Edited on 2006-01-16 17:14:30

Jan 16 2006

What follows is a post from the Ontario (Canada)Government about emissions testing (fume tastings) that became effective Jan, 2006.

All drivers in Ontario with Jaguars oughta know about this stuff.

I personally see this as a political exercise to reward swapping cars every 5 years which is oh soooo environmentally good.

Regards,
Dan Lokun
Slowly being outlawed 1990 XJ-S

"....... Drive Clean changes will save Ontarians time and money and
protect the environment

Newer cars exempt from Drive Clean tests effective January 1,
2006

TORONTO, Dec. 30 /CNW/ - The Ontario government's improvements
to the Drive Clean program that exempt newer vehicles from
emissions tests while focusing attention on older vehicles take
effect January 1, 2006, Environment Minister Laurel Broten said
today.
"These measures will save Ontarians time and money while
helping protect the air we breathe," Broten said. "It does
not make sense to require emissions tests for newer vehicles
that pass over 99 per cent of the time, while allowing
exemptions for older vehicles that have a much higher risk of
polluting."
Ontario's Drive Clean program requires regular emissions
inspections for cars, trucks and buses. A recent science-based
review recommended that the program be improved by exempting
newer vehicles and focusing more strongly on older vehicles
that are most likely to pollute.

The program changes are:
- As of January 1, 2006, emissions tests to renew licence
plates are required when vehicles are five years old,
instead of three. The test exemption applies to all vehicles
in the Drive Clean program,including cars, vans and other
light-duty vehicles, and heavy-duty trucks and buses.

- The rolling exemption that allowed light-duty vehicles to
become exempt from testing at 20 years of age is ending for
1988 model year and newer vehicles. They will continue to
require Drive Clean tests, no matter their age. All light-
duty vehicles that are 1987 or earlier model years continue
to be exempt from testing when they are 20 years
old or older. This includes historic vehicles.

- Stronger consumer protection and fraud prevention measures
that make it an offence under the Environmental Protection
Act to create, distribute or use false Drive Clean passes.
It is also easier to decertify emissions inspectors who are
involved in such activities.

Further changes to the Drive Clean program are also proposed.
The changes are posted on the EBR Registry for public comment
until January 17, 2006. They are:

- Annual testing for light duty vehicles 12 years old and
older. This would apply only to 1988 and newer model
vehicles. Vehicles of the 1987 and earlier model years would
not be affected.

- Increasing the minimum amount vehicle owners must spend on
repairs should their vehicle fail its Drive Clean test, from
$450 to $600 to receive a conditional pass.

- No longer requiring a Drive Clean test for an ownership
transfer between family members, or when a vehicle lease is
bought out by the lessee.

- Using the vehicle's own on-board computers for testing the
emissions systems of 1998 and newer vehicles.

"We want to hear what the public has to say about these
proposals which will make Drive Clean even more efficient
and effective," said Broten. "I urge everyone with an
interest in helping improve the quality of our air to send us
their comments through the Environmental Bill of Rights
Registry."

Ontarians wishing to comment can do so at:
www.ene.gov.on.ca/envregistry/026516ep.htm

See all also ---->www.driveclean.com

For further information contact:
Anne O'Hagan, Minister's Office,(416) 325-5809;
Charles Ross, Communications Branch, (416) 314-6643
[Wake up, that's the end]........"

Submitted by peddlarbob@sym… on Tue, 01/24/2006 - 00:04

Now Dan if that were true why would these same bureaucrats be ignoring all the V-12's made before 1988. My 87 Grey V-12 is now exempt from taking further tests as is my Son-in-laws gorgeous 1985 V-12 XJS. I mean no disrespect to you but I think you are reading into this, things that are just not there.

Their reasoning for changing the testing standards was that they were experiencing a pass rate of 99.9% with cars of five years of age and newer. This caused them to reconsider the necessity of continuing to test each and every one of these cars every two years. In addition the older cars that entered the country when rather flimsy standards existed could not reasonably be expected to pass the stricter standards set today. So as a result they felt it better to just exempt these cars.

