Official Brake and Light Inspection in Los Angeles – Official Station

Official California Licensed Brake and Light Inspection Station

Official Brake and Light Inspection in Los Angeles – Official Station

Most Trusted DMV-Certified Brake and Light Inspection Station in Culver City and Santa Monica

The California DMV requires that any salvaged vehicle is in safe, roadworthy condition before being re-titled. To ensure that critical components such as brakes and headlamps are not damaged or misaligned, a state-licensed Brake & Lamp Inspection Station must conduct a thorough examination and issue a certificate upon completion. Once the certificate is presented to the DMV, the vehicle can be legally registered.

Autotech is a licensed Brake & Lamp Inspection Stations in Los Angeles, so if you need to register a vehicle, give us a call to set up an appointment.

Brake Inspection

Brakes are a critical component of vehicle safety, which is why the DMV only trusts a select number of auto repair shops to conduct a thorough inspection. At Otay Test and Repair, our expert technicians will evaluate every aspect of your car’s brake system. Our Brake Inspection checklist includes:

Brake pads or shoes: No less than 50% thickness remaining
Brake drums and rotors: Measurements must be within manufacturer specifications
Braking hardware: Must be present, installed correctly, and in working order
Hydraulic system: No signs of leakage in the master cylinder, wheel cylinder, calipers, valves, lines, and connections.
Hoses: No visible cracks
Warning lamps: Light up when necessary
Emergency brake: Capable of holding the vehicle on a 6% grade
Suspension components: No broken or worn shocks or struts
Alignment: Wheels aligned properly

If our inspection reveals any issues that must be resolved, Autotech here in Culver City offers expert repairs to get your car back on the road and officially re-titled.

Light Inspection

Driving without properly-working lamp equipment is illegal and unsafe for both the driver and everyone else on the road, which is why the DMV requires a comprehensive lighting system inspection from a licensed auto repair expert. At Autotech, our Lamp Inspection checklist includes:

Headlamps and tail lamps: Must illuminate properly with all adjusting hardware in good working order
Lenses and reflectors: Intact with no cracks
Headlamp aiming pads: No damage to the small points on the lamp glass
Other lighting equipment: Marker lamps, backup lamps, brake lamps, license plate lamps, turn signals, high beam indicator, and all warning lamps in good working order
Visibility: No body damage interfering with the visibility of the lighting equipment

If our inspection reveals lighting equipment that must be repaired or replaced, Autotech offers expert repairs to pass DMV registration requirements. We’re located on the border of Santa Monica and Culver City, on the corner of Sepulveda and Venice Blvd.

Other Reasons You’ll Need a Brake & Light Inspection

Registering a salvaged vehicle is the most common reason to get a Brake & Lamp Inspection from a licensed repair shop, but there are other reasons the DMV might require or encourage an inspection:

California highway patrol citation: If a CHP officer discovers a defect on your vehicle that could cause a personal safety issue or create a hazardous situation for other drivers, you will be issued a citation to have the problem remedied.
Purchasing a used vehicle: The DMV does not require a Brake & Lamp Inspection for used-vehicle purchases, but many people want to ensure the used car they are considering for purchase is in proper mechanical operating condition.

A brake and lamp inspection is not an inspection you should fail. Here at Autotech we want you to pass the brake and lamp inspection the first time. We have noticed that the first time failure rate is high and here’s the top 15 reasons for failing the Brake and Light Inspection with the California DMV.

Brake Rotors not within specification – This item is number 1 because the brake pads are being changed without replacing the rotor. The other reason is because the rotor has been resurfaced (turned) too many times and the life limit is expended.
Drum out of Limits – The drum is number 2 right behind the rotors because rear brakes on a vehicle are often neglected. This results in costly repairs having to be made to the braking system to bring it back to manufacturer specification.
License Plate Lamp Inoperative – The license plate lamp ranks pretty high on the list because most people forget to check the license plate lamp when inspecting their vehicle lamps to ensure their vehicle will pass the brake and lamp inspection.
Reverse Lamps Inoperative – The reverse lights make the list because it takes two people or one talented person to be able to check the reverse lamps.
Headlamps will not adjust – Often times the adjusters on the headlamps are frozen and they will not adjust. This often requires complete replacement of the headlamps to in order to pass the brake and lamp inspection.
Emergency Brake out of Adjustment – The emergency brake system is required to be in working order and adjusted properly. Often times customers fail to change the emergency brake pads during the life of their vehicle. When it comes time to pass a brake and light inspection, the emergency brake does not pass.
Headlamps installed incorrectly- This item is a high failure because when a person is trying to register a salvage vehicle, the vehicle was not repaired correctly. Many vehicles only have a vertical adjustment on the headlamp so if the headlamp is installed improperly the headlamps will be out of aim.
Active ABS codes stored in the ABS computer – Before you schedule you brake and lamp inspection, check to see if the vehicles ABS lamp is illuminated on the dash. Additionally, if you have a ABS code reader plug it in to the vehicles OBD port and verify that there are no ABS codes present that would cause your vehicle to fail the brake and lamp inspection.
Cracked Lamp Lenses – If any of your vehicles lamp lenses it will fail the lamp inspection. A lamp inspector is required to check for cracked lenses as part of the brake and lamp inspection.
Headlamp Intensity – If your vehicle has earned some age more times than not the plastic headlamp has oxidized. You can either replace the headlamp assembly or order a restore kit to try and remove the oxidation on the headlamp lens.

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