Real danger on the road

[Bpeep]

Like I've never seen the actual book which goes with the inspections. They want the mechanic to understand what they are after. Torn material on seat will not fail sorry! Do we want to hear it again...fix it and drive on on most all points. As one fellow said three vehicles, fixed and pass.

If you were familiar with it I think you'd have a different stance in your debate.
I'm also thinking you aren't aware what constitutes a fail.
If something requires "fixing", its a fail. And it can't pass until repaired.
It doesn't mean the vehicle is removed off the road permanently.

That little paper they hand you after the inspection is complete - pass or fail- is not what I'm referring to.
Most people will never see that book unless they operate or work in an inspection facility or are employed in certain positions with icbc.
It's very comprehensive and covers in detail any wear on any component.
Many people think just because a component exists it'll pass.
But that's where I disagree with the subjective nature of inspections.
It's up to the person. Many wont fail a rip in a driver's seat, yet I know some who will fail every single one.
I know shops who will measure pads and pass them yet have no clue the manufactures minimum .
Ditto for shops that fail a chipped windshield but others will pass a cracked one. A valve cover gasket that exhibits a sign of mild oil seepage (common on many vehickes) yet isn't dripping, just looks like thst dusty smear you commonly see, constitutes a fail. Will a shop fail it? Likely Not, but I've seen them do it quite a few times.

It's too subjective.

And it shouldn't be in the hands of private enterprise.

[kingsandman]

I've had two vehicles that I was importing fail inspection for reasons that could be considered "trivial".

First, I bought a car built for the SEMA show that had custom paint. As such, the paint scheme carried through the door jamb. There's a decal in the door jamb that has the VIN number. The inspection requires the VIN to be sighted in two separate locations, one of which being the tag riveted to the dash. The VIN was in numerous places on the car and was easily verified. However the inspector had already "failed" it for it not being present in the door jamb. The RIV (registry of imported vehicles) would only allow me to cancel the import request and reapply. As such I had to "export" the car back to the States, then re-import it. At that time they'd allow the car only after I showed an inspector the VIN locations.
The car passed with no problems and I was allowed to register it.

The second was a BMW 650i, approximately 14 months old. It failed because the Airbag instructions were not written in French on the Passengers side visor. As BMW "stencils" that on Canadian version cars, I was not allowed to have a decal made, my only choice was replacing the visor. None were available used in the correct colour with the correct vanity mirror so a new one had to come from overseas. 5 months and $1600 later.

An inspector signs that legal document and takes ownership of any defects he/she may have missed. If CVSE pulls that car over the next day and finds a defect the inspector overlooked, the inspector can lose their inspection abilities.

To say that the procedure is not in depth is short sighted, everyday it gets more and more strict. If it's followed to code, there's not a marked police vehicle on the planet that will pass. Most any vehicle can be found with something wrong if they look hard enough.......

[Bpeep]

What terrifies the owners of many certified inspection facilities, especially the smaller privately owned ones, is a vehicle being passed in their shop and being involved in a collision shortly after and icbc inspects it.
Icbc often inspects write offs to determine mechanical failure contributing to collision.

Owners of shops are afraid of losing their inspection priveledges, and rightly so.

I appreciate that vehicles need to be safe, but icbc's manual governing inspection is so comprehensive that pretty much any vehicle on the road can fail if a mechanic doing the inspection wants it to.

And I agree with kings. I bet I can fail every marked police car on the road.
I bet I can fail almost every car on the road.

[Opeeved]

I like the system they have in Germany.

Every 2 years, in order to renew your insurance, you have to bring your car in to get inspected by an approved facility called "TÜV" - commercial vehicles are every 6 months. You bring your car in, a simple but comprehensive inspection is done on the safety and condition of the vehicle and to make sure no illegal mods have been done. If your car passes, off you go with your new decal. If it doesn't pass, you're given X amount of days to repair it and have it reinspected. If the deficiencies are severe enough, the car doesn't leave the property. If you bring in your car for a service to a TÜV approved mechanic, and if they notice your tires are worn beyond the safety specifications, they get slashed on the spot - no word of a lie - I've seen it been done.

If you want to mod your car, first the part you want to instal has to be TÜV approved, then it has to be brought in for inspection after the installation. If it clears those two steps, it gets written in on your vehicles registration - this way, the police or any other inspector know that your vehicle parts have been approved. If your vehicle has parts on it that haven't been approved, lets say bigger or smaller wheels/tires, the vehicle is impounded.

No, I don't like that system at all. I'm not talking seized brake calipers or frayed belts etc. Obvious mechanical safety issues. As a few of us have agreed that it's ridiculous the comprehensive onus. It's punitive to those that can't afford to fix every little thing that's really not in essence safety related. Yes yes yes, driving is a privilege, when they stop building homes out instead of in, and provide decent public transport, that argument holds water. We're not Europe, we're the second largest land mass country in the world. And holy crap, can't afford to live in kelowna? The "responsible" thing is to move to where one can. Small/medium town in the middle of nowhere with no infrastructure, sure, try that without a car.

Not at messenger, the message.

