# Inspecting Your Vehicle



## Frontier Guy (Dec 27, 2015)

First off, if you're not willing to do a basic vehicle inspection before signing in, I don't want you to drive. Quite simple actually. You're driving a passenger vehicle, transporting other people, it should take you a maximum of 5-10 minutes to do a vehicle inspection before starting your shift.

As you approach your vehicle look for anything unusual, is there a puddle under the engine you've never noticed before? Does something look amiss?
Step 1 Walk around your vehicle, look for obvious damage or flat tires
Step 2 Start your vehicle, listen for unusual sounds
Step 3 Turn on your lights
Step 4 Walk around your vehicle, check your lights, do they work? If not, why? Fix the problem.
Step 5 Turn on your hazards, walk around your vehicle, do your hazards work? If not, why? Fix the problem
Step 6 Check your turn signals. Right or Left first, check that side of the vehicle front and rear to see if they work, then do the other side. While this might sound stupid since you just checked your flashers, some vehicles have a flasher module that is separate from your hazards, it can fail for one side or the other. If they don't work, why? Get it fixed.
Step 7 Are your mirrors clear, clean and adjusted properly?
Step 8 Are your windows clean/clear?

If your vehicle fails any of these items, GET IT FIXED BEFORE DRIVING PEOPLE AROUND. Common sense, and an absolute for the safety of you, your passengers and the public.

Just a note, once you are driving people around, you are loosely a commercial vehicle in some states, if you have an accident, even if it's the other persons fault, there is a good chance your vehicle will be inspected by police following the accident. If the accident is your fault, there is an even greater chance of inspection by police, if it fails that basic safety inspection by them, guess what, the person you hit has more ammo to use against you in a lawsuit.


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## steveK2016 (Jul 31, 2016)

Thanks Dad...


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## Shan511 (Jun 11, 2016)

Good advice


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## cdl class b (Oct 4, 2016)

My pre trip inspection on my school bus has over 200 items to check, they give us 15 minutes. Also you need to do a post trip inspection, when your done with your route.


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## yojimboguy (Mar 2, 2016)

It would make more sense if I drove a 10 year old beater. My car is a 2016, I get it cleaned every week. If I noticed any issues while driving, I would stop if they appeared dangerous. None of the things on your list are dangerous, unless BOTH headlights or tail lights are out.


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## ChortlingCrison (Mar 30, 2016)

Any vehicle for uberX will pass.


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## Jimmy Bernat (Apr 12, 2016)

I do a visual walk around every morning. But my car monitors everything else for me. Head lights, tail lights, tire pressure.
I do my own work so everytime I change the oil I do a once over but I don't do much since my car is a 2015 my other car is a 2007 and it monitors absolutely everything thru its idrive system and aftermarket mhd software 

Although I will say I hate TPMS if you drive your car normally you know when you have a tire that might be a few psi off just from the feel of the car don't need a computer to tell me.


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## Frontier Guy (Dec 27, 2015)

yojimboguy said:


> It would make more sense if I drove a 10 year old beater. My car is a 2016, I get it cleaned every week. If I noticed any issues while driving, I would stop if they appeared dangerous. None of the things on your list are dangerous, unless BOTH headlights or tail lights are out.


No turn signals isn't dangerous? Or do you just not use them to begin with, so it doesn't matter? Everything else is a common sense item, that very easily a pax could say is unsafe and rate you accordingly.


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## Preacher (Mar 12, 2016)

I do a check every time before I drive. My car is not that new (2003) and doesn't have all of the newer monitoring stuff. I have to manually check my lights and tire pressure. It's not a huge deal for me. One night I had a taillight go out while I had a passenger. I completed the fare, signed off and went home for the evening until I could change the headlight bulbs


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

Lights, man??? Seriously?

...not brakes, not tire pressure - LIGHTS?????


Fess up, youre a very bored state trooper / highway patrol guy aintcha?


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## Adieu (Feb 21, 2016)

There's two types of TPMS ---- green/yellow/red like iDrive's, which is beyond USELESS.....and numerical in psi, which is kinda helpful & lets you know some useful stuff, like if the temperature and elevation of your current location is soooo different than where you aired up that your tires are nowhere near what you started at (I've seen 32 in cali turn into 42 in nevada)



Jimmy Bernat said:


> I do a visual walk around every morning. But my car monitors everything else for me. Head lights, tail lights, tire pressure.
> I do my own work so everytime I change the oil I do a once over but I don't do much since my car is a 2015 my other car is a 2007 and it monitors absolutely everything thru its idrive system and aftermarket mhd software
> 
> Although I will say I hate TPMS if you drive your car normally you know when you have a tire that might be a few psi off just from the feel of the car don't need a computer to tell me.


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## Preacher (Mar 12, 2016)

I have new tires with no leaks (so I only check my pressure on my tires every week, unless they are eyeball them and they look low). If there were an issue with my brakes, I would feel it when I backed out of my driveway. Since I do my own maintenance, I know the age of my brake pads and I know the quality of them.


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## Melissa Pagan (Nov 19, 2016)

Its good to have such knowledge.


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