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MOT test things in America - Siekkinen - 09-23-2012
I'm interested to hear about MOT tests in America. I have read lot of threads about tuning pretty new cars. So is it legal to put big turbo, intercooler and IP with big elements to a new car? Is there any limits on tuning?
Here in Finland you can't tune -92 or newer diesel car legally. With petrol the limit can be even -89 or newer. Low emission laws comes to diesel cars at -91 or -92 depending on many things. With petrol it comes between years 89 and 91.
If there isn't any low emission things, you can put big turbo and big elements to IP and make it legal. You just have to take dynoresults to MOT test center and upgrade brakes and chassis if it's needed. But your car still have to pass smoke tests every year but for that is outer fuel amount adjust. And with turbo engine you can take ALDA's hose off and turn ALDA screw couple turns clockwise if it is necessary.
RE: MOT test things in America - aaa - 09-23-2012
It varies from state to state, some don't have any inspections, most have emissions inspections though. They do not inspect non-obd-ii diesels (96 and older usually), or just check for smoke. The newer diesels get their computer checked mainly, so if whatever you do doesn't trip the computer up, then you're good in most places. The gassers get a tailpipe test.
Places like California would not allow turbo changes or even airfilter changes, but they don't inspect older diesels. They inspect almost all gassers though (going back to 1967).
RE: MOT test things in America - Siekkinen - 09-23-2012
(09-23-2012, 04:55 PM)aaa It varies from state to state, some don't have any inspections, most have emissions inspections though. They do not inspect non-obd-ii diesels (96 and older usually), or just check for smoke. The newer diesels get their computer checked mainly, so if whatever you do doesn't trip the computer up, then you're good in most places. The gassers get a tailpipe test.
Places like California would not allow turbo changes or even airfilter changes, but they don't inspect older diesels. They inspect almost all gassers though (going back to 1967).
So do you mean that you don't have to take car to station every year or regularly overall? Here we have to take car to the station everý year and brakes, chassis, engine, emissions, lights etc. have to be in good condition or you can't drive legally anymore before you fix all the faults. OBD-test comes here at around 2001 and newer vehicles.
RE: MOT test things in America - aaa - 09-23-2012
It varies by state. Some do not have any yearly inspection, some have an extremely light yearly inspection (do your lights work? ok you're good), some have something as heavy as the MOT but only on selling as opposed to yearly, etc.
RE: MOT test things in America - JustPassinThru - 09-23-2012
I lived in Germany for 11 years 1988-99, so I know how strict the German vehicle inspection is. The strictest State inspection I know of in the U.S. is California's. But California's inspection is not as strict as Germany's.
Here in Washington State it depends on where you live. You would find the rules unbelievably loose here. It has to do with politics. Permit me to explain at length:
The politics, in this State, of everything that falls under the broad category of "vehicle fees" (including emissions test, registration, parking and bridge and ferry toll fees) are interesting, in fact I would even say "entertaining," mainly because nobody likes to pay fees, fuel taxes et cetera to build and maintain roads far away from them that they seldom or never use.
Local politicians, careful to not offend voters, are keenly aware of the fact that most of this State is thinly populated outside of one minor metropolis, Spokane, and the narrow but densely-populated urban corridor along Puget Sound consisting of Everett, Seattle, Bellevue, Redmond, Tacoma, one giant combined Army and Air Force base, Olympia, and Bremerton (christened "Pugetopolis" by local columnist Knute Berger in his highly informative 2008 book of the same name).
The State, and the City of Seattle, are always looking for new ways to raise money for roads. Traffic in the Seattle metropolitan region is rated the fourth-worst in the United States; it is routine for the Seattle-Everett commute, about 30 miles, to take 45 minutes to an hour. All the major freeways were built between 1964 and '68, when the metropolitan region's population was only about 1.5 million. Today it's 4 million. There is a small light rail system but it is only lightly used.
The Seattle City Council from time to time attempts to impose a vehicle-registration city surcharge, but the attempts always draw sufficient howls of protest that the Council drops the idea like a hot potato. So instead what they've done to raise revenue is to make parking very expensive ($4 per hour on some downtown meters), and install clever speed-camera traps. Also, residents must buy a quarterly window sticker to park on the street in their particular neighborhood; for all others, the time you can park is limited to 1-4 hours except on Sundays and holidays. Seattle has no subway system, but does have an excellent bus system, and for at least ten years the buses have been free of charge in the downtown core area. But the free-ride zone will end about one week from now (side note: the overhead monorail between downtown and the Seattle Center, installed for the 1962 World's Fair, still runs!).
Recently the State Highway 520 bridge connecting Seattle and Bellevue/Redmond (i.e. Microsoft and its myriad related companies) across Lake Washington began to be tolled. It costs anywhere from $3.75 to $5 to cross the Lake on it. Which has put extremely heavy pressure on the other bridge, which is still free, Interstate 90. This toll, it is hoped, will be used strictly to pay for the eventual inevitable replacement of the 520 bridge, and when there is enough toll money in the kitty it is believed that this bridge-toll will end; but there is no actual law saying where the collected tolls must be spent by the State. There is a citizen referendum this year, to try to make the State spend collected tolls only on the road the toll was collected on and not elsewhere. This referendum will probably pass in Seattle and Bellevue, but the rest of the State, where roads tend to get neglected, doesn't like it.
