In order to make sure that the vehicle is safe on the road, there is a regular technical inspection. In most states of the USA drivers are required to resort to this procedure every year. Today you will learn how the vehicle inspection takes place and what you need to do to pass it successfully.
Checking the car for safety is a very important event, but it will only take about fifteen minutes. This time is quite enough for a specialist to carefully check the most important systems of the car. There is a standard list of what mechanics always pay attention to during the inspection.
1. Condition of the vehicle’s brake system
Faulty brakes often lead to serious accidents on the road, so they are always checked. We advise you to check the brakes yourself every day before starting any trip. You can start moving only if you are sure that they are working properly. Do not forget that during the inspection they will definitely look at the emergency brake.
Take time to check the parking brake. If it doesn’t work, your car will pose a threat to other drivers on uneven terrain.
2. Liquid leakage
Your vehicle may be a threat to the environment and other drivers if a liquid leak occurs. Make it a rule to look under your car in the parking lot every day. You have to make sure that the liquid does not leak out onto the asphalt and does not accumulate on the vehicle parts.
At the same time, the absence of leakage does not give you automatic confidence in passing the inspection. This is just a small part of the comprehensive verification.
3. Seat belts
As you know, in the event of an accident, a seat belt can save lives and prevent serious injuries. While driving, you must always be properly fastened. Therefore, during the vehicle inspection, mechanics check the condition of the seat belts, whether they are available to the driver, whether there are seat belts on the rear seats.
4. Tire condition
Keep in mind that if the tire tread is worn out, you have no chance of successfully passing a safety check. Bald tires are dangerous because they can lead to an accident and generally explode on the road. When you change tires, make sure that they are the same size and the same brand. Every day, you can also visually assess the volume of tires in order to notice damage in time. This is also necessary because one of the wheels does not suddenly go down while driving.
5. Windshield and serviceability of headlights
The mechanic will see if there are any cracks and chips on the windshield of your car. Damages in these places are unacceptable, because they impair visibility and slow down the driver’s reaction speed. A great tip is to use a clean cloth and a wiper to remove dirt from the inside and outside in time. This will also help you to detect small cracks and have time to sign up for a repair shop before passing a vehicle inspection. Separately, you should think about the wipers. Low-quality wipers scratch the glass and leave streaks, in this case it is better to replace them.
You need to remember that other road users may not notice a car with its headlights not working at night or in bad weather. Therefore, it is better to check that the vehicle has working new light bulbs without amateur modifications. The mechanic will want to make sure that the high beam and low beam, as well as emergency flashing lights and turn signals are working properly. You can additionally take care of the cleanliness of the headlights if you regularly clean the headlights with a damp cloth from road dirt and dust.
During the inspection of the car, they usually also pay attention to the dashboard and check whether the odometer readings are correct in order to exclude a rollback.
Remember that there are no minor details for the safety of the car. For example, some car owners drive a car with a non-working sound signal. This makes it impossible for them to prevent an accident in some cases, and therefore it is necessary to repair this breakdown.
It may seem ridiculous to you, but drivers often forget their driver’s license or other important documents when passing a technical inspection. Do not forget that the insurance should also be in order. Check the validity period of the insurance documents in advance and, if necessary, extend it.
Why is it so important to successfully pass a technical inspection for the first time? This will not only save you from unnecessary stress and worries, but also help you save money. To come for a second check of the car, you again waste your personal time.
Separately, you should think about checking a used car before buying, if you do not want to get an unpleasant surprise later when passing a technical inspection. Do not forget to check the VIN of the vehicle. This number is unique for each car, and therefore you will know exactly the information about the vehicle that you are planning to purchase. You can use Epicvin’s VIN check to get valuable data on validity of a used car, its history and current market value. This will help you to find out in advance about hidden damage, because of which you may not pass the vehicle inspection.