[bobsiopener]

So i took my Milano into get inspected at the state inspection facility here in NJ and while i'm in the waiting area i notice that these guys are taking forever doing the light inspection, they had the lights on flashed the Hi's momentarily a few times then i have no idea what they were doing. The car failed and he said that it was emissions and the turn signals wouldn't stay clicked. At the moment i was thinking he was saying that they wouldn't turn off after you turned (not realizing he had no way of knowing this) about 2 miles from the inspection facility I realized that the jerk when trying to get the hi beams to stay on had Just kept pulling on the lever with force even thought thats not how you turn them on. Now my turnsignal lever is shot and my search begins for a new one. I'll be heading over there tomorrow to let him know he's an idiot!!

 

[Zunige]

So i took my Milano into get inspected at the state inspection facility here in NJ and while i'm in the waiting area i notice that these guys are taking forever doing the light inspection, they had the lights on flashed the Hi's momentarily a few times then i have no idea what they were doing. The car failed and he said that it was emissions and the turn signals wouldn't stay clicked. At the moment i was thinking he was saying that they wouldn't turn off after you turned (not realizing he had no way of knowing this) about 2 miles from the inspection facility I realized that the jerk when trying to get the hi beams to stay on had Just kept pulling on the lever with force even thought thats not how you turn them on. Now my turnsignal lever is shot and my search begins for a new one. I'll be heading over there tomorrow to let him know he's an idiot!!

Be very, very polite, and you should be able to get a supervisor to approve them paying for it...

Best regards,

 

[DOM!]

The same exact thing happened to me (except they didn't break it.) I had just replaced the faulty one after buying the car and went to get it inspected. The ding dong person kept yanking on the stalk but I could watch her do it through the window. When I realized she was trying to turn on the high beams I came busting out of the waiting booth yelling (having just paid 80 bucks for the switch.) They yelled at me and said I can't leave the booth and I just pushed past to show them how you push on the end of the stalk. The switch seemed very loose after that and she failed me for a rust hole. Wow was I ticked!

 

[AlfaDuc]

Umm, should this be added to the list of reasons NOT to reside in NJ? Even Delaware, backward as it is, has the owner operate all controls during the inspection routine. Under NO circumstances would I trust the average gov't employee to have enough experience to successfully operate the controls of a low production Italian vehicle. In a reasonable universe, one might expect that the inspector would ask for owner input when in doubt about operation of the controls.
Jim

 

[Zunige]

Umm, should this be added to the list of reasons NOT to reside in NJ? ...

Close... that is the reason why I won't register my '84 Spider in NJ... Even if you tell them, they don't have the mental capacity to understand... In NJ, the inspection sticker goes on the lower left corner of the windshield. I have been successful in getting them to not place it over the interior antenna, but I was never successful in getting them to not scrape off the antenna while removing the old sticker! Even though there was always plenty of room between the sticker and the antenna, they always scraped half of the windshield without even looking at what they were doing, as they kept engaged in their conversation... I have a cousin who's a state trooper in NJ, and the last time I had the '84 inspected there (with a new windshield), I had him come with me - that's the only time they listened!

Best regards,

 

[GVVGTV6]

The same exact thing happened to me (except they didn't break it.) I had just replaced the faulty one after buying the car and went to get it inspected. The ding dong person kept yanking on the stalk but I could watch her do it through the window. When I realized she was trying to turn on the high beams I came busting out of the waiting booth yelling (having just paid 80 bucks for the switch.) They yelled at me and said I can't leave the booth and I just pushed past to show them how you push on the end of the stalk. The switch seemed very loose after that and she failed me for a rust hole. Wow was I ticked!

Wow, we have to deal with tight emissions in CA but that is just wild! Government at it's best for sure. You mean to tell me that if there is a rust hole in the car you can't get it registered??! How big of a rust hole?

Sounds like you need to make a big card and tape it to the dash that says, "If you don't know how to operate it, please ask ... or you can pay for the part you broke"

GV

 

[DOM!]

It was for the registration so they do the inspection to make sure the car is road worthy.

That is nothing. I had an 80 Scirocco S (great car) and was in college (read had no money.) I bought the car for 500 with an extra transmission and it was a little rough. Well I am sitting in the car when the inspector was under the car in the pit. I hear "tap tap tap" pause pause WHAM! He took a hammer smashed through a weak point that was rusty. I was ripped! I had put fog lights but not connected them (wires were clearly not connected) and they had covers on them. The jerk had the balls to fail me for the rust hole AND mis-aimed fog lights! I asked how does he know if they are aimed right when you can't even turn them on. He said I had bigger problems with the rust and not worry about it. I was FUMING!

 

[lowmileage]

Be very, very polite, and you should be able to get a supervisor to approve them paying for it...

Best regards,

And if that doesn't work, kick the **** out of him.

 

[lowmileage]

Umm, should this be added to the list of reasons NOT to reside in NJ? Even Delaware, backward as it is, has the owner operate all controls during the inspection routine. Under NO circumstances would I trust the average gov't employee to have enough experience to successfully operate the controls of a low production Italian vehicle. In a reasonable universe, one might expect that the inspector would ask for owner input when in doubt about operation of the controls.
Jim

Hi Jim - how's the Giulia Spider . Up here in the Great State of NY we're still able to go to the local guy in town and for a 25 yr (or older) vehicle an annual safety inspection costs only 10 bucks. Got 3 of them done Wednesday. I drive the car in, operate controls and drive it out. Talk with my friends there and nosey around to see what the're working on. The Alfa's due next month.
Regards, Fred

 

[aldo]

"an eye for an eye",

I say, go back and rip his arm off!

 

[lowmileage]

"an eye for an eye",

I say, go back and rip his arm off!

I like the way you think

 

[Mezevenf]

Man what the hell, whenever I'm getting the 75 inspected the guy just gets me to operate everything then he takes it for a drive with brake testing device.

Another place did fail for my front windows not operating, they were trying to use the switches for the non-existent rear power windows. No one looks up

 

[Nipper]

This is the sad truth about owning an Alfa Romeo, you cannot take it anywhere without it being damaged by some idiot. The indicator stalks are flimsy already but it's too much to ask for anybody to be careful while inspecting your car.

 

[Rookie ROX]

Another place did fail for my front windows not operating, they were trying to use the switches for the non-existent rear power windows. No one looks up

Hahahahaha

It's just like when people spend 5 minutes in the car because they can't figure out how to open the doors!

ROCK ON
R~R

 

[jontg428]

My favorite here in CA is the smog inspection, the smog shops almost never know how to smog my 164. I have to point out where the evap canister is almost every time. Last inspection the guy said "I smog more Bently's then 164s! Glad we do not have the safety inspections here, not sure my car would pass.

 

[Alfisto Steve]

My latest inspection went OK because the one before it the same inspector had to ask me how to open gas filler door and how to turn on fog lights.

 

[fraz]

As fascist as vehicle and traffic enforcement can be in Cali I am sure glad we don't have any of this junk. The only time you have to go through that type of inspection is a mandatory brake and lamp inspection if you revive a car from the junkyard on a salvaged title and want to put it back on the road.