T4 Campervan: Emissions Class & Details

A friend who owns a VW T4 is facing a significant problem. His vehicle was previously registered as a "campervan" under the special vehicle category. It's a T4 with a long wheelbase, first registered in 2001, and likely manufactured around 2000. A local conversion company originally outfitted the vehicle from the factory as a campervan. It has space for four people to sleep, includes a kitchen, fresh and wastewater tanks, and mounting points for an awning that is stored disassembled inside the vehicle. It also has a standing heater.

After the abolition of the special tax, it will be taxed in the conventional way, based on emission class and engine displacement. Since the vehicle was modified by the factory and its maximum permissible weight was increased to 2.4 tons, only six zeros are registered as the vehicle identification number. This is now the problem, because the vehicle is not even classified as Euro 1. This not only costs a huge amount in taxes, but also means it will not receive a particulate matter sticker. It's a shame that a vehicle with only 38,000 km on the clock is being declared as scrap.


Engine specifications:

Engine displacement: 2370 ccm.
Cylinders: 5
Power: 55 kW at 3700 rpm.
Top speed: 136 km/h.

It should be a naturally aspirated diesel engine. I haven't been able to find the engine code anywhere. Where would I look for it? Vehicles of the same year of manufacture and with these engine specifications should at least meet Euro 2 standards, or am I mistaken? Even though that's not great anymore, it's still better than not meeting any Euro standard at all.

Can we somehow help the owner? What does he need to do to at least reach a value of 2 euros? He was rejected by the "friendly" service, and they said they couldn't change anything about the tax office's assessment.

The engine is an AAB, or its EGR-equipped successor (the letter designation of which I've forgotten - AJA, ATA...?).


My friend, who just bought a Golf, has a T4 California with that AAB engine.

I'm going to check his information regarding taxation.

Hi,

The presence of six zeros alone doesn't actually justify the failure to meet any emission standards. I also have six zeros on my re-imported vehicle, but it still has an emissions code (44, which is an IMO code for Euro 3 diesel).

Best regards,

Jan.

Without a catalytic converter, it doesn't even reach Euro 1, but with one, it reaches Euro 2; it should be Euro 1, I upgraded mine. Code 0002, but it's still expensive .

Let's take a look at the vehicle registration document... Engine type: Diesel-D, with the key numbers next to it being 00. This means: nothing!! No emissions classification, and therefore probably not even Euro 1.

And that's also our problem! Who can correctly convert this thing for us? I've done some research and found various things about this engine. It should be a Euro 2 model with the key numbers 22.

First, give us the vehicle identification number (VIN) – if there's no service booklet or sticker in the car, it's usually stamped into the chassis.

m;

Hutfahrer wrote:

Engine specifications: Engine displacement: 2370 ccm. Cylinders: 5. Power: 55 kW at 3700 rpm. Top speed: 136 km/h.

This engine, as described above, meets the Euro 2 emission standard in the standard T4, whether it's the long or short wheelbase version, or the high or low roof version.

This is achieved through an oxygen sensor and an EGR valve.

What does the TÜV actually say?

If you want to get a vehicle inspected, you usually need a manufacturer's certificate for the emissions standard.

I suggest you or your friend contact either VW or the manufacturer of the add-on, as they should have information about this.

At VW, such requests are typically made via fax, and you usually receive a response within two weeks.

Best regards, Germa.

Okay, since it's apparently NOT an AAB, I'm out.

m;

I haven't been able to check the MKB (engine code) yet. However, I obtained a copy of the vehicle registration document from a comparable T4 at the VW workshop at the airport. That vehicle has emission key number 22, which corresponds to Euro 2. However, the workshop foreman mentioned that, in some cases, the emission key specified by the manufacturer may have been deliberately changed during the vehicle's reclassification. Nevertheless, he also believes that completely denying any European emission standard is not justified.

Tomorrow, I have the day off and will go to DEKRA with the owner of the campervan. The copy of the registration document might be an additional argument, but otherwise, the DEKRA inspector seemed interested and willing to support us. He wants to verify which engine is installed and what modifications have been made to the vehicle. In the worst-case scenario, a simple inspection would cost around 34 EUR, but in that case, the registration office and the tax office would be bound by this inspection report. Unfortunately, correcting the vehicle documents will cost extra money, as the campervan still has the "old" vehicle papers.

A few days have passed. The campervan has been inspected and certified by DEKRA and now meets at least Euro 2 emissions standards. The vehicle registration documents were also completely renewed, as the campervan still had the old ones. Including the red emissions sticker, the total cost amounted to approximately 180 EUR.

Unfortunately, the DEKRA inspector requested another paid vehicle inspection , and charged an "additional fee" for the initial inspection of the vehicle (analysis of the installed engine, exhaust cleaning system, functionality of all relevant parts), and also charged 75 EUR for the report and verification of the correct key numbers. He was allowed to keep about 50 EUR of that amount at the registration office. And to top it all off, he also required new license plates, because the "old" ones were no longer valid with the new vehicle registration documents. So, another 45 EUR had to be spent on new license plates. The registration stickers, as well as the vehicle inspection and emissions test stickers, also cost extra.

It's an expensive pleasure – and there's the certainty that, even with all this, you might not be allowed to drive in Berlin starting at the beginning of next year. Currently, they are examining when the stricter PM (particulate matter) regulations could come into effect.

Hutfahrer wrote:

And to top it all off, I also had to get new license plates because the "old" ones were no longer valid with the new vehicle registration documents. So, I had to pay another 45 euros to have new license plates made.

I cannot translate this because it appears to be a string of question marks. Please provide a text to be translated.

I think this whole thing with the new license plates was a scam, unless you had seasonal plates or got them made. Normally, the old ones should have stayed the same, since only the emissions key number changed!

The camper van had old license plates without the blue Euro strip. Apparently, you could still get those in the year 2000. In fact, the Euro license plates even cost extra at that time.

Without the European Union license plate, you won't receive new vehicle registration documents, because nothing can be added to the old ones anymore. It's certainly a way to rip people off, but unfortunately, there's no way around it.