For example the 87 and earlier XJ6 engine had great difficulty passing the present emissions test without first being fiddled with. I had bitched constantly to them about mine so much so that they were in direct contact with the test centre the last time my XJ6 was tested. They saw for themselves in real time exactly what my complaint was when my car was being tested last time. They also witnessed what I did to the engine to get it to pass. This was an engine with only 38,000 klms on the odometer that was perfectly tuned, clean oil, brand new 02 sensor and running at the correct temperature. It would not come close to passing the test without retarding the engine. After this they pulled the results on a large sampling of these cars from across Ontario and found they clearly illustrated a history of high percentages of failures. They have now cured this problem by exempting all these cars.

Believe it or not Dan I have found these guys are a lot easier to deal with then you like to think. They seem to be willing to consider other peoples points of view and they left me with the impression they will go the that extra mile to make sure they get it right.

Bob.
92 Ser III V-12 VDP #31 Canadian Edition
87 Ser III V-12 VDP
86 Ser III AJ6/Soveriegn
85 Ser III XJ6/VDP
Mk II 3.4 Automatic

Submitted by NC43-62049 on Mon, 01/23/2006 - 18:01

As of today the car passed emissions.
Thermostats could replaced for an even better test result (or avoid testing in winter).

Costs thrown away were $600.00 CDN and alot of winter driving that would not have done but for not for the dorky testing.

These cars are in the sights of the bureaucrats big time the only legal car will eventually be the XJS-Junior.

My wife now calls her car (wihout irony) "Blossom".

Regards,
Dan Lokun
Toronto Canada
Clean Running,Tree Hugging
'90 XJ-S

Submitted by peddlarbob@sym… on Thu, 01/19/2006 - 09:23

Dan I will take you up on that bet. :)

I cannot think of any vehicle that has so far been banned in Canada. Except of course the ones that cannot pass the emissions test and then rightfully so. I do have to say however that the emissions test our cars have to pass right now is not at the same standard they had to meet when first imported. It has been tightened a lot since then. It has currently been set in direct relationship to the emissions test results recorded by the MOT over the years.

However as I have said many times, the V-12 when set up properly absolutely walks through our current test. If yours will not pass, you really should not be driving it anyway because something is terribly wrong. I already told you I would look at it over for you if you bring it over to the house. The offer still holds.

Bob.

92 Ser III V-12 VDP #31 Canadian Edition
87 Ser III V-12 VDP
86 Ser III AJ6/Soveriegn
85 Ser III XJ6/VDP
MkII 3.4 Automatic.

Submitted by silver007@shaw.ca on Wed, 01/18/2006 - 19:50

Art Dickenson.
1983 XJS GT "Silver"
Pacific Jaguar.ca

Thank God I am still a British Cittizen, those evil mislead Canadian such nice people.......... As my mother said to me one time, "just remember my boy it takes all kinds to make a world", I answered "yes mum but why?"

Someone once said " common sense actually is not that commom "

Submitted by NC43-62049 on Wed, 01/18/2006 - 18:50

Bob may think that my comments sound over the top, but I really expect that we will both see the day when the V-12 engine will be banned or forced into hybred tampering as a purge of an environmental "evil". Canadian politics likes banning things.

Buck you 5 bucks I am right Bob (say within 7 years).

Regards,

Dan Lokun
Toronto Canada
90 XJ-S

Submitted by peddlarbob@sym… on Tue, 01/17/2006 - 20:29

Dan. Your getting all bent out of shape over nothing. As I have told you before. The V-12 will walk through the test here in Ontario if tuned and serviced properly. The owner of the station where I have my cars tested told me I have the three cleanest running cars he has seen at his station and he is including in that all the newer cars he has been testing these past years

Bob.
92 Ser III V-12 VDP $39 Canadian Edition (sold)
92 Ser III V-12 VDP #31 Canadian Edition
87 Ser III V-12 VDP (no cats, none, zip and still passes)
86 Ser III AJ6/Soveriegn
85 Ser III XJ6/VDP
MkII 3.4 Automatic.

