What's goin' on?

[LeatherCat]

Hi all.
I just received a note in the mail from Vehicle Safety in Alberta stating the following:

The Motor Vehicle Inspection Program has been implemented to ensure the safety of the Alberta motoring public. As part of the program's quality control measures, Alberta Infrastructure and Transportation Requires both Re-inspection of Vehicles and routine follow up of safety leads.

Alberta Infrastructure and Transportation has received information identifying safety concerns with your vehicle. It is essential that you contact me (contact info ommited) by July 10, 2007 to make arrangements to a Vehicle Safety Investigator to view your Vehicle.

Failure to respond to Alberta Infrastructure and Transportation may result in your vehicle being seized for inspection, per Section 66 of the Traffic Safety Act.


Did anyone else get this letter or have heard of any "safety concerns" with the Deli. I've had mine for about 18 month now and the wheels have not fallen off nor have I left any spare parts on the road like many "domestics" of a comparable age.
Any insights or info would be welcome.
Gerry.

[Matthew]

That does not sound good... however, I have never been accused of being an optomist. Please let us know ASAP what it's all about.

[EnviroImports.com]

Well, whats going on is that some/most of the delicas that were passed inspection befor the headlights had to be changed are getting a re-inpection notice , and if by chance your inspection garage that originally did your inspection has had any problems, bad rep, history of violations..... all of their jdm (japanese domestic manufactuing) vehicle inspections may need to be re done, But it gets better, some ...pick words carefully....."scammers" have brought in delicas, put in e-code headlights for inspection, then after the inspection the headlights are swaped out with the original JDM lights, so the van has the sticker, but the lights are available for the next van to be "inspected" . SO for all you out there not sure about lights and other possible problems, Go look at your headlights and make sure you have a circle with a Capital E with a number in ther , Like E13. and also make sure you have reflectors on your corners, orange at the front, red at the rear.

When the vans are "inspected" 2meg Jpg picts are taken of your lights and everything else to show that its compliant. Alot of people think that once thats done they are home free to "mod" their vans or change them back. but if your van was in your name and the picts were taken and you changed the lights back, then they can Prove fraud on your behalf . since they can prove the compliant lights were in there at inspection time. Dont think they will take your van away. guess again, its allready happined here in BC. AND NO the owner does not get his van back.
I think that checking to make sure the vehicles are fully compliant is a good thing, I feel bad for the buyers that are told the lights are proper and are lied to.
But if your missing reflectors, put them on, they are cheap. and if you need lights, buy the lights.

[Green1]

well it's good to know that they are inspecting ALL 15 year old vehicles equally... oh wait, only JDM ones? fair as always...

Anyway, I recommend you post that info to the International Vehicle Owners Association Canada website http://www.ivoac.ca and ask their advice, basically you'll have to get the vehicle re-inspected, but I sure hope you're not on the hook to pay for it!

[EnviroImports.com]

I know what you mean about inspecting all vehicles equally, but I also see the point the inspectors have, I often go up to delicas and many jdm's here in town , but I have to say that I see 4 here on a regular basis that dont have ecoded headlights. I think if we are looking to be treated fairly or at least as fair as possible for people leading a changing market. we have to make sure we do follow the laws, I am on iovac daily and follow all the news. its tough for the owners that bought befor the laws/rules were made/changed.
but I also think that its only a few bad apples that are making it tough on the rest of us with swaping their lights out after inspections. but really they are not asking us to make any big changes, I can handle putting headlights in that wont blind on coming traffic, I dont mind the reflectors and I think tires should have psi ratings on them , how else will you know how much air to put in them, the listing on the door is for the original,stock brand and size, not for every tire that will fit the rim.
Its not like we have to replace our glass, or other pricy things like the sera and some other have issues with.

[bccruze]

well it's good to know that they are inspecting ALL 15 year old vehicles equally... oh wait, only JDM ones? fair as always...

Anyway, I recommend you post that info to the International Vehicle Owners Association Canada website http://www.ivoac.ca and ask their advice, basically you'll have to get the vehicle re-inspected, but I sure hope you're not on the hook to pay for it!

Like Green 1 says you should post your letter on IVOAC (Imported Vehicle Owners Association of Canada)

[crushers]

in Alberta the rule has been if the headlights can be aimed to not affect on coming traffic then JDM lights are acceptable. up to now the only province that required the JDM lights to be changed out was the State of Kolumbia...sad to say Mike Woods has infected the minds of the inspectors in Alberta...

that being said i change out all my Delica head lights but we are not required to install the markers...

[helibrian]

I think tires should have psi ratings on them , how else will you know how much air to put in them,

so throw away perfectly good tires just because it doesnt say 30-32 psi

[crushers]

I think tires should have psi ratings on them , how else will you know how much air to put in them,

so throw away perfectly good tires just because it doesnt say 30-32 psi

of course the use of common sense is a thing of the past...

[EnviroImports.com]

Its easy to casually say use common sence , most of us that can and do work on our own vehicles, but many people have no idea how to care for their vehicles,and rely on information for how to care for the tires. my pick up takes 55psi ,my smart car is 35psi. I like the that if the wife is driving along and sees a tire low so she pulls over to get some air, that it will say on the tire. Or if you happen to go to a full serve station and they offer to fill up a low looking tire and they over fill it. after all, part of the reason we have to change the tires are one owner filled up to much pressure in HIS tires with out knowing it. One of the tires blew driving on the transcanada hwy close to Chilliwack. Rolled his vehicle, and Yes actually a delica. and then it was made aware that the tires did not have a psi rating on the tires.

[Green1]

you shouldn't be filling to the rating on the sidewall anyway, that's the MAX rating, not the recommended rating... you should be filling to the pressure on the vehicle's door post instead.

[crushers]

Its easy to casually say use common sence , most of us that can and do work on our own vehicles, but many people have no idea how to care for their vehicles,and rely on information for how to care for the tires. .

as far as i am concerned if you can not use common sense and research then you shouldn't be driving.

simple enough.

as for the tire blowing out, it wasn't the tires fault it was the idiot that filled the tire (or if the tire was cracked or damaged)

same as RHD vs LHD debate, common sense. if you can't drive LHD then you can't drive RHD and you "should" turn in your drivers license.

you can not teach common sense, either you have it or you don't.

as for your wife, you should be teaching her what is right for that specific application. some tires have a max of 80 psi that doesn't mean you should run then at that poundage.

[crushers]

after all, part of the reason we have to change the tires are one owner filled up to much pressure in HIS tires with out knowing it. One of the tires blew driving on the transcanada hwy close to Chilliwack. Rolled his vehicle, and Yes actually a delica. and then it was made aware that the tires did not have a psi rating on the tires.

got a link to this report??

[intlfunk]

apparently Alberta has instated this law for any import right hand drive vehicles. I had a heck of a time trying to find out if I needed my van inspected again in AB after it having been inspected twice already in BC. In the end I found out about this change in policy and was required to have the ab inspect, which went totally fine.

[Green1]

you've always been required to have an Alberta inspection to register in Alberta, the BC inspection counts for nothing except your own peace of mind.