Periodic vehicle safety inspections - Switzerland
#1
02-26-2013, 07:17 AM
Periodic vehicle safety inspections - Switzerland
Well - I ride an S10 since 1994 and being a bit into tuning and fuel efficiency I've read a lot about what can be done in the U.S. to cars and still being street legal. Nice to swap a worn V6 with a nice 350 V8. Replace the rear drum brakes with a nice kit and lower the whole 2" and still being able to ride it with your plate.
Not so in the old world! Especially not in Switzerland the country of rules and regulations.
We're very strict and always afraid of braking the rules and so is our periodic vehicle safety inspection. As a Swiss Watch you bet you get your letter of invitation with an appointment. But what is this whole story?
A brand new car has to pass an initial inspection to get a first paper to be sold that it conforms to the car the manufacturer has had tested in terms of safety and emissions. Allowed are only OEM options which come from the manufacturer (wheels, engine upgrades and such). For others e.g. different wheels one needs a set of papers of that manufacturer which includes confirmation of conformity to the car and confirmation of dynamic testing on said car.
As the car is new it normally is merely a checking of numbers such as engine number matching model and VIN, correct numbers on the exhaust mufflers, CE markings on e.g. lights (CE = European Certification number) and such.
Once passed this initial inspection you're fine for 5 years. After 5 years the car has to undergo a strict inspection every 2 years or nearly every time it get's a new owner (there is a grace period though). And yes, you have to turn up at the inspection once you get the letter and they are strict!
In the entrance to the hall they have some sofisticated equipment to check for:
- Checking of all lights, working condition and proper alignment
- Checking of shocks on suspension
- Checking of brakes, front, rear, parking
- Emissions control
- Noise emission
Inside up on the lift they check for:
- No rust which goes through at any location of the car (silly I know and the killer of most of our cars)
- No worn tires beyond 1.6 mm, no damage to them, no uneven appearance
- Alignment check
- Check of all suspension to have no more than the allowed clearances (ball joints etc.)
- Checking brakes for wear, calipers, rotors, hoses
- Check of leaks on radiator, engine, transmission, differential, fuel, brakes
- Checking of engine numbers matching VIN, matching vehicle
Once down again they do:
- Check all controls working (wipers, washer, horn, turn signals indicator inside, heating and defroster etc.)
- Drive out on the short test track
- On leaving the garage check front alignment displacement dynamically
- Drive the car, 60 km/h (about 40 miles) through a speed trap to check odo vs. actual speeds
- Full braking
And you are done!
That is one of the reasons that you will nearly never see a car in Europe making noise or showing real muscle. No way to get that street legal. Engine swaps? Forget it! Open air filter? Forget about that!
Other wheels? Outch - a hassle to have them legal! Works only with wheels which have been certified for that vehicle.
As for oldtimers:
Once a car is older than 30 years you may have it certified and checked as "veteran". From then on intervals are much longer. Some cars built before specific date (I think about 1965) no need for seatbelts. No need for emissions control before 1985. Needs to meet less stringent requirements on emissions. But for the rest it's even worse. No way to get it throug if not in good to very good "original" conditions. Engine has to be the correct one or at least one that came as an original option. Wheels are the same. And the interior has to be in good to very good shape. No ripped seats!
Not so in the old world! Especially not in Switzerland the country of rules and regulations.
We're very strict and always afraid of braking the rules and so is our periodic vehicle safety inspection. As a Swiss Watch you bet you get your letter of invitation with an appointment. But what is this whole story?
A brand new car has to pass an initial inspection to get a first paper to be sold that it conforms to the car the manufacturer has had tested in terms of safety and emissions. Allowed are only OEM options which come from the manufacturer (wheels, engine upgrades and such). For others e.g. different wheels one needs a set of papers of that manufacturer which includes confirmation of conformity to the car and confirmation of dynamic testing on said car.
As the car is new it normally is merely a checking of numbers such as engine number matching model and VIN, correct numbers on the exhaust mufflers, CE markings on e.g. lights (CE = European Certification number) and such.
Once passed this initial inspection you're fine for 5 years. After 5 years the car has to undergo a strict inspection every 2 years or nearly every time it get's a new owner (there is a grace period though). And yes, you have to turn up at the inspection once you get the letter and they are strict!
In the entrance to the hall they have some sofisticated equipment to check for:
- Checking of all lights, working condition and proper alignment
- Checking of shocks on suspension
- Checking of brakes, front, rear, parking
- Emissions control
- Noise emission
Inside up on the lift they check for:
- No rust which goes through at any location of the car (silly I know and the killer of most of our cars)
- No worn tires beyond 1.6 mm, no damage to them, no uneven appearance
- Alignment check
- Check of all suspension to have no more than the allowed clearances (ball joints etc.)
- Checking brakes for wear, calipers, rotors, hoses
- Check of leaks on radiator, engine, transmission, differential, fuel, brakes
- Checking of engine numbers matching VIN, matching vehicle
Once down again they do:
- Check all controls working (wipers, washer, horn, turn signals indicator inside, heating and defroster etc.)
- Drive out on the short test track
- On leaving the garage check front alignment displacement dynamically
- Drive the car, 60 km/h (about 40 miles) through a speed trap to check odo vs. actual speeds
- Full braking
And you are done!
That is one of the reasons that you will nearly never see a car in Europe making noise or showing real muscle. No way to get that street legal. Engine swaps? Forget it! Open air filter? Forget about that!
Other wheels? Outch - a hassle to have them legal! Works only with wheels which have been certified for that vehicle.
As for oldtimers:
Once a car is older than 30 years you may have it certified and checked as "veteran". From then on intervals are much longer. Some cars built before specific date (I think about 1965) no need for seatbelts. No need for emissions control before 1985. Needs to meet less stringent requirements on emissions. But for the rest it's even worse. No way to get it throug if not in good to very good "original" conditions. Engine has to be the correct one or at least one that came as an original option. Wheels are the same. And the interior has to be in good to very good shape. No ripped seats!
#2
02-26-2013, 04:40 PM
No ripped seats?! Only one car out of my three would pass that! And to think if I lived one county to the south, there wouldn't even be an emission inspection. Just a $13 safety inspection. Basically lights, wiper and horn, and you're good!
#3
02-26-2013, 05:27 PM
A friend and I have bought a 1955 Ford Thunderbird to ship down under to Australia. Originally, I was going to just store it until the import permits came through. That was the original plan. I've been working on it so it can go through Customs, then get its MOT and then its registration. I've fixed a persistent oil leak (cracked casting on the oil pump) and I've getting the car ready to hit the road right away once it clears Customs. One thing I am NOT going to fix is a burned out head light. Two reasons, one, it's the right high beam that's burned out and two, I can't get the right bulbs. Normally that wouldn't be a problem as it's been converted to 12 volts. However, American headlights aren't legal in Oz. Ours dip to the right when you go to low beams and Aussie cars dip to the left as they drive on the left side of the road.
I thought this had been well maintained but the former mechanic was a parts replacer, not a mechanic. One brake drum was so tight it cooked the grease out of the bearings and crystalized the drum metal. While it's driveable, I really want the next drive to drive without any risks.
New Zealand is worse than Switzerland as far as condition is concerned. It's nearly impossible to keep a 10 year old, or older, car on the road due to strict inspections.
I thought this had been well maintained but the former mechanic was a parts replacer, not a mechanic. One brake drum was so tight it cooked the grease out of the bearings and crystalized the drum metal. While it's driveable, I really want the next drive to drive without any risks.
New Zealand is worse than Switzerland as far as condition is concerned. It's nearly impossible to keep a 10 year old, or older, car on the road due to strict inspections.
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