Motor-vehicle inspection (Japan)
Encyclopedia
, a contraction of , is the name of the vehicle inspection
program in Japan
for motor vehicles over 250 cc
in engine displacement
.
A typical shaken costs between ¥100,000 and ¥200,000.
If the vehicle is in good condition with no mechanical problems, the shaken costs about ¥60,000 for kei car
s and includes 2 years of compulsory auto insurance. The higher costs quoted above are for regular automobiles, and the prices increases when the car requires repair or when extra fees are paid to third party companies to take the car in for the inspection.
Vehicles with engine displacement under 250 cc are exempt and therefore not required to undergo an inspection. Vehicles are classified by both displacement and the vehicle size class.
Should a car not meet any of the tests it will have to be repaired and retested before passing.
. The vehicle will be accelerated to 40 km/h twice and the vehicle's speedometer reading will be recorded; should the reading be different, it will not pass.
s must be an approved type, designed for left-hand traffic, emit white or yellow light, and be aimed correctly.
, and not more than 300ppm unburned hydrocarbon
s. Cars older than 10 years may emit up to 4.5% carbon monoxide and up to 1200ppm unburned hydrocarbons. This emission standard is laid out in the Japanese Emission Standard legislation. High flow catalytic converter
s are allowed. All oxygen sensors must be in working order along with any oil catch tanks. Exhaust noise is tested at a 45-degree angle, 50 centimetres (20 in) from the tailpipe outlet. Vehicles up to 10 years old may emit not more than 96 decibel
s; older vehicles are allowed 103 dB.
s (must have padding around bars) and carpet removal are allowed. Bucket seat
s must measure 420 mm from left to right bank but can not be over 450 mm from left exterior side to right exterior side (total width of seat). Aftermarket seats made of fiber-reinforced plastic are not allowed. Any holes or rips in seats must either be taped up or repaired.
once it is no longer cost-effective to keep them in service in Japan.
Vehicle inspection
Vehicle inspection is a procedure mandated by national or subnational governments in many countries, in which a vehicle is inspected to ensure that it conforms to regulations governing safety, emissions, or both. Inspection can be required at various times, e.g., periodically or on transfer of...
program in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
for motor vehicles over 250 cc
Cubic centimetre
A cubic centimetre is a commonly used unit of volume extending the derived SI-unit cubic metre, and corresponds to the volume of a cube measuring 1 cm × 1 cm × 1 cm...
in engine displacement
Engine displacement
Engine displacement is the volume swept by all the pistons inside the cylinders of an internal combustion engine in a single movement from top dead centre to bottom dead centre . It is commonly specified in cubic centimeters , litres , or cubic inches...
.
Reason for existence
The inspection system is in place to ensure that vehicles on Japanese roads are properly maintained and are safe to be on the road. Another reason is to determine if a vehicle has been illegally modified. Illegally modified vehicles and vehicles deemed unsafe by police will have a red sticker with the following: (Illegal Vehicle) in yellow and the date the vehicle was declared not fit to be on the street.Registration and Cost
Before a test can be administered on a vehicle the owner of the vehicle must call up a shaken center and make an appointment by phone after which the owner must fill out paper work at the center. The cost for the shaken is broken up as follows:- ¥Japanese yenThe is the official currency of Japan. It is the third most traded currency in the foreign exchange market after the United States dollar and the euro. It is also widely used as a reserve currency after the U.S. dollar, the euro and the pound sterling...
1,400 for paperwork and processing, - ¥25,200 for the testing,
- ¥29,780 for 24 months of validity and
- ¥8,090 for the "Recycling Department" with fees being added depending on the vehicle and its intended use (business, personal, commercial, etc.).
A typical shaken costs between ¥100,000 and ¥200,000.
If the vehicle is in good condition with no mechanical problems, the shaken costs about ¥60,000 for kei car
Kei car
Kei cars, K-cars, or , are a Japanese category of small vehicles, including passenger cars, vans, and pickup trucks. They are designed to comply with Japanese government tax and insurance regulations, and in most rural areas are exempted from the requirement to certify that adequate parking is...
s and includes 2 years of compulsory auto insurance. The higher costs quoted above are for regular automobiles, and the prices increases when the car requires repair or when extra fees are paid to third party companies to take the car in for the inspection.
Renewal periods
An initial inspection occurs at the vehicle's first registration and renewal inspections must then take place at prescribed intervals thereafter.- Personal cars and 2 wheeled motorcycles have the first shaken last 3 years with every 2 years requiring a new shaken.
- Personal light trucks they must have a shaken done every 2 years.
- Personal trucks have the first shaken last 2 years with every year requiring a new shaken.
- Business cars require a shaken every year.
- Special vehicles require a shaken every 2 years.
Vehicles with engine displacement under 250 cc are exempt and therefore not required to undergo an inspection. Vehicles are classified by both displacement and the vehicle size class.
