Yesterday I trundled off to the local VOSA test station to get the smoke test done on a W reg Series 4, 3 hours later once they got around to testing it, it failed. I wasn’t massively surprised as it’s been getting a bit smoky of late, upshot is it’s now non-compliant for the LEZ as it doesn’t meet Euro 3.
Well good news I think as that’s me clear of London for a while.
The boss was ranting because he can’t be expected to just go out and buy a new lorry just for the ■■■■■■■ emissions I did point out that it had hardly been sprung on him as it’d ben going on about three years. Deputy dog pipes up “Yes but it’s always passed the tests in the past”
‘Apparently’ I can still go to London and we’ll only get charged if stopped by VOSA or Police, I’m off to the smoke (or at least taking it with me ) tomorrow. We won’t be paying the £200 fine / tax / charge, so I expect we’ll be getting a letter very soon.
Now I hear some daft things but I couldn’t believe that they think TFL have erected thousands of little cameras at a cost of (presumably) millions to not actually bother.
Smoke test on a diesel has always seemed like a hit and miss, how is it feeling on the day, type of nonsense.
Chances are, had they seen you straight away it might have passed.
The friendly testers at Newbury (if there are any left there) used to tell you to give it a bit of gas to clear its throat before sticking the probe in
Another box ticking and money making exercise.
I feel your bosses pain, there isn’t a lot of money around at the moment. Not your problem though.
You still at the same place btw? Was wondering why your blog came to an abrupt stop a year or so ago, it was enjoyable reading
The figures were dropping but they gave it 6 shots and it was still a way off.
Whilst I agree that it’s a pain in the arse, and I can see the problems from the bosses point of view he’s not the only person it affects and keeping this 11 year old veteran in good shape is a tall order considering the punishment it gets.
It will have to go by the end of the year and a replacement has been talked about for some time now, a spec has been drawn up but nothing seems to happen further. I think he thinks he’ll find a late low mileage minter for peanuts whereas I know that good 5 year old examples are being offered for around £70k for that money we can buy a brand new chassis.
The job is the same, but my old Y reg sleeper 420 with air ride was sold off and I inherited a short -cabbed 340 with a very harsh ride. I’ve got a crane now so I get more crap work as well!
As for the blog, I got to the point where I struggled to write anything new and interesting in the large amount of time it took. It’s main purpose was as on online CV of sorts for if it was ever needed.
If I ever get given something half decent to drive again, and my spirits rise a bit then I might do a diary here or there.
8wheels:
…Now I hear some daft things but I couldn’t believe that they think TFL have erected thousands of little cameras at a cost of (presumably) millions to not actually bother…
I’m not sure of whether there are cameras at every road leading into the LEZ zone but I know there are quite a few. We did a move a couple of years back that was right on the outside edge of the LEZ. At the time the LEZ compliant trucks were already working in London so we sent a non LEZ truck and specific instructions not to detour.
Anyway, upshot of it was the driver missed his turning and went into the LEZ. Couple of days later we received a fine with a little picture of said truck and details of where he crossed into the LEZ.
Whether the cameras are just on the main roads or all of them I don’t know and quite frankly wouldn’t want to find out as I imagine it could work out quite expensive!!
On another point our '51 plate luton transit will not be allowed in to London as of next year. On a recent trip to London I had a look at the registrations of that sized vehicle and there was a huge number of 51 plate and older. I really have no idea of how the next stage of the LEZ is going to be feasible except to put prices up and generate a huge number of fines for the government.
We bought a 57 plate 7.5 tonner on a Euro 4 at the latter part of last year for £16K basically because we knew the later you leave it the higher the prices for LEZ compliant trucks will be.
Looking recently at similar spec trucks they are already £1500-£2000 more expensive. Frightening really!!!
What it needs is for haulage companies to just refuse to deliver to London inside the LEZ and when people and companies ask why they won’t deliver then point out the rates they’re being paid don’t come anywhere near enough to spend £80k-£120k on a new wagon.
Conor:
What it needs is for haulage companies to just refuse to deliver to London inside the LEZ and when people and companies ask why they won’t deliver then point out the rates they’re being paid don’t come anywhere near enough to spend £80k-£120k on a new wagon.
See how long the LEZ lasts once the wagons stop.
The problem is the majority of people in London would be happy with that, and you’ve got the likes of Wincanton/DHL/Stobart etc who have got the compliant vehicles already.
Had a bit of a surprise. As from next year my 51 plate Ford ■■■■■■ TD van will, from 2012, be non compliant!!
I cant believe that, its only a small van and I only use for it my own private use as it is cheap to run. Its not a business vehicle its just my own private little run around!
I assume my options are zero, I will have to sell it and get a newer model if I want to drive it around London or at least within the LEZ.
Thats (zb)s (zb)ing tree huggers
EDIT…just run another check this time using the search by veihcle typr function on the same page and this time it tells me that my van WILL NOT be affected by the 2012 legislation and IS compliant!! Now im confused.
Had a bit of a surprise. As from next year my 51 plate Ford ■■■■■■ TD van will, from 2012, be non compliant!!
I cant believe that, its only a small van and I only use for it my own private use as it is cheap to run. Its not a business vehicle its just my own private little run around!
What annoys me is those Escorts are bloody good on fuel (I know I had one). I used to get 60mpg easy on a run, if you replace it with a ‘clean’ Transit Connect you’ll only be getting 40mpg at the most.
How is this possibly ‘green’ as you’re using so much more juice?
“when people and companies ask why they won’t deliver then point out the rates they’re being paid don’t come anywhere near enough to spend £80k-£120k on a new wagon.”
What sort of trucks are you guys driving if they cost that much. ?
Scania G400 day cab 8x2 rigid chasis £88k
Andover plant body with a few tweaks £25k
Crane - Depends on how big you want but £20-25k for something usable.
We’re talking £130k for an honest no frills workhorse.
OK that’s a fairly specialised bit of kit but if you look at the cost of a fairly ordinary rigid chassis, I’m sure a better spec unit will be similar money.
germangeezer:
tell your boss to change the air filter put 2 gallons of petrol in the derv tank and retest it, i bet she passes then!!
central heating oil is best ,mate’s import pajaro shogun would never pass ,so we run tank down and put 10 litres in and it passed every time ,until the rot killed the chassis
used to do it on my series 3 land rover too
jdc:
On another point our '51 plate luton transit will not be allowed in to London as of next year. O
thats because you need a letter from ford as the transit will be a mk6 which are all complient(for now until they change the reg which is 2015 i think it is…)
and a way round is petrol vans are ok…and so are stonking great V8 landrover defenders but a tdi defender isnt complient work that one out…
I did point out that it had hardly been sprung on him as it’d ben going on about three years. Deputy dog pipes up “Yes but it’s always passed the tests in the past” 
) tomorrow. We won’t be paying the £200 fine / tax / charge, so I expect we’ll be getting a letter very soon.
with a very harsh ride. I’ve got a crane now so I get more crap work as well!
