NC Safety Inspection - Headlight (construction, DMV, inspections) - City-Data Forum

coachduane · 06-04-2011, 02:49 PM

Please help. My vehicle failed inspection. The inspection station stated it was due to holes drilled into my headlight housing. I bought this car in 2005 (it was used, 1 yr old, 1 previous owner). It has never had an issue passing inspection. How can this first come up now and is it a legitimate reason to fail? The headlights work perfectly fine and have never been a problem. Or, is this a case of the inspection station failing the vehicle so they could squeeze repairs out? Please advise. Thank you.

pigp3n · 06-04-2011, 06:45 PM

get them to show you. Never let the car out of site.
Or take it to another place with the failure notice and get them to show you where it failed.

coachduane · 06-05-2011, 11:31 AM

They showed me but I don't know a) how they missed it for 6 years and b) why it would fail. It's a hole in the casing that is/was covered. Where's the failure?

djshinodalp · 06-09-2011, 12:16 PM

Take it to another place that will pass the inspection for you, if these guys are being too much of a pain.

arbyunc · 06-10-2011, 06:28 AM

This sounds really fishy to me. Maybe I'm missing something, but an inspection should just check to see if the headlights work. I've never had them examine my headlight housing for holes, and even if there were holes, as long as it doesn't affect the function what's the problem?

Besides, I can't imagine why anyone would drill holes in the headlight housing. It sounds like this guy is trying to pull one over on you.

Recip · 06-10-2011, 11:55 AM

NCDOT: Forms

At the above link, you can find the 132 page NC inspections manual. Page 41 covers lights. It does not appear that simply having a hole drilled in a headlight housing would lead to a disapproval. I do not believe a cleanly drilled hole rises to the only seemingly applicable disqualification, which is "(c) Any lens is cracked, broken,..."

19A NCAC 03D .0533 LIGHTS
1. Headlights shall not be approved if:
(a) There are not at least two head lamps (at least four on dual
head lamp systems which require four units) on all
self-propelled vehicles except motorcycles and motor driven
cycles need only one.
(b) The lens produces other than a white or yellow light.
(c) Any lens is cracked, broken, discolored, missing, or rotated away
from the proper position, or any reflector is not clean and bright.
(d) The high beam low beam dimmer switch does not operate properly
or the high beam indicator light does not burn on vehicles
manufactured after January 1, 1956.
(e) Lights can be moved easily by hand, due to a broken fender or loose
support, or if the mounting does not make a good ground.
(f) Foreign materials (such as shields, half of lens painted, brush
guards, etc.) are placed on the head lamp lens that interferes with
light beam of lamp.
(g) Lights are improperly aimed using an approved light-testing device.
(h) Lights project a dazzling or glaring light when on low beam.
(i) Mechanical/wall chart aimer tolerance range is 4 inches up, down,
left, and right. On board aimers tolerance is 8 degrees up, down, left
and right. Optical aimers are either go or no go.

Kwikstix · 06-15-2011, 01:31 PM

Most of the time, Holes drilled in headlights are from someone having strobe lights installed in them. think construction trucks and what not. Or, someone else that just wanted to do it illegally could have installed them. That is why they fail, b/c you can potentially put in illegal strobe lights into your headlight housing. Get them replaced, or take it to billy bob's inspection station in the middle of the sticks somewhere... anywhere near a big urban city will fail you due to NC cracking down on inspections.

arbyunc · 06-15-2011, 02:05 PM

^ That sounds crazy that they would fail you because you "could" do something. I could potentially mount a howitzer to the roof rack of my vehicle, but if it's not actually mounted what's the problem?

Kwikstix · 06-15-2011, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arbyunc

^ That sounds crazy that they would fail you because you "could" do something. I could potentially mount a howitzer to the roof rack of my vehicle, but if it's not actually mounted what's the problem?

If you haven't figured it out by now, NC is extremely strict regarding DOT matters. It's stupid, I know.

V65Ozzie · 08-15-2011, 08:53 AM

Depends on where the hole is. If it's in the reflector, then yes, it would fail, because that would affect the beam. I regularly drill small holes in the bottom of the casing near the front for people who have problems with water building up inside the housings. This allows the water to drain out without affecting the way the headlight works. Some vehicles actually have a drain in the headlights for this reason.