Testing process
The process of the shaken involves these steps:- An exterior inspection to ensure the vehicle meets Japanese exterior regulations and does not have illegal exterior modifications such as extreme body kitBody kitA body kit or bodykit is a collection of exterior modifications to a car, typically composed of front and rear bumpers, side skirts, spoilers,paint jobs, and sometimes front and rear side guards and roof scoops. There are many companies that offer alternatives to the original factory appearance of...
s. - A wheel alignmentWheel alignmentWheel alignment sometimes referred to as tracking, is part of standard automobile maintenance that consists of adjusting the angles of the wheels so that they are set to the car maker's specification. The purpose of these adjustments is to reduce tire wear, and to ensure that vehicle travel is...
inspection to ensure the vehicle has its wheels in-line and can turn correctly. - A speedometerSpeedometerA speedometer is a gauge that measures and displays the instantaneous speed of a land vehicle. Now universally fitted to motor vehicles, they started to be available as options in the 1900s, and as standard equipment from about 1910 onwards. Speedometers for other vehicles have specific names...
inspection to ensure the vehicle's speedometer is accurate. - A headlampHeadlampA headlamp is a lamp, usually attached to the front of a vehicle such as a car or a motorcycle, with the purpose of illuminating the road ahead during periods of low visibility, such as darkness or precipitation. Headlamp performance has steadily improved throughout the automobile age, spurred by...
inspection to ensure that the vehicle's headlights are correctly placed and aligned. - A brakeBrakeA brake is a mechanical device which inhibits motion. Its opposite component is a clutch. The rest of this article is dedicated to various types of vehicular brakes....
inspection to ensure the brakes work correctly. - An exhaust gasExhaust gasExhaust gas or flue gas is emitted as a result of the combustion of fuels such as natural gas, gasoline/petrol, diesel fuel, fuel oil or coal. According to the type of engine, it is discharged into the atmosphere through an exhaust pipe, flue gas stack or propelling nozzle.It often disperses...
/mufflerMufflerA muffler is a device for reducing the amount of noise emitted by the exhaust of an internal combustion engine. A US Patent for an Exhaust muffler for engines was granted to Milton and Marshall Reeves in 1897....
inspection which includes testing carbon monoxideCarbon monoxideCarbon monoxide , also called carbonous oxide, is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is slightly lighter than air. It is highly toxic to humans and animals in higher quantities, although it is also produced in normal animal metabolism in low quantities, and is thought to have some normal...
and hydrocarbonHydrocarbonIn organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons from which one hydrogen atom has been removed are functional groups, called hydrocarbyls....
emissions along with exhaust noise levels. - An undercarriage inspection which includes looking at suspensionSuspension (vehicle)Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. Suspension systems serve a dual purpose — contributing to the car's roadholding/handling and braking for good active safety and driving pleasure, and keeping vehicle occupants...
parts.
Should a car not meet any of the tests it will have to be repaired and retested before passing.
Exterior
- Tailpipes: Tailpipes are not allowed to protrude past the car's body however tailpipes that are built into the side of the vehicle are allowed.
- Body kits/Aero parts: Aerodynamic mirrors, windage trays under the tail section of the car and body kits using front bumper scoops are allowed. However all aerodynamic parts must fit and be molded correctly so they are flush with the car's body.
- Fenders and Overfenders: All fenders and overfenders (including widebody style-kits) must not inhibit the turning of the car's wheels (which must be able to turn 30 degrees inward and 50 degrees outward).
- Spoilers: All spoilers (aftermarket or OEMOEMOEM means the original manufacturer of a component for a product, which may be resold by another company.OEM may also refer to:-Computing:* OEM font, or OEM-US, the original character set of the IBM PC, circa 1981...
) must not be wider than the car's rear and must be bolted to the car's trunk. - Lamps and reflectorsAutomotive lightingThe lighting system of a motor vehicle consists of lighting and signalling devices mounted or integrated to the front, sides, rear, and in some cases the top of the motor vehicle...
: Front, side, and rear turn signals; brake lights, front and rear position lights, hazard warning lights, rear reflectors, low and high beam headlamps are all required. Sidemarker reflectors and lights and fog and driving lamps are permitted. All devices must function correctly and emit or reflect the required colours of light. - Windows: No tint can be present on driver and passenger side windows however commercial UV window blocker is allowed. LexanLexanLexan is a registered trademark for SABIC Innovative Plastics' brand of polycarbonate resin thermoplastic. Polycarbonate polymer is produced by reacting bisphenol A with carbonyl dichloride, also known as phosgene. Lexan is the brand name for polycarbonate sheet and resin in a wide range of grades...
windows are not allowed unless they are approved via a case by case basis. Stickers/banners on the front windshield and rear glass are not allowed. etching on the windows, with the exception of VINVinVin may refer to:*Voltage input, an alternative form for Vin-People:*Vin Diesel*Vin Scully*Vin Suprynowicz*Vin, the name of a character from the video games Jak II and Jak 3*a diminutive of the name "Vincent"...
information, is not allowed.
Speedometer
The speedometer of the car is tested by driving up on to a dynamometerDynamometer
A dynamometer or "dyno" for short, is a device for measuring force, moment of force , or power. For example, the power produced by an engine, motor or other rotating prime mover can be calculated by simultaneously measuring torque and rotational speed .A dynamometer can also be used to determine...
