Mass Inspection


quahog

GT Owner
Mar 12, 2017
36
Cape Cod
Those GT's registered in Mass. must now have the tech drive your car into the inspection bay. In the past I was allowed to do this myself. No More ! says Mass Vehicle Check. Not sure how some of you feel about the liablility and risk w/ some young getting behind the wheel.... quahog
 

djs

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Jun 7, 2007
2,082
I think I would politely tell them to go perform an unnatural act. Is this the emissions test? In IL, the owner drives into the inspection bay. It’s pretty cut and dry.
 

Sinovac

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 18, 2006
5,832
Largo, Florida
The State knows better than you. Hush
 

MAD IN NC

Proud Owner/ BOD blah bla
Mark IV Lifetime
Feb 14, 2006
4,211
North Carolina
One place in NC wanted to put the car on the lift.... did not happen!!!!!
 

Specracer

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Nov 28, 2005
7,081
MA
I am in MA, and I have a sympathetic inspection station, and they let me drive it in. Ive already talked to the owner, we are going to take some time, and Ill show him the jack points, Ill bring a hockey puck for protection, and he will jack the car up personally (vs his tech).

For those not in MA, our procedures changes back in October, where they take photos of the front/ back, vin, even a head shot of the tech. They also have a video camera in the bay. No fun, if you have a vehicle that is non compliant.
 

junior

GT Owner
Mar 9, 2007
1,151
So Cal
A petition should be signed and sent to the EPA or whoever the other geniuses are who created this exempting late models low production vehicles from this nonsense. 5000 cars or less, year 2005+ :biggrin. You should see this dog and pony show we have to endure here in Cali, I mean replace your battery and you're screwed with monitors re-setting, my friend and I had to got through the driving cycles on his GT and his 599 just to reset the darn monitors. At least Ford will make the driving cycle available to you for this exercise, but nope, not the Italians :rofl.
 

Specracer

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Nov 28, 2005
7,081
MA
I own a code scanner now because of the monitors. I now make sure the car is "ready" before going. Here you get a "reject" sticker, and 60 days to fix it. But if you get too many reject stickers, you have to take it in to a sate inspection, where they will really go after the car.
 

AJB

GT
Mark II Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Jun 28, 2006
2,943
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Another 'plus' for living in Michigan ..!! (I recall the hassle of State inspections when I lived in Pennsylvania)
andy (ajb)
 

campgreenlake

GT Owner
Sep 10, 2007
96
Florida
The same here in Florida. Just show your FL drivi
ers license and insurance card and pay your fee.
 

CJ428

Farm GT
Mark II Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
May 21, 2008
1,473
NJ
What's inspection
 

roketman

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Oct 24, 2005
7,994
ma.
My ford dealer lets me drive it in
Acton Ford in Acton Ma
 

quahog

GT Owner
Mar 12, 2017
36
Cape Cod
Mass inspection

I have not approached my local friendly station. I am not concern of failing. I did contact the state for some kind of waiver. :" Only the inspector can drive vehicles into the bay or they will be fined and /or shut down ".... A camera is afixed to the inspector. Most ordinary jacks won't even slde under to reach the stantions. Appreciate the local responces . quahog
 

Specracer

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Nov 28, 2005
7,081
MA
If I HAVE to, Ill take my own jack that works (I have already taken wood ramps to get some of our lowest cars into the bay, because there is a sharper transition to get in). This will be the 1st year that they bother to even think about jacking it up. We shall see next week.

Yes of course the sate is going to take a "hardo" approach, but in reality the local station may choose to bend the rules for you. I have all of our vehicles inspected at this same location, so I have an ongoing relationship with the owner. His take, he wants nothing to do with his team even touching the car in any way.
 

33Bravo

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Nov 3, 2006
688
Minneapolis, MN
Years ago we had inspections in Minnesota. Someone did a study that determined the pollution caused by the drives to the station was far more than the few cars found out of compliance. The program was dismantled (Yay!).
 

ChipBeck

GT Owner
Staff member
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Feb 13, 2006
5,769
Scottsdale, Arizona
For those of us who don’t have an inspection like this, what the hell are they inpecting for? We have emission tests in Arizona but they don’t require any state employee driving the car anywhere and they certainly don’t require it being jacked up or put on a lift.

Chip
 

twobjshelbys

GT Owner
Jul 26, 2010
6,053
Las Vegas, NV
For those of us who don’t have an inspection like this, what the hell are they inpecting for? We have emission tests in Arizona but they don’t require any state employee driving the car anywhere and they certainly don’t require it being jacked up or put on a lift.

Chip

We lived in MA from 86-96 and they didn't do emissions tests when we were there.

I worked for DEC in Phoenix in the 70's and helped set up the computer systems inside the Arizona emissions stations in Phoenix and Tucson. They did a tailpipe sniff on a roller at various speeds idle through (at the time, 55) max. (They call it a dyno although technically it isn't). Colorado used the same system as Arizona (by Hamilton Test systems who was the big DEC customer). They wouldn't run my GT on the roller because of the wide tires and high horsepower although they did check the cats and knew about the fake cat bumpouts in the one exhaust system. Nevada does an emissions like CA - just an OBDII "no codes" test (ie, no Check Engine light and all systems ready). Although NV does have some kind of tailpipe test since the car in front of me had one stuck up his a** and it ran for about 10 minutes (but only at idle).
 

AJB

GT
Mark II Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Jun 28, 2006
2,943
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
just the government trying to make some money ....
andy (ajb)
 

twobjshelbys

GT Owner
Jul 26, 2010
6,053
Las Vegas, NV
just the government trying to make some money ....
andy (ajb)

Powered tests like AZ and CO are worthless on new vehicles. The OBDII check tells you enough. CO only has the testing in the front range where they also do a drive-by test and mail you an exemption if you get something like three good samples. They set up on freeway ramps alot and my daughter got one for her car.
 

FENZO

GT Owner
Mark II Lifetime
Jul 7, 2008
1,518
Lafayette, CO
Speaking of CO... first time I took my GT in there was a very young guy who was to drive it into the test zone and set up for the test. Several seconds after he started it the garage shook, even with the doors open, as he gave it a bit too much throttle (I have an x-pipe). There is a glass hall where you can watch everything but I opened the door quickly to look out, the manager saw the look on my face... I wasn't sure if I was about to see it accelerate uncontrolled across the garage. Anyway, the manager took over and was very gentle and apologetic. Every person in there was pinned to the glass. No harm, no foul. :lol

Next time the manager (same guy I think) brought it in and didn't appear to do anything but fill out the paperwork and sent me on my way.

Every time I see the road tester out I try to drive by it a few times.
 

AJB

GT
Mark II Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Jun 28, 2006
2,943
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
so, as I said earlier.... the Government charges you for this "test "?
ajb (andy)