QLD Safety Certificate

[max66]

I need to get a safety certificate for my falcon auII '99 wagon in brisbane and was wondering how detailed this inspection is likely to be and what I need to work on before I bring it in.

The steering rack is leaking oil for a good while now and I've just been topping up regularly.

Also the rear taillight has a slight crack.

Other than that I can't think of anything else wrong that would fail but I'm not experienced in getting these and would appreciate some input. I'm just a bit nervous because some mechanics might see this as a good $$ opp.

[kenz]

After you get the inspection done Im pretty sure you get 2weeks to fix up anything that fails and take it back for a re-inspection that doesn't cost anything. You can get the work done there, somewhere else or do it yourself at home depending what it is.
Some places are more picky than others, I usually just ask around and see if anyone knows of a decent place

[fmc351]

As above. Some are sticklers for the rules, others are less fussy. There are some that wont even bother to look at the car.

[MO]

Originally Posted by fmc351

As above. Some are sticklers for the rules, others are less fussy. There are some that wont even bother to look at the car.

If they don't look at the car there not worth going to. What if there was a real bad safety issue??

[Mr Hardware]

Originally Posted by kenz

After you get the inspection done Im pretty sure you get 2weeks to fix up anything that fails and take it back for a re-inspection that doesn't cost anything.

Just take it to a local bloke, and for half an hour's labour just ask him
"If i were to get this roadworthied, not that I am, what would it fail on"
then you have unlimited time to get it up to scratch before getting it roadworthied. Simple!

[fmc351]

Originally Posted by MO

If they don't look at the car there not worth going to. What if there was a real bad safety issue??

I was just sayin.

[Jim Goose]

Well you can have leaks for a start.

If the engine is covered in oil I would degrease it a few weeks before the inspection as most places will put down engine leaks oil and fail the safety cert!

the obvious items would be all lights must work, headlights cant be cracked, tail light can have cracks in them but not chipped (ie missing bits)

brakes must work, no leaks, plenty of pad left and the discs will need to be above minimums, not warped, or have any massive gouges in them.

tyres tread obviously above the wear markers

suspension no leaky shocks, all rubber bushes cant be crushed or falling apart.

no play in stearing rack, no leaks, no cracks in dust boots, no worn tie rods/ ball joints

no worn engine mounts or leaks

battery MUST be secure (so simple yet so many people dont even have their battery clamped in). check the serpentine belt, if its all cracked and worn, get a new one.

make sure all oils, liquids (even your washer bottle) is topped up.

windscreen wiper blades and wipers must work. front and rear. washer bottle must work.

rear window demister must work...

seat belts not frayed and must retract properly. all buckles must work.

seats must be secured! and must slide freely.

steering wheel, if the soft rubber cushion around the wheel has unbonded itself from the steering wheel it can fail roadworthy. take off the steering wheel cover if one is fitted.

pedals must have the rubber pads fitted and not broken.

spare tyre and jack

headliner must not be sagging

rear view mirrows, cant be broken, scratches can be acceptable (in certain states)

all door handles, window winders.... electric front windows in the AUs are known to sag at the front when going up causing them to jam.

window tint... if its coming off, get it professionally removed. make sure its legal tint.

no rust holes!

dash gauges and lights must work...

gas struts for the bonnent and the tail gate must be able to hold them open without using a broom stick!!

windshield cant have any massive cracks, a few star type chips is ok as long as it isnt in front of the driver.

phew... any more???

[rancidpunx]

This is why QLD needs Roadworthys certs yearly.

If your driving it round now then its a possible danger on the road. Im sorry but i have to take a hard line with this one and say take it to somebody who is going to do the job right. Anyone saying try and save a few bucks and do it on the dodgy, then your idiots.

I believe most places only charge around $60-$70 for the Certificate. As Jim wrote above, they are all things you can check yourself if you suspect the mechanic is taking you for a ride.

[max66]

Originally Posted by Jim Goose

Well you can have leaks for a start.

