Here the inspectors have that all important ability to turn down a car for inspect if they 'feel something is not right' even if they cannot put their finger on it. A cop-out to send you elsewhere if you give them any pressure at all. I've shook Tx. Dept. Of Safety vehicle inspection rules in front of their faces before to just drive them nuts. They then refuse to inspect you and ask you to go elsewhere. They think they are gods and any forcing them to think to warp their minds just sends them into a tizzy. I guess that's what you get when hiring $8/hr. help to do a job that cannot make any real profit for shop owner, the state takes virtually all of the fee and running the numbers I cannot see how they even keep the shops open if inspection is all they do.
I remember the old days where the inspection guy was knowledgeable about cars and you had some leeway, now, the young kids they get to do it often have no idea of how a car works. They routinely pass cars with tires so worn you could have a blowout in the next hour, and you can get anything you want done under hood, they have no idea of what should be done and not to engine. Most wouldn't be able to tell you where the EGR is on an engine, or PCV valve. I've passed cars with no cat under them, they didn't even know enough to look.
Here, they do not require airbags (if car has them) to work to pass, if they have been fired they just don't care, at least most don't. Some say they must be operational and refuse the inspect even if you clearly show them in law where that does not apply. They then tell you politely to go somewhere else again.
In all fairness they run scared, the state commonly sends fake customers in to try to slide various things by and all inspectors are terrified you might be one. A fail from that test and they shut you down as a business. If an idiot about cars, best thing is just to fail it and fake a reason.
I have a car that the bags have been fired on, trying to find a steering wheel cover but cannot because the bag is incorporated in it and not going to pay $500 for that. I want just a simple cover alone like oldschool car. The result was a steering wheel that has no pretty cover but still has all horn operating parts in place to simply press on the hub anywhere and horn works just like any other car. I got turned down not for no bag there but the horn was incorrect, he said it was not 'clear' where the horn button was. I showed state law that horn must only be present and working but not marked, no mention of that at all. Still flunked. So, went home and using a Dymo labelmaker printed up the word 'horn' 3 times to stick it all around the horn operating part rim in wheel. Flunked again, he stills says not clear enough, now he's screwing with me. He said he doesn't 'feel good about it'. Really. It got worse to him ordering me off the lot, at that time the site owner happened to call and he spills to boss what he's 'having to put up with'. The boss then severely dresses him down on the phone to the tune of passing the car and 'what kind on idiot are you'. So loud I could hear it over the phone. Pretty funny. I got a good laugh out of that one.
Early non-belted cars? Haven't a clue, they'd probably punt claiming someone removed them. Not old enough to know, like people who claim I've got a fake social security card because they are not old enough to have seen the older '60s ones. Don't get me started on that one, I almost went potentially to jail over it.
