[Boostedphil698]

I took my car in for inspection and was failed by the dealer for having a totally transparent film on my windshield but was passed with tint on my side windows just a year earlier! Has anyone ever had this happen? Literally makes no sense.

[n55david]

Originally Posted by Boostedphil698

I took my car in for inspection and was failed by the dealer for having a totally transparent film on my windshield but was passed with tint on my side windows just a year earlier! Has anyone ever had this happen? Literally makes no sense.

nope, in michigan.

[BingoTheClown]

I have not had THAT experience (and I agree that clear film makes no sense for safety inspection failure). Not sure what the PA laws are, but here in NY it's % based. And clear would not be an issue at all (to the best of my knowledge).

We have other dumb things when it comes to tint, here in NY. Vans and SUV's can be tinted in all rear passenger windows. Sedans? Nope. Just the rear window. That's it. Why? Well because SUV's and Van's are guided by federal tint laws and sedans are regulated by state tint laws. But . . . this makes absolutely no sense in the real world. Vans and SUV's are blacked out. Sedans will fail inspection with the same tint. It's profiling . . . saying Sedan drivers are more dangerous for police on traffic stops?

Anyway . . I would LOVE to spend my days going around and taking photos of police officers (personal vehicles) and local politicians (personal vehicles) that violate these laws and submit them to DMV and demand their inspection be void immediately and whomever passed them is fined. Fair is Fair. Rules be Rules for all .. not some

[BingoTheClown]

Also - when I did get my rear window tinted .. the guy at the tint shop told me to NEVER get inspected at Dealer. Dealer has too much on the line and will NOT cut any corners. But a small BMW indie shop - and your inspection probably would have gone much better. Just a thought

Originally Posted by Boostedphil698

I took my car in for inspection and was failed by the dealer for having a totally transparent film on my windshield but was passed with tint on my side windows just a year earlier! Has anyone ever had this happen? Literally makes no sense.

[charlie fairmont]

Mercifully, we don't have inspections. How did they catch it if it's clear?

[Boostedphil698]

Originally Posted by charlie fairmont

Mercifully, we don't have inspections. How did they catch it if it's clear?

They saw the seem where the cutout was for the windshield stickers.

[Boostedphil698]

Originally Posted by BingoTheClown

Also - when I did get my rear window tinted .. the guy at the tint shop told me to NEVER get inspected at Dealer. Dealer has too much on the line and will NOT cut any corners. But a small BMW indie shop - and your inspection probably would have gone much better. Just a thought

Funny thing, tint isn't even apart of the PA vehicle inspection!

[charlie fairmont]

Originally Posted by Boostedphil698

Funny thing, tint isn't even apart of the PA vehicle inspection!

Then under what grounds did they fail you? Do you get a citation reference for the statute or rule they allege you've run afoul of?

Edit: can you tell I want to pretend I'm an internet lawyer and help you fight this

[CarFan]

I had the dealer offer to give me a complimentary inspection only to fail me because the brakes were not in compliance. Went to Home Depot bought a scraper and then scraped off the fail sticker. Next I then immediately went to an inspection site and passed 10 minutes later.

A few months later I got a brake job out of an abundance of caution at a non-dealer European car specialty for less than half the dealer price.

[Boostedphil698]

Originally Posted by charlie fairmont

Then under what grounds did they fail you? Do you get a citation reference for the statute or rule they allege you've run afoul of?

Edit: can you tell I want to pretend I'm an internet lawyer and help you fight this

I literally went into the PA code of inspections and no where did it say inspect for tint. Even a news article says that PA doesn't inspect for it, its up to law enforcement. They technically never inspected it, they just said I would fail. You can fail for stickers and stupid shit that obstructs the view.

[Orion4]

Wait a minute! Per your initail post, the dealer failed you or, per your later post, said you would fail. How can you fail for something, according to other posts re: PA inspections, they are not authorized to inspect?

[charlie fairmont]

http://www.dot.state.pa.us/Public/DV...ons/PUB-45.pdf

I believe there's an argument that your clear film does not fall under the scope of subchapter O of the linked regs (p. 107).

