VA Safety inspections and fog lights (2013, to buy, inspector)

[dtt99]

Last week, I brought my SUV to a gas station for safety inspection. At the end, the inspector told me that he would fail me because the light bulbs on my fog light burnt out. I told him that the fog lights were not OEM and I installed it myself about 10 years ago. The bulbs burnt out about 5 years ago but no body before him made a fuss about them. He told me regardless if something was original or not, in VA it had to be in working condition when inspected and it is the law. In the end he let me pass but he said the he did me a favor and I had to replace the bulbs. Did he tell the truth? It did not make any sense to me since the fog lights are optional and 5 inspections before him did not raise any issue. I installed the fog light flushed on the grille and since replacing the bulbs required removing the grille, I just stopped using the lights altogether.

[Grsz11]

When my father took the Jeep he had for several years for an inspection at the dealership he bought it from and always had it serviced at, they said that it had the switches for a fog light and so it required the lights, even though it never had them before and always passed. This despite the same dealership servicing it at least five times prior. They ended up installing the fog lights free.

[TextileWolf]

I had the same issue a few years ago with fog lights. I ended up just ripping them out.

[dtt99]

Originally Posted by Grsz11

When my father took the Jeep he had for several years for an inspection at the dealership he bought it from and always had it serviced at, they said that it had the switches for a fog light and so it required the lights, even though it never had them before and always passed. This despite the same dealership servicing it at least five times prior. They ended up installing the fog lights free.

The fog light systems were after market but made specifically for my Mitsubishi truck. The switch and harness plugged right in to the electrical systems but the lights requires drilling.

[z28lt1]

If the lights are on the car, they need to work in Virginia. If you remove the socket, wiring, and bulb, they do not have to. Otherwise, from the VA Code:
"Fog lamps are not required. However, if installed they must operate and be inspected."

I'm surprised you made it 5 years...

[dtt99]

Originally Posted by z28lt1

If the lights are on the car, they need to work in Virginia. If you remove the socket, wiring, and bulb, they do not have to. Otherwise, from the VA Code:
"Fog lamps are not required. However, if installed they must operate and be inspected."

I'm surprised you made it 5 years...

Thanks, but your answer made me agonizing . It takes about an hour to remove the grille and bumper to get access to to bulbs to replace it vs. about 2 hours to remove the switch and the lights and never have to worry about it again. The car is about 15 years old and new bulbs would last about 5 years and I have to replace it again in 2018. Decision... I would have about a year to make up my mind.

[oneasterisk]

You could do what I do when I get my SUV inspected, I put the covers on the fog lights. They tried to fail me before because I have them wired onto a separate switch, they don't turn off when the high beams are turned on. There is a rule that only 2 forward beams can be on at a time. So I asked them what I could do, and the inspector asked if I had the covers for the fog lights. They were in the truck. I put them on and they passed it - LOL

[z28lt1]

Originally Posted by oneasterisk

You could do what I do when I get my SUV inspected, I put the covers on the fog lights. They tried to fail me before because I have them wired onto a separate switch, they don't turn off when the high beams are turned on. There is a rule that only 2 forward beams can be on at a time. So I asked them what I could do, and the inspector asked if I had the covers for the fog lights. They were in the truck. I put them on and they passed it - LOL

Thanks for the reminder. I had thought the code was just for other lights, but reading it again, it does see, to apply to fog lights. Here it is:

"EXCEPTION: Any lighting device that is both covered and not illuminated, other than lamps required, shall not be considered for inspection. Fog and driving lamps mounted below the level of the regular headlamps must be checked for aim as outlined in subdivisions I 10 i and 11 g of this section if not covered. NOTE: The covers shall be a type that would be installed as original equipment and not tape, paper bags, aluminum foil or similar materials per subdivision I 11g (2)."
Although if the OP doesn't have covers, I'm sure it is cheaper to buy a bulb.

[Barack__Obama]

yeah. If you have a light, then it needs to work.

if it is a light that is for offroad, it must be covered.
This is why you see trucks with overhead lights or lights in the grill, they will have a cover, like a smiley face...etc.

it is specifically so that buttnuggets dont drive down the road with 8 lights on.


So if you have a switch for your foglights, you have to cover them. The only other way it so enable them to come on with your high beams, OR your low beams.

You cant have more than 4 bright lights on at once.

[Bigfoot424]

Originally Posted by Barack__Obama

yeah. If you have a light, then it needs to work.

if it is a light that is for offroad, it must be covered.
This is why you see trucks with overhead lights or lights in the grill, they will have a cover, like a smiley face...etc.

it is specifically so that buttnuggets dont drive down the road with 8 lights on.


So if you have a switch for your foglights, you have to cover them. The only other way it so enable them to come on with your high beams, OR your low beams.

You cant have more than 4 bright lights on at once.

You registered to respond to a 2013 topic?