from the horse's mouth (EPA/CARB at SEMA)

compu_85 · Dec 16, 2019

Shameful. Having a yearly safety inspection is a pain I glady put up with in VA.

-J

oilhammer · Dec 16, 2019

It used to be every year, then it went to every other year, then it went to nothing for the first five years (new car purchase, used cars still require it), now it is the 10 years/150k miles.

We have already seen loads of cars through here that would have failed. Turning into Illinois.

Lightflyer1 · Dec 16, 2019

I would imagine they don't need testing so much when they are furnished with a list of owners and vin's to deal with. If you can't show dealer proof of being set right to stock then no pass and no registration. At some point confiscation and crushing. The dealers can tell what is up and what deletes and tuning has occurred. It wouldn't be that hard to implement.

MPLSTDI · Dec 16, 2019

turbobrick240 said:
Wow. Sounds like GDE might be facing fines based on the number of tunes out in the wild. I having a feeling most customers won't be responding to the letter.

I don't have a delete tune, as I have an 06. I don't think I ever got a letter from them nor do I expect to. (I will not put the factory tune back on either.)

kjclow · Dec 16, 2019

oilhammer said:
The testing here (both safety and OBD) keeps losing its "tooth" so to speak, so I very much doubt anything will happen here. Besides, these gross polluters in question (domestic trucks with over 8500 GVWR) are not even OBD tested anyway (no 8500+ GVWR truck is, regardless of fuel type).

They just kicked the safety inspections now to 10 years or 150k miles. So until then, you get a free pass. Bald tires, inoperative lights or brakes, smashed windshields, suspension falling apart... all of which can most certainly happen in the first 10 years or 150k miles of a vehicle's life... will not be subjected to anything to be legal.

The humor of state inspections is that in NC you have to have operating windshield wipers, but not an actual windshield. Diesels here are only subject to the safety piece of the inspection. Your dash can be lit up lie a Christmas tree but if you tires are good, your horn and brake lights work, you're set for another year.

IndigoBlueWagon · Dec 16, 2019

oilhammer said:
We have already seen loads of cars through here that would have failed.

Several years ago I was driving to Ann Arbor in a snowstorm to meet up with club folks and go to the Detroit Auto Show (oilhammer you were there in your MK2!). All the way up MI Route 23 cars were spinning out into the median and off the road. I kept thinking, "this is Michigan, people should know how to drive in snow." When I got to Ann Arbor I asked compu_85 why this was happening. His response: "No safety inspections in Michigan. Bald tires." Amazing.

oilhammer · Dec 16, 2019

Yep, bald tires and snow are not good together. I cannot remember if I had my snows on the Jetta or not. That car was EXTREMELY good in snow. 52hp means it had built in traction control, with no need for fancy electronics. It simply didn't have the power to spin the tires. That car would idle along in first gear through snow so deep it would pile up over the bumper and block the headlights, and I'd have to stop, get out, clear the snow off the bumper so I could see, and continue on.

IndigoBlueWagon · Dec 16, 2019

As I recall you did not have the snows on. The storm wasn't expected, although in Michigan in January I guess you should always expect snow.

I'm mystified by how attached people are to having AWD and/or traction control. The only time IBW had even come close to getting stuck is when it's been high centered on heavy snow. Even then I can rock it free.

Wisconsin doesn't have state inspections either. Takes pressure off me because I don't have to worry about my son's ALH failing (not that it should). But I think it really creates hazards on the road.

jmodge · Dec 16, 2019

We didn’t used to have the traffic issues up here that we do now. The population has just exploded in Michigan. I think our State marketing department paid to have it advertised in magazines as one of the greatest places to live. Highways are clogged with people driving like they’re drafting in a NASCAR race.

Matt-98AHU · Dec 16, 2019

IndigoBlueWagon said:
Several years ago I was driving to Ann Arbor in a snowstorm to meet up with club folks and go to the Detroit Auto Show (oilhammer you were there in your MK2!). All the way up MI Route 23 cars were spinning out into the median and off the road. I kept thinking, "this is Michigan, people should know how to drive in snow." When I got to Ann Arbor I asked compu_85 why this was happening. His response: "No safety inspections in Michigan. Bald tires." Amazing.

