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Everything also can cheat. It is not only bad for our environment, but our health too. 😷 Source: https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/transport/emission-cheating-devices-installed-in-some-trucks-and-buses-in-singapore SINGAPORE - Some diesel trucks and buses in Singapore have been fitted with devices that override the systems meant to clean up their exhaust emissions, The Straits Times has learnt. Popularly known as "defeat devices", they are sold online and allow vehicles to bypass emission standards and, in doing so, spew out high levels of nitrogen oxide - a poisonous greenhouse gas. Vehicle owners can save thousands of dollars each year by skimping on the exhaust treatment solution, known as AdBlue, which removes nitrogen oxide from diesel vehicle's exhaust emissions. At least one local workshop was found to offer an "AdBlue removal service", in addition to freelance mechanics who install such devices for a fee. In response to queries, the National Environment Agency (NEA) said it does not regulate the use of such cheat devices. But the agency, which sets vehicle emission standards here, added that it takes a serious view of devices that may bypass teh control of pollutant emissions. NEA also said it will work with inspection centres to monitor the use of such devices and enhance its regulations where necessary. It is not known how prevalent such devices are in Singapore. They are illegal in most European countries. Based on data from the Land Transport Authority, there are 172,996 diesel-powered vehicles as at Aug 31. The majority of those that are eight years old or newer would require AdBlue to operate properly. Diesel engine emissions include nitrogen oxide. When diesel vehicle is running, AdBlue, which is stored in a separate tank, is automatically injected into the exhaust system to convert the harmful fumes into nitrogen and water before the gases leave the vehicle's tailpipe. AdBlue is used in many diesel trucks and buses on Singapore roads. Globally, the exhaust treatment fluid is widely adopted by vehicle manufacturers to meet tightening emission standards. Keeping the vehicle topped up with AdBlue costs around 4 per cent to 5 per cent of the amount spent on diesel fuel. Commercial vehicles that clock high mileage will need to refill AdBlue more frequently. The solution is available at petrol stations as well as specialised AdBlue sellers. For private cars that do not cover so many kilometers, the top-up is usually done as part of the annual service at workshops. The price of Adblue is influenced by the rising cost of natural gas, a key ingredients used in its production. Currently, Adblue costs between $1.70 per litre to over $2 a litre, up 30 per cent from prices in 2021. In addition to saving on AdBlue refills, the cheat device enables the vehicle to be driven, even if the emission-control system is broken. Breakdowns can be caused by poor maintenance or by using lubricants that are meant for older diesel vehicles, which are cheaper to buy but are not suitable for these engines. Fixing such control systems is expensive. Mr Chew Guan Do, 62, who manages a fleet of trucks, said the bill easily exceeds $2,000 when control systems on the tipper trucks fail. Diesel vehicles also seem to need such repair more frequently as they age, adding downtime on top of hefty bills. There are different types of cheat devices - but their main function is to hookwink the vehicle's sensors to think there is AdBlue in the system when there is none. The simplest version of such devices, which are available online for as little as $40, plugs directly into a vehicle's diagnostic port. This type of devices, which takes the vehicle's emission-cleaning system out of play, can be removed before regular inspections. Experts said the vehicle will function normally and pass the tests, if it is otherwise roadworthy. A freelance engine-tuning expert, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said he has programmed a truck's computer to bypass the emission control system and has not had any issues. Many of these hacks promise improved fuel efficiency and increase engine performance. With the added horsepower, the engine will produce even more poisonous exhaust gases.

So I bought a used 10 year old car. What happens next year if I go for inspection and inspection fails ? I suspect the cat in the exhaust was modified or deleted ... Can I buy a cat to install ?

The Government is raising emission standards for new petrol vehicles and petrol quality to ensure cleaner air for all, and increasing the frequency of updates on Singapore's air quality. The announcement was made by Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan at the Singapore Environmental Achievement Awards 2012 today. The measures are part of the National Environment Agency's (NEA) roadmap to reduce sulphur dioxide and particulate matter levels in the air in order to meet the World Health Organization's Air Quality Guidelines. From tomorrow, the NEA will be updating the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) thrice daily instead of once a day, to make air quality information more relevant to Singaporeans. In addition, PM 2.5 levels - a pollutant emitted from the petrochemical industry and diesel vehicles - will also be made available with the PSI readings. Source: http://www.todayonline.com/Hotnews/EDC1208...es-to-be-raised