In writing all the above I am hoping to convey the point that this State's astonishingly loose vehicle inspection regimen, which I will describe below, stems from extremely contentious local politics.
The big cities, some counties, and many small cities require an annual emissions inspection, which is conducted at a State testing station free of charge. As long as the vehicle meets the State emissions standards, you pass, and they don't really care what you have under the hood. There are plenty of 800 to 1000 hp cars on the road here.
There is no mechanical inspection in this State for privately-owned passenger cars and trucks, however there are State laws against driving with a severely cracked windshield or on too-worn tires or without proper lights, and the State Patrol sometimes issues tickets for these defective-safety-equipment violations. Furthermore, if you are in an accident and it can be proven that faulty equipment (e.g. brakes, tires) contributed to the accident then the penalties may be increased. (There are, however, strict State mechanical inspections, including random "pop inspections," of commercial trucks).
State law forbids installing an engine which is older than the vehicle, however unlike in California this law is routinely violated here, and I have never heard of it being enforced (--incidentally, State law also forbids both the sale and installation and use of aftermarket HID headlamps, but this law isn't enforced either).
If your car doesn't pass the emissions inspection, you can get a waiver if you prove you spent $ xxx at a State-approved mechanic shop trying to bring the vehicle into compliance. If memory serves, xxx = $150.
Vehicles 30 years or older are exempt from emissions testing.
My vehicles are exempt from emissions testing because I live far out in the countryside and this county does not require testing.
Vehicle registration (and bridge-toll and parking) fees are, like all issues involving traffic, a constant "hot button political issue" in this State. A citizen referendum passed a few years ago, severely limiting the registration fees the State could charge. As a result, the annual registration renewal fee on my '85 300D is only $48.
RE: MOT test things in America - Simpler=Better - 09-24-2012
Your Seattle car situation doesn't sound too terribly bad compared to Baltimore (Maybe we're #5?
)I've had my 16 mile commute take 45 mins, parking is insane, etc.. blah blah blah no one knows how to drive here either (I'm curious about my blood pressure on road vs. at home) I feel your pain.
Maryland required a 100% safety inspection before you can register the car, then it never get inspected again. Gas cars have emissions testing every 2 years, they only plug into the computer-no visual. Diesels are exempt, as well as older cars.
(09-23-2012, 06:57 PM)JustPassinThru If your car doesn't pass the emissions inspection, you can get a waiver if you prove you spent $ xxx at a State-approved mechanic shop trying to bring the vehicle into compliance. If memory serves, xxx = $150.
Maryland does the same thing, only worse: If you fail, YOU can't legally fix it-you must show a receipt for $400 or more being spent on emissions repairs, and then retest, passing the test. It's insane. A factory bolt-in-diy cat & downpipe for my truck is only like $250 FROM THE DEALER.
RE: MOT test things in America - willbhere4u - 09-24-2012
Here in Colorado all they check is what come out of the tail pipe.
They don't care if your wheels are falling off or if there is rust up to the c pillar as long as it doesn't smoke it's ok
New cars less than 5 years old are exempt and classic cars 25 years and older are also exempt.
and depending on county diesels are exempt also
RE: MOT test things in America - Siekkinen - 09-24-2012
Doesn't sound too tight
owning a car has been made very expensive here. We have parking fees of course, diesel tax for diesel cars (it depends on the car's weight. Heavier car's tax is more expensive. My tax is 420 euros/year and car is w124), then there is car tax which is paid every year too (160 euros in my situation), insurance (760 euros on me), diesel costs 1,57 euros/liter, every year inspection (about 60 euros) etc. Inspections are really tight so everything have to be in good condition. And if police can see that your car has faults, it goes to immobilize and you have to go to inspection again to get it back to traffic so it's not easy and cheap here to own a car.
RE: MOT test things in America - JB3 - 09-25-2012
(09-24-2012, 03:55 PM)Siekkinen Doesn't sound too tight
thats unfortunate!
In the state of rhode island, I currently have 4 registered and inspected cars. Inspection costs 30 bucks, goes for 2 years, and combination emissions and safety (though you can have a couple things broken that aren't essential)
For all 4 cars, I pay about 48 dollars a year in tax. They are all old though, and one is a classic plate, so no inspections, and 9-12 dollars a year in tax.
As a comparison, a friend of mine has a 2005 jeep and in the same state he pays about 400-600 a year in property tax on it.
Basically, taking all the posts above and mine, the answer to your question is MOT depends on the car and the state in the US.
RE: MOT test things in America - Siekkinen - 09-25-2012
(09-25-2012, 12:56 PM)JB3 thats unfortunate!
In the state of rhode island, I currently have 4 registered and inspected cars. Inspection costs 30 bucks, goes for 2 years, and combination emissions and safety (though you can have a couple things broken that aren't essential)
For all 4 cars, I pay about 48 dollars a year in tax. They are all old though, and one is a classic plate, so no inspections, and 9-12 dollars a year in tax.