Even more amazing out here is the frequency of car spinning out with the first serious rainfall of the year.

People driving extra slow, cars off everywhere... just about like first snow in Michigan... except just for rain in California.

Used to drive faster in the snow than most do in the dry around here... of course that was in a car that had been reasonably well kept up and had snow tires on it.

Surprisingly, for all the creative new government agencies this state likes to create to regulate almost everything, we also don't have safety inspections here. Just emissions checks every 2 years. And I think new cars get a pass for the first 8 years they're on the road... except they get to pay an extra "smog abatement" fee with their annual registration ($20), which doesn't make much sense, but there you go. California simultaneously sort of encouraging the adoption of new cars but also making you pay more for the pleasure at the same time, you just don't have to spend the extra time going to have the smog check done every 2 years for the first 8 years of the car's life.

Rrusse11 · Dec 16, 2019

"Even more amazing out here is the frequency of car spinning out with the first serious rainfall of the year." Matt-98AHU

I've run into exactly the same problem when living in Sydney, AU.
Dry roads for months, oil and rubber build up on the surface.
First rain starts lifting the greasy film, bingo, ice skating.
It does wash off, eventually,,,,,,,.

kjclow · Dec 17, 2019

In Charlotte, as soon as the weather turns questionable, rain, ice, or snow, most everyone speeds up. I guess the mentality is that the sooner I get home, the safer I'll be.

Matt-98AHU · Dec 18, 2019

Rrusse11 said:
"Even more amazing out here is the frequency of car spinning out with the first serious rainfall of the year." Matt-98AHU

I've run into exactly the same problem when living in Sydney, AU.
Dry roads for months, oil and rubber build up on the surface.
First rain starts lifting the greasy film, bingo, ice skating.
It does wash off, eventually,,,,,,,.

While the first rain after months of having none is certainly slicker than you might expect, it's still to me nothing compared to driving on snow. The biggest issue seems to be those whose vehicles are not prepared for the conditions, the most obvious being old, dry rotted and bald or near bald tires.

How soft or hard the compound is makes a huge difference as well. Buying the cheap tires gets you noticeably worse results. I've had some tires that were actually rated pretty well, but were terrifying in the rain. Put on a different brand of tire with a very different compound and it completely transforms how the vehicle handles the conditions.

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S3s are pretty ridiculous for their wet weather grip. There were things I did with a car shod with those tires that I would have never attempted with some of the cheaper tires I've used before. The difference in grip is astounding between just "OK" tires and very good tires in such conditions.

Of course most people don't realize this if they ever try to probe the limits even a little in a safe, controlled space where there are no other vehicles around, of course.

IndigoBlueWagon · Dec 18, 2019

Most people couldn't name the brand of tires on their car, much less the category.

Lightflyer1 · Dec 18, 2019

and or mixed or mismatched sets. Besides they don't seem to make the same tires every time you need some. After a few years go back and try and find the same ones you liked and generally speaking they don't have those any more. It is hit or miss every time as far as I am concerned. I research them on Tire Rack but that is about the best you can do. I generally replace all 4 at once and sometimes the spare depending on its age.

You should see the people down here try and drive the few times it snows. We have a road that has about a 50 foot drop into a low spot. You could see the people pull up to the edge of it and think "I can make it" even though there were already several cars down there. I spent most of the day in my Jeep CJ-7 with chains pulling people out for free. I just asked them "What were you thinking when you drove right on in there?".

Matt-98AHU · Dec 19, 2019

IndigoBlueWagon said:
Most people couldn't name the brand of tires on their car, much less the category.

You're not wrong.

I just get a chuckle out of every time I hear the local newsradio station cautioning drivers to take it easy when a little moisture falls from the sky as if it were even remotely comparable to snowy conditions.

The real issue is poorly maintained vehicles on crap tires and drivers who don't have a clue.

Maybe if driver's ed taught a little chassis dynamics and put some of that into a physical test? Nah, that's asking way too much. Let's continue to dumb everything down instead.

