DMV, Georgetown, Motor Vehicle Inspection
January 24th, 2007 by Jared MorrisI need some help, my friends. I took my car in to get inspected today at the DMV in Georgetown, and my car failed to pass inspection. Why? Because the driverside window motor is going and, though it rolls down fine, it’s a little sluggish rolling back up. When I asked the kid manning the inspection lanes why it failed… he said that “the windows need to go up and down properly.” Fine.
I took the young chap at his word… until I came to my senses… Why exactly is that the case? No safety issue there… no emission issue there.. why does my window need to roll up at warp speed? It still rolls down fine…
As the day grew longer… my irritation over this grew… I took my car to a shop and they told me it would cost $330 for a new motor for the window.. $130 for a center console switch, plus $80 an hour for labor…
Again, the nagging question.. why is this a measurement of success in the inspection. I called the DMV back. Not Happy To Hear From Me (sentence frag.) I spoke to the supervisor of the Inspection lanes and asked him the same question..
“Not a safety Issue; Not an emission control; Why is this needed to pass inspection?”
His answer, “If you’ve got a problem with it, contact your legislator… It’s title 21.”
Jared: “But that doesn’t make sense”
Inspection Thug: “It’s so you can make hand signals to other drivers.”
Well, I’ve only seen a few hand signals while I was driving… and none of them have been particularly helpful… And if you mean turn signals.. isn’t that why they checked to see if my turn signals worked? Or maybe I’ll be running into a driver from the 1930s before cars had turn signals, and he’d be confused by these modern marvels and I’d have to use the ol’ fashioned way of driving.
I couldn’t sleep, faced with the prospect of spending $700 to get my car inspected for such a silly reason.. So I looked into Title 21:
Here’s the section on inspection.
Now, it mentions tinted windows a whole heap.. It mentions cracks in windows.. but nothing about windows being rolled up at lightning fast speeds..
Even the DMV Website lists only these qualifications:
A typical automobile inspection consists of a safety inspection covering such items as tires, brakes, windows and an exhaust emissions inspection that analyzes the vehicle’s exhaust and a test of the fuel system for leaks. Trailers exceeding a 4,000-pound weight limit must pass brake and safety inspections. All DMV inspection technicians are certified and trained in all aspects of the inspection process.
When you delve further into the sight, here’s the safety check information:
- All lights must be clean, in working order and properly aimed. This includes stoplights, turn signals, license plate lights, parking lights and headlights
- Brakes must stop the vehicle within required distance
- Glass in windows must have no holes, breaks or cracks
- Mirrors must be clean and unbroken
- Windshield wipers must be fully operative (the rubber blades must be in good condition)
- Hood and trunk latches must hold hood and trunk fully closed
- Tires must have no bulges, no fabric showing, no bald areas and no cuts. Tread depth must be at least 2/32 inch measured in two adjacent treads
- Doorknobs or equivalent must be present and in working condition
- There must be no damaged or dislocated parts projecting from the vehicle that could present a safety hazard
- Horn must be in operating condition
- Muffler must effectively reduce sound of engine exhaust. No leaks in exhaust system. Catalytic converter must be installed if originally equipped from manufacturer
- There must be no gasoline leaks
- Bumper height on passenger cars must not exceed 22 inches from the ground to the bottom of the bumper
- No tinting or sun screening device can be applied to the front windshield or to the front side windows
- No air scoops shall be mounted on a vehicle hood that exceeds 3 inches
- Windshield must have no cracks that interfere with vision. Any cracks over 5 inches on any window are mandatory failure items. Minimum height of visibility in windshield is 10 inches
Again, nothing about rolling the window up… Keep in mind, it rolls down at regular speed. Perhaps I am missing something here and you can help me out… Or maybe you can supply me a replacement door for a 97 Chevy Cavalier… Otherwise I may be taking the shoe leather express to work until I can afford to pony up $700 to get this fixed.
January 25th, 2007 at 6:13 am
You should mention this on the air. Frank will tell you all about it.
January 25th, 2007 at 6:26 am
The only thing more ridiculous than that is Ohio’s E-Check. Ohio has 88 counties…only about 10 or 12 of them require this emissions check (i.e. not statewide). If I lived one county south of the one I live in, I wouldn’t have to do it.
