Vosa to simplify LGV roadworthiness test oavia Wilcox VOSA IS
Page 8
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
PLANNING to simplify the annual LGV roadworthiness test by stopping measuring exhaust smoke opacity, and reducing the need to jack up front axles to check wheel-play. However, new testing techniques being developed on the Continent could soon catch out trucks that have had their engine management systems remapped.
Vosa said stringent European emissions standards had resulted in fewer than 0.5% of trucks failing their annual test because they breached the smoke opacity limit. It plans to downgrade the smoke test to a visual check due to this. The opacity meter will be used to check marginal cases that have a Reduced Pollution Certificate. Regarding wheel-play, Vosa said the presence of detector plates built into many test lanes meant that it is no longer necessary to jack-up a truck's steer axle to test for excessive wear in wheel bearings or steering pivots and bushes. Despite this, a big change in testing is in the pipeline: the identification of more sophisticated emissions testing equipment that will either interface with vehicles' on-board data or be capable of measuring both oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and particulate matter at the tailpipe. This could be similar to the portable emissions measurement systems (PEMS) that will be used to verify the in-service compliance of Euro-6 engines.
Vosa said stricter emissions checks could cause problems for LGVs that have had their engine management systems remapped or chipped. These modifications can upset the delicate balance between NOx and particulates, leading to excessive NOx emissions beyond original type approval limits, which the new system would identify.