When you drop off your car for an inspection or service appointment, there’s certain documentation you should have available. There are also a few things you should do to prep your car that will help your appointment run smoothly.
Documentation
For a safety inspection or a maintenance appointment, you’ll need to bring the following documents:
- Your current Pennsylvania registration
- Your current car insurance
In some cases, bringing along copies of prior inspection reports and/or prior vehicle maintenance reports can be helpful. These are not required documents, but they can provide insight on various parts of your car and, depending on the reason for behind your visit, that insight may play a role in the type of work that you need.
Preparation
In addition to the documentation mentioned above, there are also some steps you should take to prepare your vehicle for service or inspection.
- Bring your wheel lock key—Most newer cars are equipped with wheel locks to help prevent wheel theft. Your owner’s manual can give you specifics on this feature, including the location of the key (if you don’t know the location of the key). Wheel lock keys make removing, rotating, and changing tires much easier.
- Make sure there’s at least a ¼ tank of gas or diesel in your vehicle—There needs to be enough fuel to get your vehicle into the shop, onto and off of a lift, and back out of the shop again. Depending on the issue, we may also need to run the engine or move the vehicle a little, so having at least a quarter tank of fuel can help ensure we can do that.
- Clean the dashboard so the instrument cluster is visible—There are a lot of important gauges in your dashboard’s instrument cluster. This can range from the speedometer and odometer to the warning lights and more. These gauges should be visible for both inspections and service appointments.
- Bring a list of things you’ve noticed about the vehicle—If you’re bringing your car in for maintenance or repair, it’s a good idea to write a list of things you’ve noticed. Take note of what you hear, smell, or feel in your vehicle and when you hear, smell, or feel those things. Does the car make a grinding noise when you start the ignition? Does it shake and rattle when you engage the brakes? Does it smell kind of sweet when you put it in park? These sorts of notes can help us to properly diagnose what’s happening with your vehicle.
Restored Auto, LLC can help with your vehicle.
Whether your need a Pennsylvania state inspection or just some general vehicle maintenance, Restored Auto, LLC can help. We’ll be happy to perform inspections, run diagnostics, and offer our expert advice for your car. Call us today to schedule an appointment.