As a comparison, a friend of mine has a 2005 jeep and in the same state he pays about 400-600 a year in property tax on it.
Basically, taking all the posts above and mine, the answer to your question is MOT depends on the car and the state in the US.
48 dollars?
isn't too bad. Here we usually pay less tax if car is new. But it can be other way too. Older cars (older than 2001) are taxed by weight and newer cars are taxed by emissions. But newer car must have really high emissions if tax is higher than older cars tax. I have to move to the states cause driving is "little" cheaper there
RE: MOT test things in America - Captain America - 09-25-2012
pre '76 and your good to go in California. No test, No inspection...
RE: MOT test things in America - waz - 09-26-2012
New Jersey has recently gone to emissions only testing every two years. New vehicles don't get inspected until they are 4 years old. Free at a state inspection station. No problems doing repairs yourself until you fail three times. Not sure what needs to be done after that. I just know you're much better off fixing it once before being re-tested.
1995 and older diesels don't get emission tested. So no sticker in my windshield.
Car registration varies by weight and age of the vehicle. Between $35.50-$84.00.
Commercial vehicles are way too complicated for me to list.
RE: MOT test things in America - Secondaries - 10-06-2012
Texas here. $54 yearly for registration tax, $12 for inspection (safety only), $800 a year for insurance on 3 cars. Compared to those prices in Europe i feel downright lucky!
RE: MOT test things in America - Siekkinen - 10-07-2012
(10-06-2012, 11:27 PM)Secondaries Texas here. $54 yearly for registration tax, $12 for inspection (safety only), $800 a year for insurance on 3 cars. Compared to those prices in Europe i feel downright lucky!
800 for 3 cars isn't very much. I pay almost same cost for one car
Luckily insurance cost decreases by 5% every year if you don't crash. 70% decrease is max. There is lot of waiting though
RE: MOT test things in America - martureo - 10-09-2012
Here in Maryland you get a safety inspection when you purchase a car, no matter how old it is. And then never again unless the police decide you have a violation (which almost never happens), and then you just get that violation reinspected after you repair it. $89 for the inspection.
Registration ~$125 every two years
For emissions it's every two years and around ~$40 at the State facilities. For diesels (of any year) it's as simple as getting the notice in the mail, checking the "Diesel" box and sending it back. No emissions for diesels, ever.
When I lived in Virginia we had emissions and safety inspections every two years. ~$35 and you could go to almost any gas station or repair shop. Diesels were exempt from emissions.
RE: MOT test things in America - Greazzer - 10-10-2012
Got to love the sunny south ! No inspections and as long as it has the minimum safety devices ,e.g., lights, then the cops really don't care. I have seen cars routinely drive without bumpers. Every blue moon I see a car without a hood, and twice a car without a passanger door. Go to the county tax office and pay a tax and that tax is based upon the sale's price. Take your tax receipt to DMV, show proof of insurance, pay a one time fee of 5% of the "value" with a cap of $300, and you will have your tag within minutes. Depending on the lines and DMV office, one can have a tag on your car within 30 minutes for under $200.00 and that is good for the year. Just sucks to pay a yearly tax on the car, but virtually no regualations on inspections.
RE: MOT test things in America - willbhere4u - 10-10-2012
I have seen some guys driving around an old Chevy truck with no front clip no hood fenders grill bumper it literary just had a radiator support with flash lights duck taped on it.
RE: MOT test things in America - Siekkinen - 10-10-2012
It's pretty usual here that cops stop someone. They often stop someone just to check driver license and registration papers etc. They have stopped me because my cars rear was little too black (because of smoke)
loud car is pretty sure way to get stopped. There is no change to stay safe if you don't have bumber, hood, door etc. Tinted front windows is one way to get fine (is that right word?) too.
RE: MOT test things in America - Greazzer - 10-10-2012
yes ... tinted windows can get you in trouble. Each state has its own level of permissible tint. Some states are less than others so if you travel accross state lines you could get a ticket.
RE: MOT test things in America - winmutt - 10-11-2012
In Georgia, diesels have no smog or anything. I haven't had a MOT in 10 years
.
RE: MOT test things in America - larsalan - 10-11-2012
(10-11-2012, 09:46 PM)winmutt In Georgia, diesels have no smog or anything. I haven't had a MOT in 10 years
Indiana is same
I have never had johnny law flinch at the open exhaust or smoke. But I still pay my tags and minimum insurance.
RE: MOT test things in America - Bangaway - 10-13-2012
In Colorado, I had to take the diesel to a diesel only emissions center. All of the diesel emission centers are private business, usually guys who own a small diesel shop. It's all for ceremocial purposes. Isn't a diesel emissions testing center kind of an oxymoron. I can't wait to take it in when I have the 606 with an HX50 with a strait pipe.
We do have road side screeners that are located on the on ramps of highways--it's random. Those, I hate.
RE: MOT test things in America - RonB - 10-14-2012
$48
Forty eight actual US dollars???Sheeeiiittt I pay over $1000 per year here in Queensland Australia and get hassled constantly by Cops,survellance cameras which do you for speeding,vehicle non rego etc.