[BMW BRAD]

Was the freaggin inspector having a bad day! I mean, really? Pretty chicken shit if you ask me.........

[Boostedphil698]

Originally Posted by Orion4

Wait a minute! Per your initail post, the dealer failed you or, per your later post, said you would fail. How can you fail for something, according to other posts re: PA inspections, they are not authorized to inspect?

After doing digging, PA stopped enforcing tint through inspections, its left up to the police. It's very gray. I don't think the dealer knows the law real well. They never technically failed me, they just said I wouldn't pass. So, I left.

[Boostedphil698]

Originally Posted by charlie fairmont

http://www.dot.state.pa.us/Public/DV...ons/PUB-45.pdf

I believe there's an argument that your clear film does not fall under the scope of subchapter O of the linked regs (p. 107).

Says nothing about tint, that is my argument. If I had a windshield sticker that obstructs my view, then yeah i get that.

[Skyhigh]

Not sure if it makes sense according to your local regulations, but you would fail in Germany and other countries too and it makes perfect sense.

Imagine the following situation - accident, you are trapped inside, doors not opening. Try and break the windshield with a film on it (with or without tint) to evacuate before you blow or suffocate. Good luck! You are dead.

==> the reason why film of any kind is forbidden on front windows and windshield in civilised countries.

[Boostedphil698]

Originally Posted by Skyhigh

Not sure if it makes sense according to your local regulations, but you would fail in Germany and other countries too and it makes perfect sense.

Imagine the following situation - accident, you are trapped inside, doors not opening. Try and break the windshield with a film on it (with or without tint) to evacuate before you blow or suffocate. Good luck! You are dead.

==> the reason why film of any kind is forbidden on front windows and windshield in civilised countries.

Windshields are laminated anyway......they don't break easy to keep you safe from flying objects... film wouldn't do anything...

[Skyhigh]

Yes it would and it does. Reason why it is banned in many countries.

[Boostedphil698]

Originally Posted by Skyhigh

Yes it would and it does. Reason why it is banned in many countries.

Okay, well I'm not gonna argue with you because I don't live in the EU. Secondly, if you ever watch someone smash a windshield, it doesn't shatter cause it's laminated. Thirdly, some flim isn't gonna suffocate me. Fourth, the law in PA doesn't say inspection shops can inspect for film. Local police are subject to enforce what they deem unsafe.

[Skyhigh]

Originally Posted by Boostedphil698

Okay, well I'm not gonna argue with you because I don't live in the EU. Secondly, if you ever watch someone smash a windshield, it doesn't shatter cause it's laminated. Thirdly, some flim isn't gonna suffocate me. Fourth, the law in PA doesn't say inspection shops can inspect for film. Local police are subject to enforce what they deem unsafe.

As I said - I am not arguing about your local regulations. Don't know them and don't need to.
Comment was regarding the "sense" part.

Good luck.

[CrimsonMoonLight72]

Originally Posted by Boostedphil698

I took my car in for inspection and was failed by the dealer for having a totally transparent film on my windshield but was passed with tint on my side windows just a year earlier! Has anyone ever had this happen? Literally makes no sense.

Funny you’re talking about inspection....just yesterday I was at dmv in flemington NJ and they passed my car. I have I think 50% tint on all 4 windows plus the back. I had both passenger and driver side windows rolled down all the way and had back windows both down halfway. Maybe tolerances are different in NJ. The guy inspecting car didn’t even roll up the front windows to check. It was interesting because years ago they made you have all windows up even in summer.

[Boostedphil698]

Originally Posted by CrimsonMoonLight72

Funny you’re talking about inspection....just yesterday I was at dmv in flemington NJ and they passed my car. I have I think 50% tint on all 4 windows plus the back. I had both passenger and driver side windows rolled down all the way and had back windows both down halfway. Maybe tolerances are different in NJ. The guy inspecting car didn’t even roll up the front windows to check. It was interesting because years ago they made you have all windows up even in summer.

Yeah not sure about NJ. I heard they were stricter than PA.