Have you ever had an inspection station fail your MINI for something strange/funny? I had mine inspected earlier this month, and the inspector removed my "LightInsight" lens from the very top edge of my windshield!

After that, he failed it anyway because I had "more than four lights on the front of the car". I have a fairly standard configuration - Xenon headlamps, factory fog lights and one pair of MINI driving lights. The lights are all configured correctly (fogs will only come on with the low beams, and driving lights will only come on with the high beams.)

He failed it because the "high beams" on the MINI actually activate both the Xenon low-beam bulb and the halogen high-beam bulb, meaning that with the driving lights and high beams on, I technically have six "lights" illuminated.

With the Xenon low-beams on, the high-beam elements are still lit as well (at reduced power) to act as the vehicle's Daytime Running Lights. So with the low-beams on with the fog lights, I was again running afoul of the "no more than four total lights" rule.

I later took my wife's identically-configured MINI to the dealer where we bought it new and it passed without a second glance. Guess where I'm taking both cars next year!

 

Where the hell do you live?!

 

Virginia. The funny thing is that our MINI dealer does free state inspections for life - I just waited to long and couldn't make an appointment with them before the inspection came due. So thanks to my procrastination I took it to the crazy-picky guy *and* got to pay for him to fail my car!

 

I guess you should have pulled the driving lights off before the inspection, although I have to say Virginia has a bunch of CS automobile laws.

 

I don't see anything about "no more than 4 lights". Site linked above has contacts for both the VSP safety division and one Becky Powell for safety inspector license inquiries. I'd give them a call, verify whether this is actually a valid reason for rejection and file a complaint against this inspector if it isn't. Sounds like a BS reason for rejection (highly unlikely MINI would sell you a car in a configuration that wouldn't pass state inspection)...

 

Sounds like you had a "country boy" who does not like those "dang" foreign cars....
I'd complain....and go somewhere else...he was just F**** with you!! Looking for BS.
Many cars have the lows stay on, when ther high turn on...just depends on the lenses and the design. Fogs are supposed to be OFF when the highs are on though....but never heard of a inspection catching this on a diy install...some cops will, but they are usually giving you a ticked for beaing a jerk of some sort if you get a ticket for this!

 

The inspection checklist itself (which grueinthebox linked to) doesn't address the number of lights specifically, but I guess I ran into an inspector that has actually read the "Motor Vehicle Safety Inspection Rules and Regulations" and not just the checklist. It's Chapter 70 here.

Paragraph D of Section 160 says that "No more than four lamps, including two headlamps, may be lighted at any time to provide general illumination ahead of the vehicle."

The question is whether the headlamp's high beam element and low beam element count as two separate lamps, since they're both illuminated when the high beams are on. If they do, then the driving lamps bring the total up to six.

The inspector said he'd ask the question and try to get clarification the next time the State Police came by (I guess the SP periodically come by to audit records). Regardless, I don't think I'll be going back there in the future anyway.

 

Too much hassle to take the driving lights off, but the inspector did say that if I put the original plastic covers over them, then they would be ignored for the purposes of the inspection. The "Motor Vehicle Safety Inspection Rules and Regulations" says the same thing.

 

I once was stationed there in the service and learned to really hate that state.

At least they do not have any crime in the whole state so they can station all of the total police department on I-95 to catch out of state reckless speeders doing one mph over the limit or stop them and steal their radar detectors or any other BOGUS CRAP they can come up with.

I dread every time I go through that stupid state on my way to Delaware. I just can't wait to see that "Welcome to Maryland" sign.

I can just imagine what the people that live there have to go through having a car inspected by one of the **** inspectors that think HE/She is part of the police department. It has got to be a nerve wracking stress filled experience every year just knowing it has to be done.

 

That would also mean he would have to "pull" his oem fogs from the lower bumper.....having those on would mean 6 lights active at once. High/Xenon low, and lower oem fogs.

At my first inspection, I had a rear license plate frame from dealer with their advertisment. It blocked part of my state's "Motto". The sate name was clearly visible at the top.

And yes, the MINI was going to be failed for that.....then to top it off, the dufus at the inspection station acted like he was doing me some sort of huge favor for not doing so.....lol.

Needless to say, whenever we come across troglodytes like that, we just take our business elsewhere .

 

I don't think it'll be a problem in the future, as long as I remember to set up an appointment with the dealer far enough in advance. My wife's car was in and out out the dealer inspection in seven minutes, and they couldn't have cared less about her LightInsight, driving lights, or anything else.

I just remembered another petty failure I've had here in Virginia. My 1983 Dodge Ram failed in 2001 because the defroster didn't blow hot air onto the windshield. The heater core had sprung a leak many years ago, and since I hardly ever drive the truck, I just bypassed the heater core entirely. But with no heater, the windshield defroster won't work. I ended up having to replace the heater core and undoing the bypass to get the truck to pass inspection.

 

The car's computer automatically shuts off the fog lights when you activate the high beams, so that shouldn't be a problem. But, since the Daytime Running Lamps use the halogen high-beam element, it would raise the total to six if you consider the DRLs as "providing general illumination ahead of the vehicle". Personally, I think DRLs are for "being seen", not for general illumination, but it's hard to argue with a functionary holding a clipboard.

 

Damn.....Ya`ll got to deal with some silly S##T the tag people in Louisiana ,Jefferson Parish just want the fee they dont even bother with your car.......Honk the horn and turn on lights thats it....Good or Bad practice really dosent bother me all that much as long as i get mine. There are a million and one Ricers out here with their cars dragging the ground some can Barely make it over the speed bump to get to the tag joint .....And about 95% of them have those Bright *** blue Pep Boys lights all under the bumper ...and they all pass.. go figure

 

That's true in many states. You can have up to 4 headlights (high and low beam). You can add more but they must have covers on them when not in use. I think the idea is to prevent you from being able to simply flick them on while driving on public roads.

 

I live in VA also and I go to a mechanic that I went to high school with for all my vehicle inspections. Let's just say I only have to pull into the bay, blow my horn, flash my lights and fork over $16. I remember taking one of my previous vehicles to some jack-leg and he failed me for a bulb being blown on my license plate. He told me I could buy a bulb from him for $20 bucks and he would give me a sticker along with the inspection fee. I had replacement bulbs in my glove box and he said that he could not do that. I said Ok, got into my vehicle and drove off with no sticker. I went to another shop and got another inspection. I learned that there was no blown bulb around my license plate from this shop and this guy told me that the other shop was good at cheating people. That shop was reported to the Commonwealth and his inspection license was terminated.

 

The HID bulbs in our cars are BI-HID, meaning there is only one bulb with a mechanical shutter that moves out of the way to create the "high beam" effect.

 

I believe that's the case with the 2nd-gen cars (R55/56/57). With the 1st-gen cars (R50/52/53) that have xenon lights, there's a low-beam xenon element and a separate halogen high-beam element.