[Opeeved]

A broken timing belt will also cause power steering and brake failure

I'm sorry, this just gave me a laugh. Of course it would, and Armstrong steering and heavy foot are the least of one's problems at that point.

I buy older used vehicles, because I'm sick of $500/month payments (all inclusive) and because I like to fix things myself. timing belt gone while driving? To the heap it goes.

[dogspoiler]

I'm sorry, this just gave me a laugh. Of course it would, and Armstrong steering and heavy foot are the least of one's problems at that point.

I buy older used vehicles, because I'm sick of $500/month payments (all inclusive) and because I like to fix things myself. timing belt gone while driving? To the heap it goes.

You think it's funny that someone could lose their brakes and steering on the road ?
Would you change your attitude if a pickup with brake failure was coming through your back window ?

[dirtybiker]

You think it's funny that someone could lose their brakes and steering on the road ?
Would you change your attitude if a pickup with brake failure was coming through your back window ?

Now, just so we are clear, I'm hoping you mean, "harder to use" not "fail"

The steering and brakes still operate without the power, one just has to apply
a more forceful pressure to get the required results.

Far from ideal, but they will still operate.

[dogspoiler]

There are a lot of drivers on the road that cannot handle their vehicles when the power assists quit working.

[dirtybiker]

There are a lot of drivers on the road that cannot handle their vehicles when the power assists quit working.

Surprising how strong even the frail and or weak can become when headed for that cliff/wall.

Moving on...

Bman brought up a great point, Licenced Inspection Facilities, and their Techs can all lose their
Certifications, for a Passing grade on a vehicle. They risk nothing by a Fail.
Some are really anal about it, some, not so much.

Subjective and Interpretation are all too often found to be a source of conflict.

3 different, well educated people, from the same field of expertise can interpret
one paragraph in 3 different ways.

Like it or not, how a person is has a certain amount to do with it.

If the Tech doesn't like the cut of the customers jib, it may reflect back on how
hard the vehicle gets scrutinized.

Fair ? No...Reality ? Abso lutely

[Opeeved]

I'm sorry, this just gave me a laugh. Of course it would, and Armstrong steering and heavy foot are the least of one's problems at that point.

I buy older used vehicles, because I'm sick of $500/month payments (all inclusive) and because I like to fix things myself. timing belt gone while driving? To the heap it goes.

You think it's funny that someone could lose their brakes and steering on the road ?
Would you change your attitude if a pickup with brake failure was coming through your back window ?

Now who's imagination is out of control? Clearly you missed the wording that you wrote and I was having a giggle at

[MAPearce]

After reading this thread and the Facebook thing he did , it's no wonder that he's taking a beating .....

One thing I know is I'll never EVER have my car held hostage again for one burnt filament in an 1157 at an additional cost of 40 bucks to replace on an 80 dollar oil change .....

The wife knows what to do now too...

[Ken7]

fluid levels, oil, belts.

Can you explain how that is a danger to any thing other than the condition of the engine ?

If a person neglects stuff like that , the engine will cease to move rendering the vehicle inert .. No movement , no moving hazard .

Drop a belt at rush traffic on the bridge, or have a fluid light, engine warning go on. I've seen it, people being hit even repairing a tire on a highway.

I do agree with you, but that would likely be the reasoning for it to be scrutinized.

[Ken7]

If you were familiar with it I think you'd have a different stance in your debate.
I'm also thinking you aren't aware what constitutes a fail.
If something requires "fixing", its a fail. And it can't pass until repaired.
It doesn't mean the vehicle is removed off the road permanently..

It all comes down to the individual doing the inspection and their discretion, and if for a moment you do not think I know if it's broken or worn out it's a fail, really. I am fully aware of all that. Been there and have done that.

As many have stated and I will just for you so you understand I'm fully aware, if a tire is bald, it''s a fail. They put two new ones one and you vehicle passes. A small tear on you seat passes, but if the mechanics a$$ is poked by a spring, yes you fail must be replace.


Thanks for your wealth of knowledge on this topic.

[Bpeep]

I think i know the inspection manual a bit better than you think i do...
No need to be condescending tho.
But i know cops and ex cops just hate to be corrected on something. They outright refuse to accept they can possibly be wrong about anything.

Your comments make it clear to me that you have no intimate knowledge of the inspection manual.
And that's ok. I accept that. Its you who cant.

Just because one is/was authorized to order an inspectuon does not mean they have detailed knowledge of the VIM.

And it doesn't take a tire to be bald to fail, nor does a spring need to protrude.

[Bpeep]

It all comes down to the individual doing the inspection and their discretion

Not quite.
It all comes down to the mechanic at a DIF correctly interpreting the info in the current VIM .
And thats where the problem lays imo.

If the vehicle inspection manual is literally interpreted theres likely very few cars that will pass.
Thats why i say, its way too comprehensive and way too detailed.
It should govern safety issues only, but it can constitute a fail on anything that exhibits any wear.
And it shouldn't be left to private enterprise to enforce. Inconsistency is rampant.

Intetesting that there's been many documented studies of private concerns taking the same vehical to numerous DIFs and some missing obvious defects, some passing and some failing.