IndigoBlueWagon · Dec 19, 2019

It's like the news stories local stations run when fuel prices go up reminding owners to check their tire pressures and change their air filters. Really? Do they think anyone who hears that story does that?

RIP TDI · Dec 19, 2019

Lightflyer1 said:
You should see the people down here try and drive the few times it snows. We have a road that has about a 50 foot drop into a low spot. You could see the people pull up to the edge of it and think "I can make it" even though there were already several cars down there.

That's the funniest thing I've read in a long time!

Lightflyer1 · Dec 19, 2019

IndigoBlueWagon said:
It's like the news stories local stations run when fuel prices go up reminding owners to check their tire pressures and change their air filters. Really? Do they think anyone who hears that story does that?

The news the other day stressed the real importance of the "new" procedure of using nitrogen in your tires and how much safer it would be for everyone. Like air hasn't worked for years and years. Just check them and make sure they have the correct pressure. No need to pay for special nitrogen fills. Slow news day and dumb reporters.

oilhammer · Dec 20, 2019

I have been successfully running a 78% nitrogen concentration in my tires for decades. Seems to work pretty well.

MPLSTDI · Dec 20, 2019

oilhammer said:
I have been successfully running a 78% nitrogen concentration in my tires for decades. Seems to work pretty well.

Same here! Such a smart@$$

turbobrick240 · Dec 20, 2019

I like to add 1% argon as a preservative. Nothing worse than stale nitrogen.

redbarron55 · Dec 20, 2019

The pure nitrogen helps me get 100 years out of my tires when stored in sealed bags.
Limited usefulness on the road

jackbombay · Dec 20, 2019

oilhammer said:
I have been successfully running a 78% nitrogen concentration in my tires for decades. Seems to work pretty well.

%78 is the sweet spot for saving money, I run it in my bicycle and motorcycle tires as well! It's easiest to just air up all the tires with the same mix.

Lightflyer1 · Dec 21, 2019

To really save money I actually breathe the stuff too. No issues in 61 years now. Not to mention all previous generations of my family have done the same with no problems. Why the stuff is good for a vast multitude of uses! The best part is it's one of the few free things around too. There is literally a whole vast atmosphere of the stuff around to use.

nicklockard · Dec 21, 2019

I make a custom blend of gas for filling your car's tires. It contains 78.09% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.04% carbon dioxide, and small amounts of other, proprietary gases with 15% RH (as used).

I will sell a scuba bottle of 300 bar (enough to fill 325 tires!) for $225 with an $800, fully refundable bottle damage deposit. PM me to buy yours now! Act fast! This is a Christmas/New Year's 2019/2020 special.

This product is environmentally friendly and safe to breath. 100% certified organic and 100% fair harvest too.

Lightflyer1 · Dec 21, 2019

Shipping must be a mother for that! I will sell you a device that doesn't use any electricity and will fill your tires and also any other inflatables you may have with the exact same mixture at safer pressures to use for $20. No huge deposit and they last nearly forever. Why invest over $1k when you can get the same result for $20 shipping included, with me?

nicklockard · Dec 21, 2019

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You don't want to have to buy new shoulder joints, do you!? Of course not. Act now and get a bottle of A.I.R. with free shipping. PM me your credit card info and use promo code: freeA.I.R to take advantage of this amazing deal.

Lightflyer1 · Dec 21, 2019

Hauling around that 30 to 40 pound tank isn't exactly going to keep you high and dry either. With mine you also get the benefit of a great cardio workout to help with your health. Not to mention mine is compact and safe for air travel as well. Try and get that scuba tank on board a commercial airliner. Not going to happen.

I guess we have had enough fun with this by now. Just use air and keep your tires inflated to the proper pressure.People should be doing this already though along with checking their oil level at every fill. Back in the good old days someone came out and did all of this for you. I can't remember the last full service gas station I saw.

jmodge · Dec 22, 2019

Lightflyer1 said:
. Back in the good old days someone came out and did all of this for you. I can't remember the last full service

Gaylord Michigan this past summer, free air, no shipping

from the horse's mouth (EPA/CARB at SEMA)

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