If the engine is covered in oil I would degrease it a few weeks before the inspection as most places will put down engine leaks oil and fail the safety cert!

the obvious items would be all lights must work, headlights cant be cracked, tail light can have cracks in them but not chipped (ie missing bits)

brakes must work, no leaks, plenty of pad left and the discs will need to be above minimums, not warped, or have any massive gouges in them.

tyres tread obviously above the wear markers

suspension no leaky shocks, all rubber bushes cant be crushed or falling apart.

no play in stearing rack, no leaks, no cracks in dust boots, no worn tie rods/ ball joints

no worn engine mounts or leaks

battery MUST be secure (so simple yet so many people dont even have their battery clamped in). check the serpentine belt, if its all cracked and worn, get a new one.

make sure all oils, liquids (even your washer bottle) is topped up.

windscreen wiper blades and wipers must work. front and rear. washer bottle must work.

rear window demister must work...

seat belts not frayed and must retract properly. all buckles must work.

seats must be secured! and must slide freely.

steering wheel, if the soft rubber cushion around the wheel has unbonded itself from the steering wheel it can fail roadworthy. take off the steering wheel cover if one is fitted.

pedals must have the rubber pads fitted and not broken.

spare tyre and jack

headliner must not be sagging

rear view mirrows, cant be broken, scratches can be acceptable (in certain states)

all door handles, window winders.... electric front windows in the AUs are known to sag at the front when going up causing them to jam.

window tint... if its coming off, get it professionally removed. make sure its legal tint.

no rust holes!

dash gauges and lights must work...

gas struts for the bonnent and the tail gate must be able to hold them open without using a broom stick!!

windshield cant have any massive cracks, a few star type chips is ok as long as it isnt in front of the driver.

phew... any more???

Howdie mr goose, All of the above are ok I think (as its in reasonable condition), with three exceptions:
1. torn dust boot on the steering rack
2. slight oil leak out of top of engine block, thru where bolts are fitted
3. small star crack on windscreen in front of driver

if I just put a new boot over the steering rack he mighn't even notice the problem with the steering rack (broken seal-needs new/recon'd one), cos when it's oiled up it doesn't give much trouble. Don't think I've got windscreen cover with third party ins.

[Kryton]

The windscreen wont pass then.
ANY chips or cracks in the sweep of the wipers is deemed unroadworthy.
The steering rack will need to be fixed.
Tighten the bolts where the oil is coming from and degrease the day before you take it for inspection.

Also, you do not need to have a spare tyre for a RWC, however, if you do have one, it must be in a RWC.

Seat must also not be worn or have holes in them - if they do, put seat covers on and its fine.

[max66]

Originally Posted by davway

The steering rack will need to be fixed.
Tighten the bolts where the oil is coming from and degrease the day before you take it for inspection.

What about the torn boot?

[Jim Goose]

yes you need to replace that....

[fmc351]

Originally Posted by davway

The windscreen wont pass then.
ANY chips or cracks in the sweep of the wipers is deemed unroadworthy.

Ive had them pass in Qld with a crack on the passenger side, in the sweep. Although IIRC was fairly low down.

But this one being in front of the driver, will fail.

[svo supporter]

Just because you're going to replace the steering rack boot, isn't going to mean you're stopping the leak. A steering rack leak is a steering rack leak, therefore it needs to be fixed. ie replace the rack, not just the boot.

As for the windscreen crack. Why not stick your head in the phone book? There is a mob or 2 out there that fix cracks, like you describe, cheaply. I think one is windscreen O'briens, but don't hold me to that. Saves buying a new windscreen, and/or getting knocked back because of it.

Cracked taillights. The rule is, no naked lights. So if the taillight has exposed light, (even a small amount) it's a fail. Get hold of a hot glue gun and put the glue into the crack, so it's fully sealed. Then go to your local hobby shop and buy some model paint in the colour of the taillight section that's cracked. That'll fix that issue really cheap and it will pass.

Engine leak. Remove the bolts and use a sealant on them, or a rubber o'ring when re-fitting. Then degrease the engine, run it on and off for a couple fo days (10 mins at a time) and see if that cures it. If it does, beautiful. if not, you'll need to investigate further, as the leak won't be from the bolts.

I also disagree with Jim Goose, in respect to places failing you first time, for engine leaks, or any other thing for that matter. Providing your car is upto scratch when it is presented, it will be passed, even by the toughest inspector. I have had a car ordered over the pits for an inspection. It passed first time over the pits, because the car was upto scratch when presented. An inspection by those fellas is tougher than any roadworthy bloke.

Good luck and hopefully it'll pass with flying colours first time.

[XDV800]

Just to help clear up

Originally Posted by Jim Goose

Well you can have leaks for a start. Say what?