. The vehicle will be accelerated to 40 km/h twice and the vehicle's speedometer reading will be recorded; should the reading be different, it will not pass.
Headlamps
All headlampHeadlamp
A headlamp is a lamp, usually attached to the front of a vehicle such as a car or a motorcycle, with the purpose of illuminating the road ahead during periods of low visibility, such as darkness or precipitation. Headlamp performance has steadily improved throughout the automobile age, spurred by...
s must be an approved type, designed for left-hand traffic, emit white or yellow light, and be aimed correctly.
Exhaust and Emissions
Cars under 10 years old may emit not more than 1% carbon monoxideCarbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide , also called carbonous oxide, is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is slightly lighter than air. It is highly toxic to humans and animals in higher quantities, although it is also produced in normal animal metabolism in low quantities, and is thought to have some normal...
, and not more than 300ppm unburned hydrocarbon
Unburned hydrocarbon
Unburned hydrocarbons are the hydrocarbons emitted after petroleum is burned in an engine.Any fuel entering a flame will be reacted. Thus, when unburned fuel is emitted from a combustor, the emission is caused by fuel "avoiding" the flame zones...
s. Cars older than 10 years may emit up to 4.5% carbon monoxide and up to 1200ppm unburned hydrocarbons. This emission standard is laid out in the Japanese Emission Standard legislation. High flow catalytic converter
Catalytic converter
A catalytic converter is a device used to convert toxic exhaust emissions from an internal combustion engine into non-toxic substances. Inside a catalytic converter, a catalyst stimulates a chemical reaction in which noxious byproducts of combustion are converted to less toxic substances by dint...
s are allowed. All oxygen sensors must be in working order along with any oil catch tanks. Exhaust noise is tested at a 45-degree angle, 50 centimetres (20 in) from the tailpipe outlet. Vehicles up to 10 years old may emit not more than 96 decibel
Decibel
The decibel is a logarithmic unit that indicates the ratio of a physical quantity relative to a specified or implied reference level. A ratio in decibels is ten times the logarithm to base 10 of the ratio of two power quantities...
s; older vehicles are allowed 103 dB.
Suspension
All bushings must not be broken or in bad condition. All control arms must be in working order. There can be no rust/corrosion on springs, struts or other suspension components. If the car has 4 wheel steering it must be working. The vehicle must also meet minimum height requirements which will be checked by referencing the lowest part of the vehicle (not including the suspension components). For vehicles with 200–249 cm wheelbase they must be 8 cm off the ground and vehicles with 250–299 cm wheelbase they must be 9 cm off the ground. For all other vehicles for every 50 cm over 299 cm in wheelbase add .5 cm to the minimum height and for vehicles under 200 cm in wheelbase subtract .5 cm to the minimum height.Interior
General interior equipment must be still intact (i.e.: dash). Roll cageRoll cage
A roll cage is a specially constructed frame built in the cab of a vehicle to protect its occupants from being injured in an accident, particularly in the event of a roll-over. Roll cages are used in nearly all purpose-built racecars, and in most cars modified for racing...
s (must have padding around bars) and carpet removal are allowed. Bucket seat
Bucket seat
A bucket seat is a seat contoured to hold one person, distinct from bench seats which are flat platforms designed to seat multiple people. Bucket seats are standard in fast cars to keep riders in place when making sharp or quick turns...
s must measure 420 mm from left to right bank but can not be over 450 mm from left exterior side to right exterior side (total width of seat). Aftermarket seats made of fiber-reinforced plastic are not allowed. Any holes or rips in seats must either be taped up or repaired.
Older vehicles
As vehicles get older, maintaining them to the required standards can become expensive. Most Japanese do not get involved in mechanical repairs, and as a result, mechanics can charge high prices. Vehicles which cannot pass inspection are not permitted on public roads. Unwanted vehicles must be exported or destroyed and recycled. Many Japanese used vehicles are exportedJapanese used vehicle exporting
Japanese used vehicle exporting is international trade involving the export of used cars and other vehicles from Japan to other markets around the world. Despite the high cost of transport, the sale of used cars and other vehicles to other countries is still profitable due to the relatively low...
once it is no longer cost-effective to keep them in service in Japan.
See also
- Vehicle inspectionVehicle inspectionVehicle inspection is a procedure mandated by national or subnational governments in many countries, in which a vehicle is inspected to ensure that it conforms to regulations governing safety, emissions, or both. Inspection can be required at various times, e.g., periodically or on transfer of...
- MOT test (UK)
- National Car TestNational Car TestThe National Car Test is a roadworthiness test, which all cars in Ireland must undergo. It was introduced in 2000 The test must first be taken when the car is between 3½ and 4 years old and then once every two years after that...
(Republic of Ireland) - Warrant of Fitness (New Zealand)
External links
- Light Motor Vehicle Inspection Organization
- National Agency of Vehicle Inspection (Japanese & English)
- Motor Vehicle Inspection and Registration Guide (Japanese)