Jared, you said that the window goes down. You can make your hand signals (or if you live in Detroit, you can open the window and yell at other drivers)…you’ll just be cold for a time while waiting for the window to roll up.
January 25th, 2007 at 8:00 am
Jared, go see another mechanic, preferably not one with a car dealer where their mantra usually is to sell you new parts plus labor whether you need them/it or not.
The fact that your window rolls down properly suggests that the motor and switch operate satisfactorily. My guess is that your window glass is not seated properly in its mount, or that it is not set in its track properly, or that your door is slightly out of alignment preventing proper tracking of your window glass.
If perchance you do need a new starting motor and/or switch, which I obviously doubt, the junk yard is your next stop, and a ‘neighborhood’ mechanic to do the work at a lower labor rate and shorter time can be found. Even moonlighting car dealer mechanics who work out of their home garages are easy to find; just ask around! I have a local mechanic who does all my work and is completely trustworthy: JK Automotive, Savannah Road, Lewes 645-2598.
January 25th, 2007 at 8:01 am
$700.00 dollars to fix a window for inspection? DMV is ridiculous- the Kelley Blue Book Value for a 97 Chevy Cavalier with faulty windows is only $650.00.
January 25th, 2007 at 1:49 pm
Check with junkyard to see if right and left side motors are universal, and if they are switch’em!
January 25th, 2007 at 2:37 pm
Hey Jared, each government agency has its Ups and Downs!
January 25th, 2007 at 7:47 pm
As few things could be causing the problem but I’m with Perry, chances are good that you don’t need “new” parts. I had a similar problem with a Pontiac a few years back, it worked a lot better after I cleaned and lubed the actuator. Then, I ended up swapping it to the other door when it started to hesitate again a few months later. The only down side was, and there’s no pun intended, with the driver side motor on the passenger side the switches worked in reverse … down was up and up was down.
If you need some help cleaning, lubing or swapping the motor give me a yell …
January 25th, 2007 at 9:30 pm
And, if you’re blinkers fail on your way to the DMV see these excerpts from 21 Del C. Chapter 41 …
§ 4155. Turning movements and required signals.
(a) No person shall turn a vehicle at an intersection unless the vehicle is in proper position upon the roadway as required in § 4152 of this title, or turn a vehicle to enter a private road or driveway, or otherwise turn a vehicle from a direct course or move right or left upon a roadway or turn so as to proceed in an opposite direction unless and until such movement can be made with safety without interfering with other traffic. No person shall so turn any vehicle without giving an appropriate signal in the manner hereinafter provided.
(b) A signal of intention to turn or move right or left when required shall be given continuously during not less than the last 300 feet or more than one-half mile traveled by the vehicle before turning.
(c) No person shall stop or suddenly decrease the speed of a vehicle without first giving an appropriate signal in the manner provided herein to the driver of any vehicle immediately to the rear when there is opportunity to give such signal.
(d) The signals provided for in § 4156 of this title shall be used to indicate an intention to turn, change lanes or start from a parked position and shall not be flashed on 1 side only on a parked or disabled vehicle, or flashed as a courtesy or “do pass” signal to operators of other vehicles approaching from the rear.
§ 4156. Signals by hand and arm or signal device.
(a) Any stop or turn signal when required herein shall be given either by means of the hand and arm or by a signal lamp or lamps or mechanical signal device, except as otherwise provided in subsection (b) of this section.
(b) Any motor vehicle in use on a highway shall be equipped with, and required signal shall be given by, a signal lamp or lamps or mechanical signal device when the distance from the center of the top of the steering post to the left outside limit of the body, cab or load of such motor vehicle exceeds 24 inches or when the distance from the center of the top of the steering post to the rear limit of the body or load thereof exceeds 14 feet. The latter measurement shall apply to any single vehicle, also to any combination of vehicles.
§ 4157. Method of giving hand and arm signals.
All signals herein required given by hand and arm shall be given from the left side of the vehicle in the following manner and such signals shall indicate as follows:
(1) Left turn. — Hand and arm extended horizontally.
(2) Right turn. — Hand and arm extended upward.
(3) Stop or decrease speed. — Hand and arm extended downward.
January 26th, 2007 at 10:06 am
Jared, maybe you should get a Harley Hog”. They have no windows to screw with–just a thought-Love ya