Submitted by silver007@shaw.ca on Tue, 01/17/2006 - 12:26

Art Dickenson.
1983 XJS GT "Silver"
Pacific Jaguar.ca

Personally our two XJS a 1983 and a 1989 seem to fly through air care tests out here in BC, but it is a make work / cash grab for the Canadian / American owned operators of the facilities.
I can however applaud the lack of blue smoke belching cars that are now quite diminished. I fail however to see why we have huge diesel engined trucks and local transit equipment pumping out what must surely be carcagenic unburnt carbon. Surely they should look at these items especially in highly populated areas.

Submitted by NC43-62049 on Tue, 01/17/2006 - 12:09

Edited on 2006-01-17 14:58:31

Edited on 2006-01-17 14:55:17

Jan 17th 2006

I respectfully disagree: my expectation is that the abolition of the 20 year rolling retirement is the starting point (in Canada) that will be, eventually, combined with an ever-tightening emission standard to ban the purported "polar ice melting monster car" with its "diabolical" 5.3 Litre V-12 engines.

The emission testing is a farce because it is a purely political gesture meant to gloss over Canada's real pollution problems caused by wanton waste in the oil/coal energy sector and oil based plastic sector of Canada's economy. How much pollution is being generated by every XJ-S in Canada compared to the 24/7 trucking of Toronto's garbage to Michigan because politicians do not have the guts to burn or bury it locally?

If there is a true concern about the environment, the Ontario goverment can stop worrying about the 1990 XJS with its worldwide production run of 8,000 cars and start building wind-mills or make some REAL changes instead these gutless policitical fixes.

What Pascal says is exactly correct: it is waste of time and resources without positive results except to encourage switching cars every 5 years which is itself a wasteful attitude.

The emission programme is also the plain old cash grab.

It is my unfounded and unscientific opinion (gut instinct, I guess,) that some or all of the JCNA membership can expect, in their life-time, to see a mass, forced coversion of their beloved cars to hybred tech.

Regards,

Dan Lokun
Toronto Canada
90 XJ-S

Submitted by pascal@jcna.com on Mon, 01/16/2006 - 19:44

Florida scrapped it's emission testing program a few years ago after realizing that the polution resulting from waiting on line was worst than the few cars they were flagging... older cars where excempt too, but new cars were not.

Pascal Gademer
72 E-type 2+2

Submitted by ken_cantor@hot… on Mon, 01/16/2006 - 18:46

Dan,

According to their website, "If you keep your vehicle in good repair, there is a good chance that it will pass. The emission standards are specific to each model year, so an older vehicle will not be required to match current emission requirements, but only the standards it was designed to meet, with an allowance for vehicle aging."

As a reasonably well-tuned v-12 has no problem meeting the standards in place at the time it was manufactured, I do not see your concern. Unless it is being sold, the vehicle only has to be tested every second year which from here does not seem particularly onerous or intrusive.

Furthermore, there seems to be reasonable provisions for retesting if a vehicle does fails and you are "allowed" to complete any repairs yourself if you choose (although you may lose some potential exemptions based on the cost of the work required).

The only real "downside" that I see is losing the 20 year exemption for testing and the accompanying inability to "lose" the catalytic converters wherever they were original equipment.

Coming from BC where I paid every year to have new vehicles tested (talk about a government cash cow) and enjoying a much different climate in Alberta (in more than one sense) which does not test at all, having the older ones tested seems to make more sense to me.

Good luck with your not really slowly being outlawed 1990 XJ-S.

Kenneth L. Cantor
ex 1987 Series III VDP