Mk3 Cavalier Owners Club | Vauxhall Cavalier Dot Com

I was looking at this article and was surprised to find our category, euro1, bears no resemblance to my mot results.
testhttps://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/euro-1-to ... -car/n1190
How do you measure grams per kilometre against a percentage & ppm result?

Anyone got a euro 1 to euro 4 converter, It would be interesting to know if I could get even close to avoiding the edinburgh lez

Think the article I read was in car mechanic's magazine but it highlighted 10/12 vehicles that were exempt from London's ulez zone. Some huge engined cars pouring out exhaust emissions that would leave our economical cars standing.
The inference was that the list of exemptions was formed by owners of such.

Alan

I doubt any cavalier will get into the LEZ zone in scotland.
Pretty sure with the cat they were only something like euro2.

Annoying as my citroen diesel is euro5 so not allowed, or have to pay hefty fines, and glasgow are introducing the fines a year sooner than edinburgh.

To clarify as a very rough guide for Vauxhalls -

No prefix = before Euro emissions regulation.
C prefix = Euro 1 (approx 1992)
X prefix = Euro 2. (approx 1995)
Y prefix = Euro 3 (approx 1999)
Z prefix = Euro 4 (approx 2004)
A prefix = Euro 5 (approx 2009)
B prefix = Euro 6. (probably about 2013)

So a fair chunk of Cavaliers will be Cat 1.
Including mine.

My Z prefix (2005) Vectra CDTi will not be allowed in controlled areas.
I believe circa 2007 is the cut off point even though they made the Z prefix diesels until 2009.

For diesels, they are saying 2016 is the approx date for most of them, and 2006 for petrol

Sounds about right.

Our works Citroen Relay Diesel is a 2020 van. When I checked online it was going to be exempt from our local CAZ restrictions.

Although in the Manchester area, the CAZ has been put on hold due to public backlash, although the official excuse was that it was "not workable in it's current format".

They tried to introduce a CAZ within the Manchester M60 ring road about 15 years ago.
That got voted out by the locals back then.
It was a relief at the time, as I live 5 miles outside the ring (to the east), but I worked a mile or so within the ring.
Now I work approx 100 yards outside the ring.

The problem with the new CAZ is that it would encompass the whole of Greater Manchester - extending on average about 15 miles beyond the M60 ring in all directions.

I do question whether I am wasting my time (and huge expense) trying to return the Cavalier and campervan to the road.

For scotland there is a historic exemption, for cars over 30 years old, which makes absolutely no sense, a relatively modern car wouldn't be allowed, but an older car without even a cat is allowed without charge/fine.

That must definitely be a Scotland only thing..

I know of many friends with 40+ year old camper vans, who are having to sell up, because they are no longer able use their vans due to the increasing number of clean air zones.

There was a huge rush in 2019 to register converted vans to campers on their V5s so as to avoid the fines / fees on commercial vehicles.

vexorg wrote: ↑Sun Jun 05, 2022 4:00 pm For scotland there is a historic exemption, for cars over 30 years old, which makes absolutely no sense, a relatively modern car wouldn't be allowed, but an older car without even a cat is allowed without charge/fine.

A 30 year old car is pretty scarce now thanks to the ' don't fix it, buy everything new on credit ' brainwashing of the 1980's,
-and it still has 10 years ved to pay.

I only drive the cav so may qualify in 3 years, I'm happy enough with the 2 years grace period, -for now. Edinburgh has become known as the car hating city but I think Glasgow should lead. Their council has been penalising drivers far longer

It won't be long until ICE cars are made pariahs, much like smokers are now, enjoy it while you can

Robsey wrote: ↑Sun Jun 05, 2022 12:30 pm Sounds about right.

Our works Citroen Relay Diesel is a 2020 van. When I checked online it was going to be exempt from our local CAZ restrictions.

Although in the Manchester area, the CAZ has been put on hold due to public backlash, although the official excuse was that it was "not workable in it's current format".

They tried to introduce a CAZ within the Manchester M60 ring road about 15 years ago.
That got voted out by the locals back then.
It was a relief at the time, as I live 5 miles outside the ring (to the east), but I worked a mile or so within the ring.
Now I work approx 100 yards outside the ring.

The problem with the new CAZ is that it would encompass the whole of Greater Manchester - extending on average about 15 miles beyond the M60 ring in all directions.

I do question whether I am wasting my time (and huge expense) trying to return the Cavalier and campervan to the road.

The Manchester council website is hopeless, no help at all . Don't tax exempt campers qualify?

Edinburgh council is fairly clear. How's this for punishment, each time you enter in 90 days the fine doubles
https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/roads-trav ... -charges/1

The exemptions include showman's vehicles for some reason, who decides what that is?
https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/roads-trav ... exemptions

Oh wait, I get It now, the gov's recruiting more clowns

Re my question.
I was looking for some sort of conversion chart, sorry I didn't make it clear.

We blindly accept that our cars fall under a certain tax category that's based on age rather than actual emissions.
What if all cars at mot were tested to the highest euro standard and wherever they landed determined the euro rating, rather than making assumptions on age

Despite my reservations about ethanol it does seem to be lowering emissions and I don't do enough miles to worry about the reduced mpg.
I'd even put E10 in (once only!) for better results

I have had a look at the MOT test standards.

