Being in the auto service industry for 40 years, ya i am dating myself. I have found as new tech grows, so does the ability for vehicles to mask issues when it comes to letting you know things are going wrong. One example of this is the car computer. It can adjust settings on how the vehicle runs to compensate for wearing parts and to perform the best it possibly can.
Inspections are important for a few reasons. Basically Safety is number 1 to keep you and other drivers safe on the road. The other would be to catch repair issues early to avoid expensive repairs down the road. I would like at this time to explain in my words the inspections for safety reasons and why they should be done. ( without getting to technical).
The Sask Government went to a Safety program years ago. Before that If your vehicle was involved in an accident and was a total loss you could get paid for it and had the option to buy the vehicle back, repair it, and re licence it. There were no rules, i am aware of, to apply to the proper repair of the vehicle. A good example is the old Chevrolet truck hoods that had two dimpled sections on the side of the hood. When the truck got older the springs to hold the hood up would start to seize, From closing the hood multiple times, these dimpled areas were a weak spot and the hood would start to bend in the center. The common fix you would see is the owner would attempt to put a flat steel support along the side and attack it to take the stress. Here is the issue ! Those dimples were designed into the hood as a safety feature so when the vehicle was in a collision it allowed the hood to buckle and keep the front passengers from being injured.
The SGI Inspection stations are trained to perform inspections and notice issue as well as repair vehicles to their original design. They are there to inspect Taxi Uber, Tow Truck, Bus, and other vehicles to insure they are safe for passengers and other vehicles using the road,
The are people that will have their vehicle inspected before selling it, insuring it is safe as per SGI standards and gives reassurance to the purchaser that the vehicle is safe. Having the shop check out the condition of the drive train is also a good idea as these items are not completely covered in an SGI Inspection. When in doubt it's always best to talk to your favorite shop for advice on this matter or contact SGI in Saskatchewan.