If the engine is covered in oil I would degrease it a few weeks before the inspection as most places will put down engine leaks oil and fail the safety cert!
Engine/driveline components can be dirty from long term oil weepage, as long as it is not apparent that there is fresh oil leaking that is bound to drip from the vehicle. Degreasing an engine can lead to dramas for new players, let this be carried out by someone who knows how to wash an engine bay!

the obvious items would be all lights must work, headlights cant be cracked, tail light can have cracks in them but not chipped (ie missing bits)
Must not have anyway for water/moisture to enter the lense

brakes must work, no leaks, plenty of pad left and the discs will need to be above minimums, not warped, or have any massive gouges in them.
Handbrake must be adjusted correctly as it is tested on the road as part of RWC inspection

tyres tread obviously above the wear markers
and have sufficient tread depth remaining on the outer edges of the tyre, where majority of tyre wear occurs

suspension no leaky shocks, all rubber bushes cant be crushed or falling apart.
A bounce test is carried out and is at the discretion of the inspecting technician. General guide is no more than 1-2 bounces

no play in stearing rack, no leaks, no cracks in dust boots, no worn tie rods/ ball joints

no worn engine mounts or leaks

battery MUST be secure (so simple yet so many people dont even have their battery clamped in). check the serpentine belt, if its all cracked and worn, get a new one.
And terminals must be tight and free from corrosion. Serpentine/accesory belt condition is not a RWC concern!

make sure all oils, liquids (even your washer bottle) is topped up.
Not a concern for RWC, there just needs to be enough water in the washer bottle to test the washer jets, which all need to spray correctly onto the windscreen.

windscreen wiper blades and wipers must work. front and rear. washer bottle must work.

rear window demister must work...

seat belts not frayed and must retract properly. all buckles must work.

seats must be secured! and must slide freely.
Excessive backrest movement can mean failure

steering wheel, if the soft rubber cushion around the wheel has unbonded itself from the steering wheel it can fail roadworthy. take off the steering wheel cover if one is fitted.

pedals must have the rubber pads fitted and not broken.

spare tyre and jack
Vehicle does not require a spare tyre or jack to be fitted, however if a spare is fitted then it must be fully inflated and a jacking implement fitted aswell

headliner must not be sagging

rear view mirrows, cant be broken, scratches can be acceptable (in certain states)

all door handles, window winders.... electric front windows in the AUs are known to sag at the front when going up causing them to jam.

window tint... if its coming off, get it professionally removed. make sure its legal tint.

no rust holes!

dash gauges and lights must work...

gas struts for the bonnent and the tail gate must be able to hold them open without using a broom stick!!

windshield cant have any massive cracks, a few star type chips is ok as long as it isnt in front of the driver.
There must not be any cracks or chips that are likely to spread into star chips in the area of the windscreen that the wiper blades cover. Small chips are acceptable at discretion of the inspector

phew... any more???

Oh there is plenty more!

[302 XC]

IF you get a RWC done at one place and it fails at that one place you have to take it back to that one place for a follow up (or 2nd inspection) during the two week period(This time frame will be a dated period and on the RWC)
You cannot go to one place be rejected then just drive to another
The rules seem to be different in all states as per whats road worthy and whats not
$60-$70 is around the goin rate
BUT
You cannot drive this car unregoed to get a RWC,u will have to get a day (or coupla days,depending on the car) permit
You get caught driving it unregoed for any excuse youll be fined
Depending where you are located ,there are a few mobile RWC blokes
These guys charge around the $100 mark and they come to you,
(Handy for me as the closest RWC station is 70 Ks away)
Once you have the RWC you can drive straight down to main roads for rego
Dont think inspections happen at rego time anymore
Well it didnt last car i regoed,pay the money got my receipt and of i went

Google/yellow pages see whos local to you regarding a RWC

[Debzilla_108]

once you have RWC you have to get 3rd party insurance to be able to drive it to get rego.
and when u pay your rego you show them the paper work and you dont pay the insurance part just the rego part.

[max66]

@yzfr
The windscreen has got one small chip on or near the driver's eyeline, so I can get that repaired without replacing the whole windscreen like one poster said.

The oil is more of a long-term small leakage issue I think, there isnt much oil coming out from the 4 bolts at top of engine block - I might leave the degreasing so as yzfr recommends as I haven't degreased an engine before (although I did purchase a spray can of the stuff yesterday in crazy clarks which is just a spray on--wipe off operation).

The handbrake noises a bit after release as the car moves off and wheels turn. I think there's a clip or something that needs replacing. Is that a no-go?

I think the tyres/brakes are fine, brake rotors/pads were recently looked at due to issue arising. Tyres not down to markers (don't know if manufacturer includes these anyway - b'stone front, contis rear).

