Failed Inspection...

[JohnCWms27]

Well I failed inspection today and he gave me a list of reasons why...some of them sound like bullshit so I wanted to see what you guys thought.


1) Tint read at 26-29%. This is bull because my tint is 35%. I've heard stories of how the meter is always off, but being off by that much?

2) On the 94 camry the parking lights are right there beside the turn signals...well my parking lights are hyperWhite. NOT BLUE, and no blue-ish tint, but just white instead of amber. he said thats illegal. Is this true?

3) My corner lights are hyperwhite instead of amber, and if im not mistaken i think he's right, i think you do have to have the amber corner lights...

4) One of my rear taillights (its a red/clear tail) has a tiny crack in it...its actually just a separation where it should be flush together...not even a crack. as a result, condensation builds up a little in the taillight. you can still see the lights extremely clearly, but they claim that since there's condensation in the taillight, it cant pass inspection. Sounds like bullshit to me.

5) My highbeams (the 9005 bulb) are HyperWhite. Theyre not blue and dont have a blueish tint, just a brighter white. Supposedly illegal, but that sounds like bull to me.



Anyone have any comments on any of the items they mentioned?

[2k4CamThrilla]

I didn't know your tints had to be a certain percentage in order to pass inspection...

[JohnCWms27]

Thus the term "illegal tint"

[95camguy]

that stuff is probably illegal however you just need to find a shop that not gonna bust your balls. this guy sounds like he just giving you a hard time. many of my friends that have similar mods and nver had a problem

or you could just put it back to stock to pass then put your mods back on. just a thought.

edit: my car recently passed and i have the 9005 conversion too. i damn surprised the tech even noticed that on ur car.

[JohnCWms27]

yea, it was at a damn Quik Lube, but i went to a mom-and-pop shop last year and i had some of that same lighting on and it still passed and they didnt even notice that my third brake light was out (or didnt care). i think im just gonna try another shop...but i might end up just replacing my lights until i get it inspected.

I still cant believe that condensation in my tailight would fail inspection tho...

[dna59]

Damn that sux. Sounds liek this person is gave you a very hard time.

[RedPhoenix]

Beat him

[skewe]

Originally Posted by JohnCWms27

yea, it was at a damn Quik Lube, but i went to a mom-and-pop shop last year and i had some of that same lighting on and it still passed and they didnt even notice that my third brake light was out (or didnt care). i think im just gonna try another shop...but i might end up just replacing my lights until i get it inspected.

I still cant believe that condensation in my tailight would fail inspection tho...

if it ain't broken, then don't fix it.
u mentioned that you passed at a mom-pop shop last year, i think you have a winning formula there to pass ur inspections.

[whocares04]

honestly, switching out the bulbs is not that hard, esp. if it is just for a BS inspection...(thank goodness we don't have those here ) there's really nothing u can do about the taillight except get new ones but that's just stupid...and if u still have the receipt for the tint, whip that out (probably go to shop first and have them write on the receipt u got 35%)...

if all else fails, kill the inspector

[NEME5IS]

Originally Posted by JohnCWms27

Well I failed inspection today and he gave me a list of reasons why...some of them sound like bullshit so I wanted to see what you guys thought.


1) Tint read at 26-29%. This is bull because my tint is 35%. I've heard stories of how the meter is always off, but being off by that much?

2) On the 94 camry the parking lights are right there beside the turn signals...well my parking lights are hyperWhite. NOT BLUE, and no blue-ish tint, but just white instead of amber. he said thats illegal. Is this true?

3) My corner lights are hyperwhite instead of amber, and if im not mistaken i think he's right, i think you do have to have the amber corner lights...

4) One of my rear taillights (its a red/clear tail) has a tiny crack in it...its actually just a separation where it should be flush together...not even a crack. as a result, condensation builds up a little in the taillight. you can still see the lights extremely clearly, but they claim that since there's condensation in the taillight, it cant pass inspection. Sounds like bullshit to me.

5) My highbeams (the 9005 bulb) are HyperWhite. Theyre not blue and dont have a blueish tint, just a brighter white. Supposedly illegal, but that sounds like bull to me.



Anyone have any comments on any of the items they mentioned?

1) the reason that some people think that the meter is off sometimes (not true) is that when you go get a tint of 35% you should have 35 right but then you have to remember that the cars come pre tinted from factory... if you ever get into a car without tint you will see that there is a color diff when you open and close the window .. so when you get tint like 35 you will be adding to the tint that is on your car from the factory (if this does not make any sense let me know)

2) they concider it illegal is if you have white bulbs not yellow and turn your turn signals that flash white they say that the people infront of you wont know what you are doing because they may think that it is your headlight and not you turnsignal.. (i dont know how dumb someone has to be to think that but that is the reason)

3)same as number 2

4) bullshet

5) from what i know is that any mod to the head light system is straight illegal have to use what the factory recomends... ie if you car has that ugyl yellowish white bulbs you have to buy those types.. tip... when you change the headlights keep the ones that you had someplace safe so you can just change them when needed..

no i am not an inspector just work at an auto parts place and have alot of people come in with the same bull shet from the inspector...

[JohnCWms27]

i appreciate that post - that answers alot of questions. yeah the tinted window thing makes sense, i just never really thought of it. i kept my factory headlight bulbs so im going to put them in and then go to a mom-and-pop shop to get it inspectd

[reddog69]

i think that guy woke up on the wrong side of the bed that morning and took it out on you.
In any case, which bulbs are you using for the headlights?

[TheMajesticking]

Haha. I went through that exact same thing. I have that thread around here somewhere. There is is:
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/t36934.html

I had a lot of the same issues. It is completely legal for him to do that but he is being an ass about it. The inspection guy I had even penalized me for a light that was inside of my car that wasn't even on or hook up. They can be a serious pain. Just go somewhere that's not like that. I went to a nice place and they only checked serious things.

As far as the lights. If you have a gen3, not gen3.5, then your sidemarker bulbs have to be either regular white or amber. No exceptions. Everything else stock too. I had the same problem. Oh and plus they hate people like us that like to do stuff to our cars. They look even harder if they think you're that type of person. It depends on the shop you go to.

[JohnCWms27]

im using HyperWhite 9006 bulbs for the low-beams and 9005 bulbs for the high-beams. Yea his body language led me to believe that he was trying harder to be an ass just cuz he doesnt like people that "hook up" their rides

[TheMajesticking]

BTW. You can get a legal certified sticker from the tint shop showing that you have legal tint. I have seen many friends get off with 35% with a sticker.