Making Your Car Service Fun

An inspection that is done to a vehicle before you can renew its registration is often called a rego or pink slip inspection, and this inspection is often needed for any vehicle that is more than a few years old, for vehicles that have been modified in any way, and for vehicles that have received a defect notice. While a mechanic can tell you how to get your vehicle ready for its pink slip inspection, note a few ways you might avoid costly and unexpected repair bills before you can get that registration renewed, and how to ensure your car has the best chance of passing a pink slip inspection.

Battery 

You may not think of a connection between a high-quality battery and a pink slip inspection, but note that many parts that are inspected are run by electricity and are not powered by gas or by the vehicle's engine. A low-quality battery, or one that is not running with full power, may then damage the lights, horn, brake callipers, steering components, and other such parts. In turn, these may suffer excess wear and tear and may not function as they should when it's time to get the vehicle inspected. Have the battery of your vehicle checked every year, if not even more often, to note if it should be recharged or replaced, as this will ensure all the electrical pieces of the vehicle are properly powered and functioning as they should.

Fluids

Fluids are needed to lubricate many parts of the vehicle and keep them cool. If you allow the fluids in a vehicle to get low or to become old and full of sediment and debris, this can mean excessive wear and tear on many of the vehicle's parts, including the brakes, radiator, transmission, and the like. These parts may be checked for your pink slip inspection, so it's good to ensure the fluids in your car are always in good condition and that they're never running low.

Seatbelts

Seatbelts are typically checked during a rego inspection, so ensure that these are always kept clean. Anything sticky, such as food debris or mud that comes in through the vehicle's windows, can make the seatbelts stick when they roll and unroll, and then damage their interior mechanisms. You may then need to actually replace the seatbelts before your vehicle passes inspection. A good wipe down of the seatbelts every time you wash your car's interior can prevent this, keeping the material in good condition and the belts working as they should.