North Carolina State Inspection

J

Jamescad04

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Charlotte, North Carolina
So interesting story yesterday I went to get my jeep inspected so I can renew my registration, well I failed inspection they said my window tint was too dark, I have had the same window tint on it for 4 years and have never failed inspection.

The shop told me I had to go remove the tint and come back to pass inspection, so I went home took my doors off put a makeshift side view mirror in the door hinge went back to the shop and said "I removed that window tint."

I think the guy got a little upset when he saw what I did but he had to pass me on the inspection, there are no laws that say I need to have doors or operable windows.

So long story short if you need to pass your jeep because of window tint take your doors off and make sure you have a side view mirror and you merrily be on your way.
 
Most shops don't pay much attention to window tint, but some are real sticklers about it (probably because they've got in trouble with the state before). IMO, NC's law of no darker than 35% is pretty stupid...especially when cops can have tint as dark as they want.

It'll be interesting getting my car to pass next year...probably have to call in some favors :D
 
Ive got a plan for that as well seeing as how my truck is tinted the same. Im just going to roll down the windows and pull the plug on the window switch, then they cant roll the windows back up if they say anything I'm just gonna say I have some issues with them.
 
I've heard (but don't know if it's actually true) that if you pull in with your windows down, they can't roll them up. Again, don't know if that's really true or not. I'll have to ask around to some of the people I know and see if that's the case or not.

Why can't it be like SC and have no inspections at all? Not to mention window tint in SC can be 27%.
 
I took mines for inspection last week also. I failed for my tint and exhaust not going all the way back, took it to the shop that originally cut my exhaust off and had them fix it cause I threatened to report them. Took it to a different shop and they didn't say anything about the tint.
 
Failing for window tint is stupid. Unless you have something like 5%, in which case it would be hard to see in/out of the vehicle. IMO, they should be more worried about making sure the emissions are in check. Can't see window tint contributing to a depleting ozone layer versus somebody riding around for 6 months with their CEL on because their o2 sensor has gone bonkers and is spewing raw fuel out the exhaust.

I read in the news a couple of weeks ago though, our wonderful governor is thinking about getting rid of emissions inspections.
 
in TN .. if it makes to the tag office.. its good 'nuff! lol
 
Inspections are HIGHLY subjective in NC. If they were enforced the same everywhere, or there was some kind of central place everyone had to go that wasnt a shop trying to sell you crap you dont need, then I'd be happier about complying with dumb requests. But there isnt, so I think they should be eliminated. But they wont be because the shops want to make a buck. Grrr.
 
I used to only run 5% on my truck windows. That was years ago though, and KY has no inspections anyway.

I doubled up the 5% once, couldn't see the sun on a clear day. Had to remove that.....
 
Tint lower than 27% is illegal here. The cops rule of thumb is if you can read your drivers license thru the tint it's good to go. I can't stand dark tint anyhow. Can't see shit out the back when it's dark.
 
I just wish we could tint the damn windshield. I think its pretty stupid to not allow any tint on the windshield except the top 5inches I think.
 
UNCC_99XJ said:
Most shops don't pay much attention to window tint, but some are real sticklers about it (probably because they've got in trouble with the state before).
Click to expand...
The shops I talked to said it's a 5 figure fine if they pass a car with illegal tint. I went to no less than 20 shops in the Charlotte area.

UNCC_99XJ said:
I've heard (but don't know if it's actually true) that if you pull in with your windows down, they can't roll them up. Again, don't know if that's really true or not.
Click to expand...
Sure, they can't roll them up, but they will make you, or they won't pass you.

My main question was this. What's to say I didn't put the tint on after inspection? This is what I asked every inspection place and they didn't have an answer. I told them if they would pass me and I was pulled over, I would tell the cops I put the tint on yesterday. None would pass me.
 
I moved from NC years ago. At that time it was 35% allowed on front windows and anything lower than 32% when metered would fail. The back since XJs are considered a "truck" it doesn't matter you could spray paint them black if you wanted to. For the front windshield it was down to the ASI line (factory tint line). Some of the cheaper tint changes over time. Also it maybe worth asking when they last had their meter calibrated/certified.

Down here in GA I watch the inspection stations up close and personal when they do my vehicles. They just love to sell you freaking gas caps for some reason even when you don't need one! I've caught one guy using the wrong adapter and another guy not tightening the cap onto the adapter properly. Go figure! :bs:
 
katuah said:
Inspections are HIGHLY subjective in NC. If they were enforced the same everywhere, or there was some kind of central place everyone had to go that wasnt a shop trying to sell you crap you dont need, then I'd be happier about complying with dumb requests. But there isnt, so I think they should be eliminated. But they wont be because the shops want to make a buck. Grrr.
Click to expand...
This is exactly why our inspections were removed. The amount of cars running the inspection sticker that clearly failed was amazing in the day. Hell you could just buy the sticker from some shops. It was hugely corrupt here from what I have heard.
 
I think its a political thing, NC is getting big into the green thing and i think there doing it mostly for the emissions, but you would think they would be more relaxed on the other stuff and make it all about emissions then.
 
I found out about the North Carolina State Inspection crack down when I went in to get my truck inspected a couple weeks ago. Supposedly its been in the papers etc but they are cracking down HARD on shops for passing failing vehicles. If one shop fails you, then you go to another shop and they pass you it will throw a red flag. They will come in and investigate the shop that passed the vehicle even on something like tires or in the case of this thread tint.

I bought my current truck from Bristol, VA where I guess they don't have inspections back in 2007. The truck has an aftermarket Weber carburetor that was put on it by the previous owner. So all the vacuum lines (some of them go to emissions devices) that used to run to the stock Mikuni carb had been disconnected because they aren't used on the Weber. Since I bought the truck in 07 I have been taking it to the same shop and they have passed it. They never told me that they were passing it even though it should of failed. I never thought of looking at the list of requirements for the Safety Check, and sure enough visual inspection of emissions equipment is on there. They told me they weren't going to fail me but I needed to get the truck "fixed" before coming back and they would "see what they could do". I had enough of their BS (I have had issues with them in the past) so I wasn't going that route.

So I talked to a neighbor and he sent me to a place he knew of to get it inspected. I didn't say anything but "Hey, my neighbor recommended me to this place. He said to ask for "Insert owner's name". Owner wasn't there but they inspected my truck came back in, talked about Uwharrie (I have Uwharrie stickers all over my truck) and watched some youtube videos of Uwharrie on their work computer and that was it. I was worried they wouldn't pass it, but thank god they did because the only way to get it to pass would have been finding an old Mikuni (piece of crap carb) and getting the 5 million (not that many but so many most shops won't work on the Mikuni carbs for my truck) vacuum hoses re-connected.

So if anyone else out there in NC hasn't gotten their vehicle inspected, don't be surprised if the shop you take it to is nit picky as hell.
 
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