what's wrong? Some failures cause your vehicle to go into a "limp-home" mode which burns extra fuel. Once you know the code, you can find out what it will take to fix - I like to google the code and my car make/model and see what webpages and YouTube "how-to" videos come up. Or post it here and one of us who works in automotive can look it up.

Most check engine light stuff is fairly easy to repair - the light indicates that a value coming into the computer is out-of-whack, and you just have to make it happy again.

...we are everywhere...

[Loretta]

Just Google how to turn off engine waring light and your make, model and year. It will all pop up. It is usually a combination of holding down certain buttons on the radio, odometer, etc. Has worked for us on numerous makes and models....both old and new. I think this is how the repair people do it after charging an arm and a leg.

[alaskyn66]

quote:

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Originally posted by Loretta
I think this is how the repair people do it after charging an arm and a leg.

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And used car dealers. It's called a service light reset. I believe. ( for easy googling)

[Durian Fiend]

quote:

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Originally posted by Loretta

Just Google how to turn off engine waring light and your make, model and year. It will all pop up. It is usually a combination of holding down certain buttons on the radio, odometer, etc. Has worked for us on numerous makes and models....both old and new. I think this is how the repair people do it after charging an arm and a leg.

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As Alaskyn says, you're describing how to clear an engine service light, for something like changing your oil. I think it's called maintenance minder on my wife's Honda.

The check engine light is different, because it's indicating a problem rather than a service interval. In any case, clearing a check engine code without fixing the underlying issue is futile, as the light will come back on after a few miles.

[Durian Fiend]

quote:

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Originally posted by glinda

Any questions regarding what is and isn't covered by a safety inspection is probably best answered by the rulebook itself. And, since all inspectors are now required to photograph the inspection, I suspect it's getting down to a one size fits all, i.e. play by the rules, situation, verses the it's all in who you know way it was in days gone by.

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A still image doesn't show 1/8 of an inch in play for a wheel bearing fail.
Besides, they don't photograph the entire inspection. It is not even close to a "one size fits all"-at least not yet.

[leilanidude]

They only take 2 pictures. One each of the front and back of the vehicle. I have been getting inspections for multiple vehicles since 2000 from about a dozen different places and none of them have ever driven the vehicle or even sat inside it. They have all had me stay inside so I could turn on lights, signals, etc while they walked around. New though in the last couple years is that they open the hood and check for fluid leaks. I have never used one of the chain places or new car dealerships though.

[pander75]

Does anyone know what happens if you fail one inspection? Can you just go to another place until you get a pass? Or do you get entered into some kind of database that you are a fail…?