So my inspection is due up this month, I had some free time so I decided to go take care of it.

I come up to the dmv grab my ticket and proceed. A stop sign appears, and a guy smoking a ciggerette tells me to have insurance blah blah ready, as he's puffing his ciggerette and talking to me. I pull to my garage to find more people who are going to inspect my car, but ofcourse these guys are outside finishing there ciggerettes and i'm calmly waiting inside the garage in my car. So after about 7 or 8 minutes they come check my stuff and start the inspection. TOOK THEM 25 MINUTES FOR THE INSPECTION. A man next to me, waiting on his 745li was in there for longer. Shows how expierenced they were, average inspection 10-12mins tops.

So they called me after the inspection and said you failed because your tail lights are after market and no d.o.t or s.a.e markings. Hands me the paper and walks away. I yelled back for him 'Boss, these aren't aftermarket!'. He comes back and says 'What?'. I told him 'These are stock every RX8 comes with these tail lights'. He says out of the blue yelling all frustrated 'Don't tell me young man i've been doing this a long time'. He cannot be older then 23 or 24. As we argued for about 10 more minutes, Then calls the manager and he says yeah every rx8 comes with these lights. The guy looks stupid. Then smiles and says 'you failed the underbody suspension too, so come back in 45 days when it's fixed'. I said 'Well thanks for taking up a hour of my time cause it was obvious you guys had no idea what you were doing, Thank you and i'll return within 45 days and maybe you guys then will know how to inspect a car properly'. And I left pissed. These DMV people really need to get there heads out of there asses. I look at the paper then, and they recommend a new damper replacement what ever that is. I can understand the suspension but don't sit there and argue with me telling me my own damn lights are aftermarket when I purchased them from the dealer that way.

Sorry guys, I feel better now.

 

damn, that guy is an idiot...

 

Do you have an aftermarket suspension? Is that not legal there? Experience means NOTHING! Too many people claim it does. For some it does mean something but for others it doesn't. he may have been inspecting for a while but he obviously isn't experienced with the RX-8. I wouldn't hold my temper very easily in a situation like that. I'd go get it inspected somewhere else and then come back to them and show them that there is someone more intelligent in the world than they are that actually realizes what a car is. I'd go as high up as possible to complain. File a complaint with the BBB. That's their job. They should know how to do it. Just be a royal pain in the *** about it. I would but I also hold a permanent grudge.

 

If dealerships in NJ offer inspections, I'd just go there. That is what I'm going to do in VA.

 

In NJ new cars do not need to be inspected till they are 4 years old. So the only 8's these people see are used ones sold via private parties. The guy you dealt with was full of crap. NJ contracts this out so call the company, I thinks its parsons.

 

BBB wont help here- its a state run facility.

you dont know what a damper is and you are talking about his ignorance? why were you so impatient in the first place? why did you start yelling instead of just expalining to him?

i understand he was wrong but just from your telling of the story it sounds like your impatience lead to you over reacting to the whole thing. 25 minutes is not long for a safety inspection. especially if one of the people doing it was unfamiliar with your car type. if he had done your "10-12mins tops" inspection he may have missed your damper problem. leaving you to find out when it breaks while you are driving on the NJ turnpike.

and since you dont know what a dmaper is why didnt you ask to be shown the problem area? that way you would know what the problem is and what needs to be done about it.

 

im sorry for my ignorance but i've never done a car inspection.....can someone explained why is this needed and when is needed? and do you get it in the mail as when u need it?.....i have no clue. this is my 3 car i've owned but first 2 i sold them within 2 or less years of ownership...thanks for the info

 

[QUOTE=zoom44]BBB wont help here- its a state run facility.

you dont know what a damper is and you are talking about his ignorance? why were you so impatient in the first place? why did you start yelling instead of just expalining to him?

i understand he was wrong but just from your telling of the story it sounds like your impatience lead to you over reacting to the whole thing. [QUOTE]


For one thing, It took me an hour and half. Last time I went with my dad, it took all of 15 minutes. And I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be too happy when they are smoking ciggerettes while your waiting. I had no where to go, I don't mind waiting, but do your job then have your ciggerette. On top of that, He yelled at me first OUT OF NO WHERE telling me how he has been doing this for ages when hes not more then a couple of years older then me. Telling me my lights are aftermarket. Don't tell me my lights are after market when they're not. It's simple, I can understand your not familiar with the car, take your time. And also he couldn't of told me in the first place I also failed for suspension instead of him yelling at me and disrespecting me by telling me I went out and got after market lights? Get serious.

