MX-3.com

Hey, I was really looking into buying a mx-3 but a friend of mine told me that theirs did not pass inspection in New Jersey. Is there any way to get the car to pass inspection?
thanks

just what kind of inspection are you talking about? emissions, or some kind of safety inspection, or what?


Why would your friends car not passing make you think that this other car you are considering buying won't pass? There could have been something WRONG with your friends car (like a bad o2 sensor, or a whole host of things that can cause ANY car to not pass emissions) that has no bearing on this other car you are looking at.

'what can be done to make a car pass inspection' depends entirely on what kind of inspection, and what specifically failed the inspection.. it's really too general a question to answer with out a lot of specifics..

too many factors, depends on vehicle, state laws, maintenance of vehicle. In my particular city, if I live out of city limits Im not required to do emissions. Also if I fail emissions all I have to do is spend $100 to try to fix it, even if then it fails they automatically pass my car.

hi.
thanks im looking for more info around the site right now. but im talking about an emissions test; if the car is in good condition, then it should be able to pass...right?

As Mitmaks points out, there's to many variables to give you an absolute answer.

But in general, a properly running car should be able to pass emissions. Mine has passed every time but once, and that once was due to a defective O2 sensor. once that was replaced, it passed.

frankly I'd not buy a car without having a mechanic give it a good once over.. and one of the things that I'd have him do is 'sniff' the exaust with his equipment and tell me if he expects it would pass emissions or not.

If he says it wouldn't pass, then you can decide vs your area's laws what you want to do.. Here in WA If the car was otherwise sound, and/or worth the asking price, then I'd use this info to try and beat down the price a little.. (hey man, the mechanic says I'm gonna have to do some work on it to get it to pass emissions.. that's going to run me around $100, how about we take that off the asking price?)

BTW: if your state is like ours, you have to FAIL the test FIRST.. before you spend money on repairs/tune-up. Any money you spend before failing the test doesn't count towards the magic "spend xxx$ trying to fix it, and you automatically pass (this time) AND it all has to be stuff that would help it pass emissions.. so like plugs, wires, disty-cap, MAF, O2 Sensors, those might count, as would replacing the cat-converter, but wipers, wheels, muffler, giant 'car-cod-piece' muffler tip, or anything in the suspension.. BZZZZZTT wrong answer, try again.

Check your state's rules to see what the hoops are and when to jump through them.

thanks!!

or you can register it somewhere where they don't require emissions (my mx-3 is registered out of city limits)