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I hate Virginia btw. Inspection is stupid. still wont pass my car. Im gona try and fix the exhaust leak today. But if i cant can anyone point me to a shop that will pass me? I know a couple people that will pass me for a price but thats just dumb also. Never had to deal with this anywhere iv lived!

maybe be responsible and get the leak fixed instead of trying to skirt legality.

just a thought.

sumpunkster wrote:I hate Virginia btw. Inspection is stupid. still wont pass my car. Im gona try and fix the exhaust leak today. But if i cant can anyone point me to a shop that will pass me? I know a couple people that will pass me for a price but thats just dumb also. Never had to deal with this anywhere iv lived!

Getting somebody to "smog you" is going to be more expensive than fixing the leak. If you're going to shell out the clams to have someone illegally smog the car, at least have the decency to do it for something AWESOME.

And, let me tell you something as a smog tech. Or rather, somebody who went to school to become a smog tech and decided there wasn't enough money in it. It took eighty units of school (that's 2/3 of a bachelors degree most places), plus the cost of four ASE tests (which, in 1997, were $150 apiece; I imagine they're a lot more now). Then there's the "cost" of finding a job as an apprentice mechanic at a shop, where they'll treat you like dirt until you've earned the right to operate the smog machine. Then you need to get the state smog certification, which the shop pays for. Now, that's a lot of work, and a lot of money on the line to screw up and lose it all for someone with an exhaust leak. But the other thing about this is a smog tech makes a shop money. Because they would rather "soft" smog you, tell you why your car won't pass, fix your car, and then smog you and pass you.

There's nothing to gain for the shop by passing you illegally, and a lot to lose by doing so.

Oh, and of course, the state does send inspectors through all the time to make sure you're on the up-and-up. At least in California, where I went to school.

If you want to live smog-free get an exhibition/collector's plate or an antique plate.

or buy a tesla.

Ya, you're going to have to get the leak fixed. Basically, even if you pass the inspection, any law officer can pull you over and request a new one if they feel you are in violation. They will also probably give you an illegal exhaust ticket. In the end, it's just easier to fix the leak than to be hassled

ummm no. I was told i couldnt pass inspection not smog. Im not going to fix a ton of nit picky little things just so the damn state can make a bunch of money off me. Iv lived in 7 different states and never had these problems. If it were just smog i would just wrap it and get it smogged. But this dumb state has inspection were they look at my exhaust? So dumb.

Depending on where your leak is the fix could be pretty cheap.
If you give us a little more detail, we might be able to offer some specific advice.

Safety inspection. Safety. A leaking exhaust can cause carbon monoxide buildup in the car, killing you. You know....the way some people try to /off themselves?

Every auto parts store sells some type of exhaust repair tape/kit. Ask the shop that found the leak to tell you where it was. If they won't, report them to the VA State Police; they're attempting to fleece you for the repair.

Its just at the break at the axle back. Just stripped the bolts trying to get it off. So much for that now.

I found the leak when i bought it. Didnt know i couldnt have a leak here until they told me that was one of the things that wont pass.

I hate to sound like I'm piling on, brother, but the absolute easiest thing to do is get the problems fixed. Like others have said, even if you could find a shop to pass you under the table any VA [or DC] police officer could order you to be reinspected if they're feeling frisky. And they feel frisky a lot... I had plenty of issues with inspections to the point that I almost "sold" my car to my dad who lives in a state with no inspections or front plates. In the end I sucked it up and took care of the issues to get legal.

They make it hard on you on purpose. If it was easy to get around the inspections what would be the point?

Yep, VA can suck about stuff like this, but hopefully you can fix this once and not have to deal with it again.
Is the leak in the axle-back canister itself or in the pipe?
If it's the canister, I would not bother trying to patch it. Most exhaust leak repair kits won't hold. I've used the fiberglass wraps with no success. The minute any real pressure is put upon them they fail.
If the pipe is in good shape, perhaps a simple weld-on canister would be worth you while. You may have to do some asking around for a decent shop for that kind of work, but it may be cheaper than having to buy a new Forester specific axle-back.
Measure the canister and the pipe diameter and look for a Borla/Magnaflow/etc. muffler that matches those specs.

thanks drwrx. Ill look into all that. Good advice..... And im not made of money. A little leak should not be an issue on a 2004 car. There is also other things they bitched about. one of my windows wouldnt go down. That has nothing to do with safety inspection. But the great state of va needs to make there money. So thats fixed after a lot of blood. Also had to put brand new tires on it and now im broke. Im on the border of selling this car if anyone is interested. Would have never bought it if i knew i had to get it inspected... Its a big scam so that people have to buy new cars. And i cant.

I have a theory that the shops *find* things wrong, just to make extra $$ from you. Like torn wipers....funny how I put them on a week before inspection. Wonder how they got torn??

Its always about money haha.... Makes the world go around.

sumpunkster wrote:Its always about money haha.... Makes the world go around.

Sadly, this is true with so many things If there is anything that we can help fix, please let us know!

I've patched a few leaks with some good stuff, but a but pricy. Sounds like your leak is more of a mating surface issue, let us knew if you need help replacing bolts.