As part of Singapore's overall plan to achieve higher air quality standards, a tighter emission standard for in-use diesel vehicles will be implemented from Jan 1, 2014, as annouced at this year's Budget Deabate. All such vehicles will need to achieve a smoke opacity test result of 40 Hartridge Smoke Units (HSU) or lower during their mandatory vehicle inspections for road tax renewal. HSU is a measurement of the opacity of smoke that is emitted. The National Environment Agency (NEA) has been working closely with the authorised vehicle inspection centres (VICOM, JIC Inspection Services and STA Inspection) to alert owners whose vehicles show borderline results during their mandatory inspection, so that they may take the necessary actions to service their vehicles before Jan 1, 2014. The adoption of the revised smoke opacity limit will minimise smoke emissions from diesel vehicles plying Singapore's roads. A six-month grace period will be introduced for vehicles that have borderline test results, to give time for vehicle-owners to adjust to the higher standards. From Jan 1 to Jun 30, 2014, owners of diesel vehicles with smoke opacity test results between 41 and 50 HSU will be issued warning letters. Vehicles with smoke opacity test results exceeding 50 HSU will still be fined, in accordance with the current regulations. From Jul 1, 2014 onwards, owners of vehicles with smoke opacity test results above 40 HSU will be fined up to $5,000. Motorists should get their vehicles properly serviced or repaired if they fail the smoke opacity test. From Jan till Sep this year, there have been 5,809 enforcement cases against smoky diesel vehicles; 2012 saw 6,381, showing an increase every year. As such, NEA said it is committed to ensuring clean and safe air in Singapore. Stringent enforcement action against smoke emissions from motor vehicles, in tandem with the tightening of emission standards for diesel vehicles over time, is part of Singapore's overall plan to reduce domestic emissions of particulate matter and achieve higher air quality standards. Motorists can help to ensure cleaner air for all by practising good driving habits, servicing their vehicles regularly, and avoiding overloading their vehicles. http://ride.asiaone.com/news/general/story/tighter-emission-standards-use-diesel-vehicles#sthash.caczgvcG.dpuf

In order to conduct emission testing of cars, car inspection centre rev your car engine pass the red line a couple of times and each time holding it for a good 15sec? Isn’t this abusing the engine?

US found out VW had been cheating in their EPA pollution test using a special ECU s/w setting in their diesel TDI engines. During test, TDI will auto set to "test mode" and run in low emission alogothim. Once out of the test setting (on dynamo) and on the road, the engine will revert to normal operating mode with over 40x the emission legal limit in US. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-09-19/volkswagen-emissions-cheating-found-by-curious-clean-air-group. VW stock dropped nearly 20% over 30% on NYSE on Mon when this was published early this week.

"The government is consulting stakeholders on measures that can be taken to further enhance Singapore’s plan to reduce carbon emissions and promote green growth beyond 2020. As a party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Singapore is actively involved in ongoing negotiations to work out a new global agreement on climate change by end 2015. One key strategy is energy efficiency, especially as Singapore has limited alternative energy sources." "Share Your Views We want to hear your views on any of the following areas for action. We also welcome your perspectives on the last document – pertaining to harnessing economic and green growth opportunities in clean energy, urban solutions, research and test bedding, among others:" - from https://www.nccs.gov.sg/consultation2015

Lai liao, lai liao. LTA chut new pattern. Brace for impact! 'Ineffective' car emission scheme being reviewed Christopher Tan | The Straits Times | Saturday, Oct 11, 2014 THE Land Transport Authority (LTA) is reviewing a scheme that rewards or penalises motorists based on the amount of carbon dioxide their cars emit. The carbon emissions-based vehicle scheme (CEVS), which was introduced on Jan 1 last year and is slated to run till June 30 next year, has been criticised for being lax, biased and ineffective. Cars with low carbon emissions receive rebates of between $5,000 and $20,000, which are offset against the vehicle's Additional Registration Fee (ARF). But motorists have complained this lowers the residual cost of the car. Cars with high carbon emissions pay a registration surcharge of between $5,000 and $20,000. Motor traders said the main beneficiaries have been sellers of European makes with small-capacity turbocharged direct-injection engines. Experts have also questioned the effectiveness of CEVS in reducing air pollution. Asian Clean Fuels Association executive director Clarence Woo said: "You can lower CO2 and yet not lower pollutants such as particulate matter." Since Singapore plans to adopt the Euro 6 emission standard, which specifies a big reduction in pollutants such as fine particulate matter and nitrogen oxides, the CEVS could be refined towards meeting this objective, he said. LTA met motor industry representatives on Tuesday to inform them of the review and gather feedback. The Straits Times understands several industry players have suggested rewards be delinked from ARF. One dealer, who did not want to be named, said: "Often, dealers use the CEVS rebate to fatten their own margin." LTA would not comment on what changes it is considering. "We will share more details once the review is completed," a spokesman said. Government Parliamentary Committee for Transport chairman Cedric Foo said road tax is based on engine size, which is a proxy for the amount of pollution a car causes. "It would be good if we can extract the pollution element and build it into the CEVS," he said, adding that pollution should not be confined to CO2. National University of Singapore transport researcher Lee Der Horng agreed: "The current CEVS may send a wrong message that the higher the rebate, the more environmentally-friendly a car is." Motorist Leslie Chia, 49, said the CEVS in its current format is an "oxymoron". "You give a rebate, but you also reduce the scrap value of the car," the businessman said. "So actual savings as a percentage of car cost are insignificant." Motorists suggest tying rebates and penalties to road tax or income tax. Observers said the current scheme is not stringent enough as nearly two-thirds of new cars qualify for it. According to LTA, the CEVS has cost the Government about $62 million to date - nearly double the amount originally expected. http://transport.asiaone.com/news/general/story/ineffective-car-emission-scheme-being-reviewed?page=0%2C0

