mahstang

Not that I don't believe you....but do you have any information that suggests this to be true? That just seems weird. Why would a car that comes with TPMS fail because you removed them when some cars that never have them to begin with will pass? Again, its not that I don't believe you....its probably true....it just seems weird.

conejo172

I know, I agree its silly but the way VA state police and the law sees it if there are any lights illuminated on the dash it is a safety issue and it fails! Older cars didn't have them therefore no light on the dash. It also will fail emissions if there is a light on the dash!

bluovalguy

If your car came standard with certain safety items, you are required to keep them on it. If a car was not built with em, you don't have to have em. Some cars were built before 3 point seatbelts were required by law, those cars are good with only the lap belt.

If your state requires the TPMS for cars after it was mandated by the feds, then they can get you for it.

mahstang

I'm not arguing what is an inspection item. I just think its silly that it is an inspection item. I don't personally see the TPMS as a "safety device". I see it as more of a convenience similar to the low fuel light or the door ajar light.

conejo172

No one thinks you are argumentative in this matter I agree it is foolish that something so simple will fail an inspection. But that said although its more of a convenience have you ever been driving on the highway at high speeds and had a blowout? It can get pretty hairy trying to control the car, and what if the little light popped on in enough time for you to react and slow your speed down before all hell broke loose? You'd be happy that little safety device was there!

mahstang

I just checked out the Official Required Inpection Procedure on the Safety Division page of the Virginia State Police website and it lists everything that a shop must inspect and unless I'm missing it there isn't a requirement at all to inspect any dash lights. I don't see anything about a CEL or TPMS light or any other dash light.

The only dash light that seems to be able to fail you during Virginia inspection is the airbag light.

http://www.vsp.state.va.us/Safety.sh...pectionProgram

mahstang

Have you ever driven down the highway and had your hood fly up? Where's the light? I mean you can make a light for everything in the name of "safety". How many lights do we need?

imfamousjim

its 100% a saftey item... tire pressures are very important for handling and tire wear, bad tire wear = blowouts.

but in a similar argument, low fuel light is a saftey item, run outa gas on a shoulderless highway = bad time. door ajar light, take a hard turn and your door opens = bad time

many cars will tell you when the hood is ajar now

granted they're not saftey lights for people like us that aren't idiots, but that's why they're called idiot lights anyway. It's not great how clueless people are nowadays when driving, and having lights that keep them out of trouble without knowing anything is one way of solving the problem (the other is teaching people, but learning is SO 1900's)

conejo172

Nope! And hope my hood never flies up! We should chalk this up to it is what it is!

mahstang

Its a convenience. It saves my lazy butt from checking the air pressure myself. Ya know....like people used to do when there was not an epidemic of tire blowouts?