# Car Inspection **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 11, 2018, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-inspection/806395 "2018-01-11T15:08:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kimberly1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7ab992/32.png) [@Kimberly1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimberly1979)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-inspection/806395/1 "2018-01-11T15:08:22Z")
I live in NC and my car is due for an inspection… the only problem is the water pump has gone bad. Will it still pass inspection or no? Thank you in advance! ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-inspection/806395/2 "2018-01-11T16:43:12Z")
I don’t live in NC, but if your water pump has “gone bad” doesn’t that mean the car is overheating? Is driving an overheated car a general safety concern? How would they even know unless they noticed your temp gauge was higher than normal? I say go for it and see what happens. ---
**Author:** ![I.Dunno](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9f8e36/32.png) [@I.Dunno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I.Dunno)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-inspection/806395/3 "2018-01-11T16:55:00Z")
I don’t live there either, but I would think the mechanic might inform you that the pump is “weeping” and give you an estimate. (I guess that’s what you mean by “gone bad”, that it’s leaking?). I don’t see how the water pump would be considered safety equipment. So I don’t think the inspection will fail due to that. ---
**Author:** ![anomalous1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e56c9b/32.png) [@anomalous1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anomalous1)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2018, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-inspection/806395/4 "2018-01-12T02:12:57Z")
> [@Kimberly1979](#): > > I live in NC and my car is due for an inspection… the only problem is the water pump has gone bad. Will it still pass inspection or no? Thank you in advance! Best to just get it fixed, not too expensive, a rubber stopper in the weephole just before inspection may help (if it is only a small drip), as dripping coolant may raise some eyebrows. Just make sure you take the stopper out after and keep an eye on your temp gauge. A weeping water pump WILL fail and fail hard (you will lose coolant so rapidly, it won’t be safe to drive, you will overheat). So best thing is to get it fixed of course. The above MIGHT only buy you some time to pass the inspection ---
**Author:** ![Pixel\_Dent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bc8723/32.png) [@Pixel\_Dent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixel_Dent)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2018, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-inspection/806395/5 "2018-01-12T15:19:10Z")
> [@Kimberly1979](#): > > I live in NC and my car is due for an inspection… the only problem is the water pump has gone bad. Will it still pass inspection or no? Thank you in advance! In North Carolina inspection checks brakes, lights, horn, steering, windows (including wipers and tinting), directional signals, tires, mirrors, and emissions. (Source, NC General Statutes 20-183.3.) A failing water pump should not preclude it from passing inspection. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2018, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-inspection/806395/6 "2018-01-12T16:26:22Z")
> [@Pixel\_Dent](#): > > A failing water pump should not preclude it from passing inspection. Until it overheats and blows up in the testing bay.