Emission Standards

[epipete]

Trying to prepare Cyprus for the arrival of my car, I'll need to get the equivalent to our MoT. This is an issue that has been concerning me for a while because whilst I feel the car is sound I know that there are issues with the hand brake and (probably) the emmisions.

So I have been asked what was the emissions spec for the car when produced? Can anyone help with these details/figures?

My car has a 2.25 exhaust (but is otherwise a standard spec car with about 70k on the clock) will this make a difference?

Pete

[Candles]

The exhaust won't make a difference to emissions, unless of course you've removed the cat! I doubt it could be measured but a more freely flowing exhaust may actually reduce emissions values.

I'm planning on getting hold of that OEM downpipe for you on 3 Oct. Then I can ship it to you if necessary (BZN-AKI).

Candles.

[dapinky]

Can you get it tested at the Volkswagon Garage - I believe their machinery is quite accurate?

[HJ2]

Is your Elan a Diesel?


What are the exact requirements in Cyprus for successfully passing MOT emission levels?

[GeoffSmith]

Do you get stung for tax on CO2 as well Pete?

[epipete]

Thanks for the answers guys, I found this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=38&t=24625&p=310541&hilit=Emissions#p310541

In which Geoff, states: 'Get him to follow the procedure in the VOSA flowchart. As long as he cannot confirm that the engine is type ZT1 then non cat test limits apply (3.5% CO and 1200ppm HC).'

I have no idea what a ZT1 is but from this I infer that ours ain't one in which case the UK limits may apply.

Is there any other things that are tested in the Emissions as a general concept.

Sorry for being so pedantic but I've dealt with these folks before.

Candles, thanks for the offer of the Downpipe. It's gonna cost on freight cus it weighs a ton! (I haven't shipped my rear panel yet cus it'll be DHL as its oversized, when I eventually go on their web site I'll be looking at the costs through spread fingers (like watching the Daleks when I was a kid) let me know costs but hold fire if you would until I can confirm availability of the necessary software to upgrade the ECM (the suppliers would seem to be absent!). Also I thought from the above link our cares predates the CAT reqt?!?!?

Dave, this is a case where accuracy is not required!!!

HJ, still trying to find out!!!

Pete

[epipete]

Do you get stung for tax on CO2 as well Pete?

Dunno!!!

[dapinky]

Forgive my ignorance (as I'm pretty sure you'll have looked at all possibilities)......

.... but according to Google Maps, Episcopi base is actually considered to be in the UK.....

..... as such, if the car is registered to a UK address, would you be considered to be just visiting Cyprus when you go into Limassol (or wherever) - and thus can keep it on UK plates, with a UK MOT, as long as you return to the UK every 31 days (by driving across the [non-existant] border).... and therefore you don't need to jump through the hoops?

(or am I trying to find a loophole where there is some set of rules I know nowt about?).

[epipete]

Nice try Dave! I'm afraid that we are both old and experienced enough to know that the world doesn't dance to our tunes, were it so there'd be no need for that expression about 'not letting the buggers ground you down'; talking of which, I have spent much of this week sorting out Telephony, Internet and mobiles (amongst other things) - this technology is the Devels new front in his war on humanity!

[GeoffSmith]

Do you get stung for tax on CO2 as well Pete?

Dunno!!!

This is what made me ask -

http://www.mof.gov.cy/mof/customs/custo ... enDocument

See table in 3.1.1: €2250 + €400 per gram/km over 180 gram/km.

Not sure where you'd get the info from (tried Isuzu Impulse RS but got nowhere and the Elise doesn't give figures for 2000 but it's nearly 150 g/km in 2010 - see link below) but California were ahead of the game so maybe a Colonial may be able to help.

http://www.checkthatcar.com/data/data.a ... odel=Elise

[Ian T]

Interesting, I've just had a read of the Cypriot website that Geoff linked above.

Have I understood this right? You calculate the excise duty based on the CO2 output on the combined running cycle, we realise it's probably difficult to get that figure from somewhere authoritative, so if you can't, they start off assuming it's 450g/km. Looks expensive.

Read further down and they then reduce the excise duty by a percentage based on age (wear and tear). That then links out to a document in Greek with the table of reductions...

http://www.mof.gov.cy/mof/customs/customs.nsf/All/21F567E5126E99F5C2257B200034095F/$file/KDP59-2013.pdf?OpenElement

Taking the leftmost column, that implies if your Lotus was 15.5 years old or more (which it is), then there should be a 95% (maximum) reduction in the rate of duty. Use Table A (obviously, as Table B is for motorcycles) and the CABRIO column.

So your focus should still be on getting a nice low CO2 figure for the Elan I guess, but the Excise duty seems to be pointed at new cars rather than old ones. I like that system.