And Rotarygod, no I have a stock suspension. The only aftermarket thing I have is a subwoofers in the trunk. And your right, When I fix my suspension, and if they fail me again I will go right to the top and complain. Then go somewhere else, pass the inspection and come back shove it in there faces.

 

The State owns them, but pays Parsons to run and build them. But I am not sure if they will do so after 8/2007

http://www.parsons.com/mobil/projects/project02.asp

 

thats why in 2009 when mine is up i dont plan on going to the state run facility

 

Government programs are so wonderful. No competition to improve customer service plus it takes a colossal screw up for a government employee to get fired and only after wasting thousands of tax payers dollars to do so.

I'm so thankful Indiana doesn't have inspections.....or license plates on the front of cars. We can also carry concealed weapons

 

I dont know NJ laws, but is it required to have the DMV do the inspection? I've lived in 5 different states, and I have never heard of anyone going to the DMV to get a state inspection. Your local mechanic shops usually do it a lot cheaper and it's been my experiance that they are not ball busters either. My 8 is pretty modded, and I have no problems passing.

 

Who takes their car to the DMV for inspection?

 

[QUOTE=NoTears316]I dont know NJ laws, but is it required to have the DMV do the inspection? I've lived in 5 different states, and I have never heard of anyone going to the DMV to get a state inspection. QUOTE]

It is not required but I chose to go there because it's the closest to me. And it is free at no charge. Mechanics do it for about $70+ here.

 

chiz you need to go to either lodi, wallington, union city, or jersey city.....im sure the car will pass a little bit easier there....they have some what more lax employees.....NJDMV doesnt charge for the fee's and regular shops do......so that why most people will suffer the brain damage of going to one.....personally im not taking the chance of passing or failing....

 

The NJ DMVs i've been to are a bit shady if you ask me. One of the inspectors actually said that they look at the person and their car, if its an older car, they have sympathy for you but if you look like some spoiled kid in a new car, they find a way to fail you (such as the RX-8 taillights). It's almost like you have to bring a Mazda brochure with you just in case little things like this happen and say look those lights are the same as the ones in this mazda brochure. So there seems to be some jealous type DMV inspection guys at some stations, i was suprised the guy was bragging about it to my friend and I

In addition, a few them also don't know which wheels drive the car, on the rollers, when my friend got his miata inspected, they were rolling the front wheels, and he had to them , its RWD! You would like to think that DMV inspection people are car people but apparently not.

 

right , forgot

i emailed people in your state government for details- ill post when i get them.


chizzer - you still sound a little hostile. so it was an hour and a half total. thats what happens some times when you go. we have state epa run emissions stations(no safety inspection in oregon)

once i went and i was the 2nd guy there. another time i went and i was about 13th in line. as far as smoking - they were taking a break- you get breaks at your work right?

of course this is Jersey and i understand there are issues around things like this. grow a thicker skin or move. dont sweat the small stuff. instead of "hey boss your wrong these are stock" next time try " hey could you show me what the issue is".

and you didnt answer my question- did you have them show the damper problem to you?

 

you mean, aside from the fact that you won't pass?

 

you don't fail for aftermarket tail lights in jersey anyway....i had them on my accord and I passed

 

Hey Chiz, How many miles are on your 8? I am sort of interested because the dampers are your shock absorbers, and if they failed them, assumingly, they are leaking oil. I would be interested in knowing how far they lasted.

Sorry that they were jerky boys to you. You might want to take a brochure for the car with you when you go back. That should be pretty convincing, and don't let this get you too bent. Idiots are everywhere ... and breeding.

 

You guys are right, but being first in line, and waiting a hour and half plus being disrespected is never good but it happens from time to time. It was my first inspection so I didn't know what to expect and was angry for them bring so harshe, but I guess it was a reality check I needed. Just got back from the gym so the tension is eased a bit.

Zoom44 - Nope, they did not show or tell me anything about the damper problem, they told me there's something wrong with the suspension and to come back whens its fixed. The paper says 'Front Suspension, Check suspension system components, Recommended damper replacement'.

Haze - I have about 34k and some change. I never really went over anything to damage it. But I doubt they would go at 34k miles. Or maybe they will who knows.

 

I don't know how you did, Because every stock light comes with a S.A.E code on each light. Tail lights and headlights. Maybe your aftermarket lights had the code built in?

 

The sad thing is I doubt there's anything wrong with your dampers. Sometimes the Northern States can be harder on cars with salt on the roads for winter but still, I doubt they're bad.

Best of luck.

Paul.

 

im a litle confused here...what kind of inspection did they do? I live in Chciago and the only inspection/test they do to the vehicles is an emissions test. Can someone explain to me what the inspection/test is for?

 

safety inspection-make sure the car conforms to DOT legalities and is road worthy