The Euro categories are not hugely different, and seem to centre around the CO value and rpm's at idle.

All other settings appear to be the same from 1975 to 2017.

Upto 2001, slow rpm was approx 850 +/- 50 rpm.
From 2001, slow rpm was approx 680 +/- 50 rpm.

Max Slow CO values are as follows:-

1975 to 1986 = 4.5%
1986 to 1993 = 3.5%
1993 to 1998 = 0.5% (C prefix) Euro 1
1998 to 2000 = 0.5% (X prefix) Euro 2
2000 to 2002 = 0.3% (Y prefix) Euro 3
2002 to 2008 = 0.3% (Z prefix) Euro 4
2008 to 2011 = 0.3% (A prefix) Euro 5
2012 to 2016 = 0.3% (B prefix) Euro 6

Max Fast Idle CO values are as follows:-
1975 to 1986 = 2%
1986 to 1993 = 1.5%
1993 to 1998 = 0.3% (C prefix) Euro 1
1998 to 2000 = 0.3% (X prefix) Euro 2
2000 to 2002 = 0.3% (Y prefix) Euro 3
2002 to 2008 = 0.2% (Z prefix) Euro 4
2008 to 2011 = 0.2% (A prefix) Euro 5
2012 to 2016 = 0.2% (B prefix) Euro 6

For ALL vehicles from 1975.
HC % = 1200 ppm (12%) maximum. At idle.
HC% = 200 ppm (2%) at 2800 to 3200 rpm.

From 1993 onward-
Min lambda 0.97%
Max lambda 1.03%

I hope that helps...
Still looking for 2016 onward levels as those are the new CAZ / LEZ approved limits.

The euro emissions are a bit more convoluted, I ended up having to put them on a spreadsheet to see it all:



And the MOT one came from the gov.uk site.

Or as a link since this site shrinks the image:

Thank you both

The minimum requirement for petrol up here is Euro 4 - so far.
I've been thinking the past few years my tax should be in a lower band based on the mot results. I don't think the fixed emission generalisations for older cars are helping now lez's have been introduced.

This years mot looks encouraging although I realise it's only partial info


I guess the only way to find out is through a Euro 4 emissions test

I think you'll get nowehre.

We got caught with the high ved band change years ago (around 2007) and owned a kia sedona. The limit was 225g/km for the high band and the VED jumped from about £200 to £500 (that's why you find there are cheap RX8 mazdas that also fall in that band).

Kia changed something in their ECU and the emissions went form 226 to 224, meaning the newer cars were in the £200 a year band. Anyway to change the official band it needs the manufacturer to do that, as an individual you cant do it. They would have to submit a full set of new independently verified results to get considered.

I wasn't sure about starting a new thread so it's a resurrection.

Here's the thing.

Glasgow's LEZ starts in June and now that there's finally an online link to register for blue badge exemption there isn't one for vehicles over 30yrs.
I know that doesn't affect me yet but it would be nice if the website had everything in place at the same time

The site offers a compliant vehicle checker so i thought why not?



Imagine my surprise when this was the result!



I will register my partner's blue badge for her but the rebel in me says the footnote "The data accuracy of this service is always improving, if you think your result is incorrect please contact...." is pretty vague

Why does that comply?

I think I've worked it out now.

Their tax checker will be more comprehensive than joe public's, it probably showed them the car being in the disabled tax band.
It still has to be registered though as far as I can tell.

As you suggest, it is probably based upon your tax liability.
As disabled tax is free (£0), it puts any vehicle registered to a disabled owner in the same tax band as many hybrid or ultra-low emissions vehicles.
All of which, I presume would be exempt from clean air zone fees.

That seems to be the case up here but I'm sure I read recently that after a grace period in london blue badge holders will have to pay £12.50 if their cars aren't compliant after an appointed date.

London's Ulez's are nothing more than a money making exercise under the guise of climate change, sadly one that's been adopted by other cities. How does paying money reduce emissions?
The Scottish system appears both punitive and fair at the same time. Drive in the zone- £60 fine every time, driving a 'disabled' car or one over 30 years-no charge.
With the ongoing push for compliant vehicles and ev's I think classic status should be lowered to 30 years nationwide for the soon to be banned ICE

On a side note,
Some 26 years after the launch of the Prius, I see Toyota are now planning the jump from electric to hydrogen cell power for cars.

Not a new concept at all, but one that has been "honed" to be more realistic and cost effective for Joe Public car drivers.

I recall seeing several hydrogen powered buses during my stays in London in 2006.

Thinking of the environment, I wonder what pumping millions of gallons of water-vapour (the by-product / emissions from hydrogen cell power) into the atmosphere will do to the world.?

Who knows?,
I will probably be dead of old age before any major impact is recognised.

ilovedmymantas wrote: ↑Thu May 11, 2023 2:37 am The Scottish system appears both punitive and fair at the same time. Drive in the zone- £60 fine every time, driving a 'disabled' car or one over 30 years-no charge.

No, the fine doubles every time youdrive in, up to a maximum of £960!!!