Read the bit about 'community vehicles' as well, as they are deemed to be in free circulation within the EU (you will provide registration plates and UK V5 it seems) so should be exempt from import tax. Assuming, that is, we're interpreted as being in the EU and not on the margins, a special case, maybe not best mates or something like that.

I'll let you calculate how many million Euro the base emissions duty would be for 450g/km - it's getting late and I need my sleep. I can't run proper Excel on my chromebook, but have a look at this handy calculator, should make light work of it. http://www.mof.gov.cy/mof/customs/customs.nsf/All/A69DA2D502B1A585422578FF00255C52/$file/09-09-2013%20-%20PASSENGER%20CARS%20EN%20(LOCKED).xls



What did I miss? It doesn't look like too much of a nightmare...

Ian.

[Ian T]

I couldn't leave it alone...

Here are the Cyprus MOT test specs... Emissions limit looks similar to ours - if your car doesn't have a lambda sensor or cat and was built after 1986, the CO limit appears to be 3.5%. Can't find any mention of Hydro Carbons (HC).

I can't really make out the brakes - looks like the limit is 50% efficiency, but I'd take that to be a front figure. No more than 25% difference between sides (balance). Can't see you failing the front brake test. Looks like the parking brake is expected to get no less than 50% of the service brake if I understand it correctly. (i.e. 25% efficiency if the service brake just got through the test).

http://www.cyprusdriving.net/pdfdocs/DoRT_MOT_Test.pdf

Thinking about it, there are some hellish gradients on the island and cars parked on them too, perhaps the test is stricter than ours, but I wouldn't have thought so.

[epipete]

I can't get the table to work, nevertheless insofar as I could I get an initial Excise duty of €30,282. The indication are that this will be reduced by 95% so a figure of €1,514 jumps out! This is about 1200 quid (so £400 for each of the 3yrs we'll be here)

That said under the treaties that exist I may be exempt this tax as I believe I'm entitled to import a duty free car, methinks a conversation with a friendly SBAA Customs man might be in order.

Ref the Handbrake (I don't understand it either), I can't say I like the test of 'stopping the car from 25kph using the handbrake'. I know it's not great anyway but there are new pads on the rear the extra thickness might help but they are not yet bedded in! Failure here is not critical as PNM offer a solution re their rear brake upgrade, the query is could they supply me with the brakes within a very short time frame? All my tools and bits (incl. a 2nd set of calipers) are boxed up on another ship somewhere in transit.

Fun,fun,fun. It's all Greek to me!

[epipete]

Well, that's the first panic over. It appears that, having checked with the local Customs Authorities, I'm exempt from that bill.

[Ian T]

Ah yes, it's actually fairly clear - 12% if measured on a roller tester, no more than 30% difference between sides, but they expect it to be capable of locking the rear wheels. It would be an interesting debate if you were to say it didn't lock the rear wheels even when it was new, don't you think?

My handbrake was over 12% when I went through my last MOT, but I didn't get it to lock the wheels I don't think. I was hauling on the lever quite hard though.

Looks like they only try the 25kph trick in the absence of a roller so you could look for a garage that has one.

Still think it may be worth looking to see if you can get a real figure for CO2, as it's a little engine.

[Ian T]

Well, that's the first panic over. It appears that, having checked with the local Customs Authorities, I'm exempt from that bill.

Excellent. On to the handbrake test then. Have you ever tried locking the rear wheel with it? I'd give it a go pronto.

[epipete]

Well, that's the first panic over. It appears that, having checked with the local Customs Authorities, I'm exempt from that bill.

Excellent. On to the handbrake test then. Have you ever tried locking the rear wheel with it? I'd give it a go pronto.

Not quite that good Ian, I'm exempt the Import Duty (Excise) nevertheless I still need to get through their MoT, which, as your excellent document shows, means my areas of concern are getting the CO Emissions below 3.5 and the rear handbrakes to hold sufficiently and at only 12% it stands a fighting chance!

You've all been very helpful, thankyou.

Pete

[Ian T]

Ah, OK. My SE will easily tweak down to 1% CO, but I wouldn't want to drive it much distance like that. If you go in armed with a paperclip to put it into service mode and a screwdriver to adjust it with, you may be OK. I set mine back up to the 3% mark to give me some margin for (lean fuelling) error.

To your earlier post, exhaust diameter won't have any bearing.

[epipete]

Is this the CO pot that you are referring to? Does it have to be in service mode?

[Ian T]

Is this the CO pot that you are referring to? Does it have to be in service mode?

Yes to both. The pot is only read by the ECU when in service mode, but I suspect the ECU doesn't have persistent memory and may actually have to read the pot again each time the battery is disconnected.

12% - really? I was thinking about this, that's a really long way out, truly exotic.