Italy's Ferrari has mounted a turbocharged engine on its latest supercar for the first time in more than two decades, as even luxury automakers are forced to seek ways to cut emissions without sacrificing performance. The California T, which will debut at the Geneva auto show this week, will be equipped with an eight-cylinder engine that Ferrari says will consume 15 percent less fuel than its naturally-aspirated predecessor, reducing carbon dioxide emissions to 250 grams per kilometer (g/km) from 299. By pumping air into the cylinders, turbochargers get more power from a smaller engine, sometimes at the price of sluggish initial acceleration. Naturally aspirated engines, which instead draw in air through a valve, can deliver more consistent torque and a bigger engine sound. Unlike holdout Lamborghini and its naturally aspirated 5.2-litre Huracan on show in Geneva, Ferrari is breaking with tradition to offer its first turbo since the F40 coupe, sold between 1987 and 1992. The Fiat-owned (FIA.MI) sports car maker claims to have achieved "zero turbo lag" with new technology that adapts the torque curve to each gear change. "The California T ... is one of the results of significant investment in product and technological innovation," Chairman Luca di Montezemolo said last month. The new model can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.6 seconds, Ferrari said, 0.2 seconds faster than the 2012 California. Pricing has not been disclosed, although it is not expected to be significantly higher than the tag of around 185,000 euros ($255,500) on the last California. The Italian carmaker also said it had modified the car's exhaust to enhance engine noise, offsetting the turbo's muffling effect. MORE EFFICIENT Fans of Ferrari - ranked the world's most powerful brand last month by consultancy Brand Finance - are optimistic. Joe Adams, president of the Ferrari Club of America, said his members were excited about the prospect of getting more efficient horsepower and better fuel mileage out of the cars. "Ferrari needs to be able to show its technical prowess," said Adams, who has owned seven different Ferraris over the years. "Being green is just another challenge and that's something Ferrari relishes." The move by Ferrari coincides with the introduction this year of new Formula One rules requiring the use of turbocharged engines in the sport for the first time since 1988. Fuel-efficiency improvements account for a large share of the 2 billion euros in planned research and development spending over five years, Ferrari has said. The carmaker, which last year introduced its first hybrid, the 1 million euro LaFerrari, said its average CO2 emissions have already fallen 40 percent since 2007. While supercars will keep emitting more than small family cars, they need at least to show improvement, said Jay Nagley, managing director at Redspy, an automotive consultancy. "They don't want to look like dinosaurs," he said. Unlike Ferrari, Lamborghini is avoiding turbos for now and has no intention to pursue hybrids anytime soon. However, both technologies are readily available from parent Volkswagen (VOWG_p.DE) should it choose to use them later. The Huracan LP 610-4 on show in Geneva is Lamborghini's successor to its bestselling Gallardo model, which ended production last year. The carbon fibre and aluminum car's 10-cylinder engine emits an average 290 g/km of CO2. "One thing that makes a Lamborghini so unique is the music that comes out of the exhaust pipes," said Nick Wirth, a fellow of Britain's Royal Academy of Engineering. "A turbocharged engine would make the orchestra a little bit quieter." However, Wirth believes it is only a matter of time before even the most exotic brands are forced to embrace turbos and hybrids to meet tightening emission rules. "Ultimately, everyone will have to move in that direction." Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/money/story/ferrari-returns-turbo-supercar-makers-face-emissions-rules-20140303

Hi All, Want to ask the expert bros here, i also see this Euro 1, Euro 2, Euro 3 and now Euro 4. May i know what is the euro standards all about? Also i have done some read up on the web, but still cannot fully understand. My car is registered in 2008 so which Euro standard is my car catergory in? Any advise from the expert bros here?

