Blog Layout
STATE INSPECTIONS ARE SAFETY INSPECTIONS
American Pride Automotive • Feb 28, 2014
All vehicles operated in Virginia are required to pass an annual safety inspection and display a valid inspection sticker on the windshield (or other location in the case of motorcycles). In some counties and cities an emissions inspection is part of the process, but not in the greater Hampton Roads area.
Safety inspections are just that — checks of common safety items. The annual process is designed to make sure vehicles meet and maintain minimum safety standards, and that protects you, your passengers and others on the road.
The inspection includes:
- brakes, including the parking brake
- headlights and other lights and reflectorsturn signalssteering and suspension
- tires, wheels and rims
- mirrors
- windshield and other glass
- exhaust system
- hood latch and functions
- air pollution and control system
- drivers seat, seat belts and air bag
- doors
- fuel system
- floor pan
As you can see, there are a number of items reviewed. However, a state safety inspection is not a substitute for an overall vehicle performance inspection or update. In other words, if your vehicle passed a safety inspection, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have mechanical issues that should be addressed, or that may appear in the near future.
Often younger drivers assume that a recent safety inspection means they don’t have to worry about vehicle warning lights coming on (check engine, or low oil, for example), or that they can ignore oil leaks, smoke or steam coming from the engine compartment or similar issues. Mechanical and other systems (heating and air conditioning, transmission, etc.) should still receive regular attention and preventive maintenance, regardless of safety inspection success.
Your car, truck or van is important to you in so many ways — transporting family and friends, commuting to work and just day-to-day activities. We recommend regular preventative maintenance so you can take comfort that you have dependable, reliable transportation when you need it. If you’re not sure what maintenance you should be doing, give us a call at any of our three locations. We’ll be happy to talk with you about your vehicle, the mileage and your driving habits.
We want to say thank you to all of our healthcare and first responders. Please accept this specialized offer.
You’re driving home at night and it is raining cats and dogs. You can’t see but 20 feet in front of your car, but you’ve slowed down and are being extra cautious, so what could go wrong? Then you feel it. A sinking Cl-clunk. Maybe that “puddle” you saw ahead of you was deeper than just a puddle. Before you know it, your car is stalling in the high water in the middle of the road. Now what? First off, don’t panic. Turn on your hazards and crank the ignition once. If the car starts, make it dry land and pull over to assess the damage. If it does not start the first time, do not try to start it again. Doing so can result in a hydro locked engine and will likely necessitate the rebuilding or replacement of the engine. Unfortunately, if you find yourself stalling in water at all, your vehicle will probably need costly repairs. The best way to avoid water damage is to practice safe and smart driving in wet weather, which brings us to Part 2 of the Everything Auto “Blame it on the Rain” series (Find Part 1 here). Take heed of these severe weather driving tips: 1. TAKE NO CHANCES ON PUDDLES Even if the standing water ahead of you looks shallow enough to drive through, think twice. If the water is “rushing” or if other drivers are making a point to avoid it, don’t assume that your vehicle is the exception. Additionally, you never know the hazards that lay at the bottom of a puddle. Hidden potholes or debris can pierce your tires and jostle your alignment and suspension system. 2. IF YOU MUST TAKE A CHANCE, TAKE IT SLOW AND STEADY When you deem it necessary and safe to drive through water of questionable depth, go slowly. Speeding through a puddle, even a shallow one, can splash water into your vehicle’s intake and critically harm the engine. Like we mentioned last week, after driving through standing water, lightly tap your brakes to make sure they aren’t saturated and to dry them off. 3. KEEP A ROADSIDE EMERGENCY KIT HANDY Sometimes, no matter how careful you are on the road, accidents and vehicle malfunctions happen, especially in wet severe weather. That’s why it is extremely important to keep emergency supplies ready in the trunk for the worst case scenario. You can buy a preassembled one, but it is cheaper (and more rewarding) to assemble your own. What should you include? Edmunds.com provides an excellent comprehensive list of items, a few of which include: 12-foot jumper cables Four 15 minute road flares Two quarts of oil A gallon of antifreeze A first-aid kit. Find the rest of the list here We hope that this series has given you helpful safety insights and tips for driving in the rain! Remember that American Pride Automotive is always here to help and ready to answer any and all of your auto repair and maintenance questions! Call or contact us today.
Along with flat tires and low or faulty batteries, an overheating engine is one of the leading causes of car breakdowns. An engine can overheat for many reasons, but coolant issues are often to blame.
ONCE I HAVE REGISTERED MY VEHICLE IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA, HOW LONG DO I HAVE BEFORE MY VEHICLE MUST BE INSPECTED?
There is no grace period. Once you have registered a vehicle with the Division of Motor Vehicles in the state of Virginia, it must be inspected immediately.
Your vehicle's powertrain can last for hundreds of thousands of miles with proper maintenance and minor repairs in most cases. Unfortunately, major, unexpected problems can happen in which your only option is a replacement of the engine or transmission.
Sometimes it's simply time to buy a new or used vehicle that you LOVE at the right price.
This increased risk makes driving while fatigued almost as dangerous as driving while tipsy.
Our cars and trucks carry us from point A to point B all year long and everyday use can create significant wear and tear that may not make itself obvious until a long road trip.
While most leaks are caused by damaged outer seams on the evaporator core, others are a result of corrosion inside the unit.
For July, August and September, $5.00 from every State Inspection performed was set aside for this quarter's community: star Hospice House & Support Care of Williamsburg.