How to pass the MVIS suspension test

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) together with the Land Transportation Office, has recently rolled out the new Motor Vehicle Inspection System (MVIS) with the aim of making sure that all registered vehicles are roadworthy. The MVIS checks multiple aspects of your vehicle that range from its exterior features all the way to the suspension and engine components. With the new system in place, understanding what you need to do to prepare can be difficult, with that said, here’s a quick guide to help you prepare your vehicle for the suspension test.

As part of the test, a visual inspection will be done on your vehicle together with a shaker plate test. While the visual inspection portion of the testing procedure is done manually, the suspension test itself is automated and the results will be compared against an existing database. 

Being one of the first few tests in the MVIS, your vehicle will be sent to the inspection bay where a technician will visually look at the underside of your vehicle. Don’t worry as CCTVs will be in place under and above your vehicle to properly document if the technician is doing a good job. In order to pass the vehicle must not have any leaks and or any damage to critical components such as the engine, radiator, and driveshaft. Other parts that will be inspected are your bushings, ball joints, brake lines, calipers, hoses, stabilizer links, wheel bearings, and shock absorbers. 

Once this is done and your vehicle will be then sent to the next phase of testing where it will be placed on shaker plates.

As the name implies, your vehicle will be placed on shaker plates to test the capabilities of your suspension. These will be used to test how well your car can stick to the road as well as the weight on each axle of your vehicle. It is important to note that these will be done two wheels at a time to also test the relative damping balance between the right and left side of your car. Furthermore, it will measure the efficiency of the shock absorbers using the European Shock Absorber Manufacturer’s Association (EUSAMA) principles or the recognized local equivalent. The main goal of this test is to measure the wheel pressure force-time response during the whole testing interval. Simply put it is done to see if your wheels will still remain on the road even during rough conditions. 

Before considering bringing your vehicle to a Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Center (PMVIC) make sure that it isn’t showing signs that parts are beginning to fail. For the suspension, this can be in the form of uncommon noises and a bumpier than normal ride. This could indicate that one or more parts are on their way out and may cause you to fail the MVIS. 

One part that you can easily inspect on your own is your shock absorbers. A simple bounce test that you can do on your own can easily determine if you need to replace your shock absorbers or not.  Simply push down on the chassis with some force and observe how the vehicle reacts to it. If your shock is blown then your car will move up and down more than one. This applies to most vehicles on the road with a few exceptions in the form of performance cars. Nonetheless, other signs will also present themselves if your vehicle’s shocks need replacing. Further examples are a bouncier than normal ride, oil leaks from the shock absorbers, and unusual tire tread wear. 

If you want further peace of mind and want to ensure that all the parts that need replacing are replaced then we highly suggest heading over to a trusted alignment shop or service center. There they can lift up your vehicle and properly inspect and test components to see if they need replacing. They can even give you a quote for parts that will need to be replaced preparing you for what you need in order to pass the MVIS. Once your suspension has been sorted out then you can proceed to a Private Motor Vehicle Inspection Center (PMVIC) to have your vehicle checked. By bringing it to a service center or alignment shop beforehand you will ensure that your vehicle will have a higher chance of passing inspection and will reduce its chances of having to take a retest.