@debzilla and 302XC, I presently have a valid third party, fire and theft policy with aami, and the car is rego'd in WA until the end of this month so I think that addresses the insurance issue?

The car probably isn't in bad nik, although a RWC tester might be keen to find silly issues. Is there any way to dispute/challenge the faults when vehicle is failed?
One thing I have considered, would it be difficult to sell this car presently in qld, with WA rego? I would think about selling if I thought I'd get a decent price.

[XDV800]

Originally Posted by max66

@yzfr
The windscreen has got one small chip on or near the driver's eyeline, so I can get that repaired without replacing the whole windscreen like one poster said.

Absolutely, make that sucker disappear.

The oil is more of a long-term small leakage issue I think, there isnt much oil coming out from the 4 bolts at top of engine block - I might leave the degreasing so as yzfr recommends as I haven't degreased an engine before (although I did purchase a spray can of the stuff yesterday in crazy clarks which is just a spray on--wipe off operation).

Look, an AU being a distributorless ignition should be fine to degrease and then hose off if necessary, just being mindful not to allow water entry to the air intake pipe, and then perhaps having an airline with a blower available to just generally use around the engine bay, and blow out any pools of water from each of the spark plug sites in the head, as water can pool around them.

The handbrake noises a bit after release as the car moves off and wheels turn. I think there's a clip or something that needs replacing. Is that a no-go?

These are renowned for being noisy, the actuating mechanism gets suck and just requires removal and greasing. Shouldn't be a concern for RWC anyway. The shoes will be worn i would reckon, if the cars done more than 150000klms.

[max66]

What about the leaking steering rack? It has to be topped up every so often and oil can be seen on the boot and various bits of steel nearby...is this a fail? Think its a worn seal or something.

At this stage from what I see here this might be the only serious problem

[max66]

Well I got the test done on the car and there were a half dozen items listed that need to be fixed/replaced.

• front headlamp shaded from sun/moisture - someone said that this could be rectified by applying avocado to the outside and wiping clean - not too sure if this would work though!
• replace rear brake pads
• replace steering rack pump
• tighten handbrake cable, handbrake too loose
• upper rear brake light not working, prob just blown bulb
• ball joint in front wheel loose, needs replacing according to mechanic ~$80 at wreckers

Anyone know about the headlamp, and can the fluid pump for steering rack be replaced from overhead rather than underneath car? Or even about the ball joint

[cs123]

Originally Posted by max66

Anyone know about the headlamp, and can the fluid pump for steering rack be replaced from overhead rather than underneath car? Or even about the ball joint

The headlamp lens may be able to be polished. If you're in Brisbane I have some plastic polish you can try on it.

Get the ball joint replaced by a mechanic with a new one. Might be just as easy to get the RWC guy to do it. Go buy one from Bursons and take it with you.

[max66]

ya I'm actually in cleveland, qld. Where abouts are you at cs123? I think the headlamp lenses are plastic, I just tapped them there and they sound like plastic to me...

Does anyone know what tension the handbrake needs to be at? I've tightened it at the wheels and also the nut by handbrake lever, it can be pulled up to 9 clicks after that.

[Jim Goose]

Plastic?? Um.. no all headlamp lens are glass.
Indicators and tail lights are plastic

[Jimmyd]

Originally Posted by Jim Goose

Plastic?? Um.. no all headlamp lens are glass.
Indicators and tail lights are plastic

Beg to differ - Headlamp lens, housing and IIRC even the reflector are plastic across the AU range except, of course, the XR series.

Originally Posted by max66

[*]front headlamp shaded from sun/moisture -

Headlamp shaded - do you mean the front lens is hazy or the reflector discoloured?

[max66]

Hi Jimmy,jimgoose contributions appreciated

If the reflector is behind the front lens, then I think it's the front lens that's discoloured

[Jimmyd]

As CS123 suggested the lens can be polished in most cases - fairly easy process.

Handbrake sounds about right.

Exchange Power Steering pumps are readily available at most auto parts places, as can brake pads, ball joints and brake light bulbs...

Cheers

James

[max66]

Is an alternator/battery light on the dash a fail item? I was failed because mine comes on and off randomly. Bloody ridiculous, is there any way I can challenge this? he says he won't pass me without this sorted out.

[max66]

double-post - deleted

[svo supporter]

Originally Posted by max66

Is an alternator/battery light on the dash a fail item? I was failed because mine comes on and off randomly. Bloody ridiculous, is there any way I can challenge this? he says he won't pass me without this sorted out.

Try disconnecting the wiring or globe. Might "trick" him