Bros, I need help. Am driving a A6 2.4MU. Recently the oil leak sign came on and I had it fixed with a workshop visit. Then as I drove out of the workshop, the ECS orange light came on. Also the car started to feel sluggish. The car also needed a few cranks to start (usually starts instantaneously). Brought it back to check and have been told the Impulse Sender is faulty. This was replaced by Premium Automobile yesterday. PA told me that there are some other errors detected after the change of the Impulse Sender (another diagnostic test was conducted). However requires more time to investigate. But I need to use the car so took the car back. The charges by PA was ridiculous high. I paid 4 times the amount VAG would have charged me. But I went to PA as I was hopeful that the problem would go awat immediately (only PA has stock of the impulse sender). Would appreciate any advice here. Thanks

According to source, Ferrari will introduce a environmental friendly California at the upcoming Paris Motor Show. Details are sketchy, but OmniAuto, an Italian automotive website, is reporting the car won't be a hybrid. Instead, it will likely feature an improved direct injection system, multi-cylinder deactivation, low friction engine components and regenerative braking like the Ferrari HY-KERS hybrid concept. While purists will cry foul over a "green" Ferrari, the company has already announced plans to cut emissions by 40% and improve fuel efficiency by 30% as compared to 2007 levels. This is a result of stricter government standards which have already killed off the Honda Civic Type R and Ford Focus ST.

Hello. As you all know by now that my car is performance upgraded but I will be going for inspection this Friday. How can I reduce the emission and noise to pass it? I heard adding Octane alot will decrease emission so much that it's not detectable even with straight through system? What about my supercharger? Should I remove it?

The FCHV (Fuel-Cell Hybrid Vehicle) milage was tested on a long-distance trip field between Osaka and Tokyo on Sept 28, 2007. According to the Toyota, the vehicle drove a distance of about 560km with the air conditioner turned on. http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_...0071210/143925/ http://www.japancorp.net/Article.Asp?Art_ID=18506 http://www.toyota.co.jp/en/news/08/0606_2.htmlhttp://www.toyota.co.jp/en/news/08/image/0606_2.jpg

Just saw an option video that had a "comedy" section that they "trapped" their power crazy driver in a car with the exos running back into the cabin whilst he's claiming that "cats are for wuzzies". He passed out quick enough. Next, they repeated with sports cat on. Of course, he "passed out", but lasted longer. OK, the part about driver in car with the poisonous gases fed back was a parody and joke. But the experiment indicated a huge decrease in carbon monoxide and other poisonous elements with the cat, and the power decrease was minimal. Think car was a GTR. So really, my point is, if LTA can approve sports cat and aftermarket headers if they meet emission/noise standards, I'm sure many of us would pay and go for it rather than the obviously illegal decat way. This should be the logical way to realistically increase the use of cat for the enthusiasts, and help preserve our environment. We know how often questions on decat, race headers (no cat obviously) pop up.... BTW, I did ask LTA for standards to test to as there're Mugen headers with sports cat that meet JVIA standards. But after several attempts, I gave up as I was given the usual "let me refer you to someone else" syndrome when they obviously don't know how to handle a question out of their standard answer book. Their last recourse was "write in and we'll evaluate". I asked what basis and standards will they be "evaluating on" so I can ensure I have all the required documentation. Nope.... they will NOT state to what standards (if any) will they be testing on.

I just made the following changes to my car (1991 Nissan presea): - 1. changed gear oil (mine is manual transmission). 2. The top of the engine was leaking some engine oil gradually, so I replaced the

I received a letter today that my co. van was caught emitting black smoke. I called the hotline but could not get through. Must I bring the original log card when I send it for inspection? As the van is on loan, the bank holds the orig copy of the log card. What tests will the van be subjected to?

Hi guys, Hows it going man?? My dad's s80 is under going some wierd technical phase. EMISSION SYSTEM SERVICE REQUIRED keeps appearing and dissapearing. Switching the engine off and back on, and it dissapears and appears again sometimes. Basically, i just serviced the car not more than a mth ago and this problem arises! And i dont wanna go to SM motors and get sucked dry over some stupid software upgrade which might cost me half a grand if you guys know what i mean. HELP ME!!! CheerS!!!