Reading the tuv sticker – how to read the values correctly

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Hardly any criterion is as important when buying a used car as the TuV sticker. Read this article to learn how to read a sticker correctly and what it means for your car.

Until the TuV separates us…

As the value and age of the car decreases, so does the willingness of most owners to take proper care of the car. So, sooner or later for every car the time comes when it drives in its "last MOT period. If this is exceeded, the car has usually only scrap value. But as soon as a fresh sticker is on the license plate, the car can be sold again for much more money. At least it has now the permission to move legally on german roads. But to get this validity for the next two years, some things are necessary.

Read the sticker

The sticker indicates the month and the year until which the vehicle is allowed to move in road traffic. If the time of validity was exceeded, two things happen:

The car can only be deregistered after it has been sold. A re-registration or re-register on another holder is no longer possible.
The car is no longer registered for road use. If the police or the public order office finds a vehicle with an expired sticker, a fine may be imposed.

Design of the MOT sticker

The difficulty in reading the sticker is that the year of validity is indicated by color and not by a number. The colors change in a fixed cycle of seven years. Theoretically, a car with an expired MOT could be parked in a garage for seven years, and at least the color would not be immediately noticeable. But taxes and insurance would have to be paid all the time. This is not worth it for any car.

Today the following colors are valid:

blue: the HU expires in 2020

orange: the HU expires in 2019

green: the HU expires in 2018

pink: the HU expires in 2017

brown: the main inspection expired in 2016

yellow: the HU expired in 2015

blue: the HU expired in the year 2014

So a police officer who sees a car with a blue, yellow or brown MOT sticker today in 2017 will certainly become suspicious. If the car is in public traffic, a fine is certain to be the result.

In addition to the year, the month also determines the validity of the MOT. It is represented by a wreath that runs around the outer edge of the TuV sticker. There are the months with their respective number arranged in order. The month of maturity is always the one that is vertically in the middle. In order to be able to read off the expiring month exactly also at a greater distance, a black marking is attached in the area of january, december and november.

A green TuV sticker with a 3 in the highest position indicates an expiration date of march 2018.

How long is it allowed to overstay the HU?

To say in advance: one "may" not overdue the HU at all. Each owner of a vehicle is obligated to present his car within the validity again to the main examination or to deregister. However, the legislator is surprisingly accommodating in the question of overdue main inspection. Today, the following amounts apply in the catalogue of fines

1 day to 2 months: a policeman will draw attention to the expired HU
3 to 4 months: 15 euro fine and an obligation to immediately present the car at the HU. This is carried out more strictly.
4 months to 8 months: 25 euro fine and also deepened HU.
Over 8 months: 60 euro fine, one point in the traffic offence record, B offence for novice drivers and an in-depth HU.

With such a far overdue HU date can also threaten the immobilization of the car. Towing and storage costs are borne by the owner.

The insurance also talks

If an accident happens to a car with an expired main inspection, problems with the insurance are inevitable. The insurance company can refuse a part of the payment or. Claim back payments made. In any case, after the accident, an in-depth examination of the car is carried out. If the car is found to be no longer in roadworthy condition, it can be very expensive for the owner.

Getting through the TuV

A main inspection for a car follows a fixed set of rules. No car is subject to arbitrariness from one inspector. This makes it especially easy and transparent for the owner to prepare his vehicle for the appointment.

To get a car safely through the main inspection:

The brake system must be intact
Must the exhaust system be intact
Must the exhaust cleaning work
Must have the lights working
Must the tires be in order: age, condition, tread depth
Must be the chassis and steering intact
Must not have rust on supporting parts
No fluid leaks at any point: oil, gasoline, coolant, servo oil, brake fluid, etc..
Must not be airbag deployed
Must also be otherwise no obvious defect present
Do all conversions have to be registered

If these points are worked through before the presentation at the TuV, there is usually nothing in the way of a new TuV sticker.

Unlike a quartz watch, an automatic watch is purely mechanical. This means: there is no battery. the energy that makes the watch run is generated by winding the mainspring with a crown or rotor. The automatic watch developed relatively late – until a few decades ago, hand-wound wristwatches were the absolute standard.

In a hand-wound watch, the spring that continuously delivers energy to the movement is tensioned via the crown. this invention by abraham louis breguet completely revolutionized the world of pocket watches back then! For the first time, no separate key was needed to wind the movement. Virtually all modern automatic watches have an optional manual winding mechanism.

The energy of the mainspring is transferred to the wheel and hand movement, causing the hands to turn. So that not all the energy is released at once, it needs the escapement – the frequency of which is regulated by the balance wheel. But how exactly does an automatic watch work? This article shows the function of a mechanical watch in detail.

Winding a mechanical watch

First of all, the spring can be tensioned by means of the manual winding mechanism. For this purpose, the crown of the watch is simply placed in the winding position and turned clockwise. Via the winding stem, the force reaches the spring barrel, where the spring is tensioned. Above it lies the ratchet wheel, in which a so-called ratchet pawl hooks in. This prevents the spring from relaxing and releasing its energy directly again.

With an automatic watch, the whole thing doesn’t look much different – except that the manual winding mechanism is replaced by a rotor. When it rotates, the gear wheel underneath it pulls the winding wheel and thus gives the power back to the mainspring barrel. Because there is much less power available than with manual winding, the rotor must rotate much more frequently than the crown when winding by hand.

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The clocking of the watch by the balance wheel

Normally, the mainspring would quickly relax again and the hands would suddenly turn x times. To prevent this from happening, the power output from the mainspring is regulated. This is done with the help of the balance wheel. The balance is the real "heart" of a mechanical watch movement. this component oscillates back and forth, limiting the energy output from the spring to normal time.

The gear train conducts the energy from the mainspring to the balance wheel. The so-called escapement (usually an escape wheel escapement on modern watches) then determines how much power is transmitted to the gear train via the mainspring. On the top of the wheel movement, the hands are fixed – depending on how fast they rotate, this is the second, minute, or even the hour hand.

The balance oscillates at a certain frequency. This is usually around 3 hertz (21.600 half oscillations per hour) or at 4 hertz (28.800 half oscillations per hour). When the balance wheel rotates in one direction, the escape wheel gives up some space and the energy can be transferred from the spring to the gears. Then the balance oscillates in the other direction and releases the same amount of energy in a controlled way. This results in the creeping second hand on a mechanical watch.

Complications make things complicated

the name complication for the functions of a watch does not come by chance: each additional function provides for a considerable additional effort in the construction of the movement. no matter if GMT function, moon phase or chronograph: everything is realized with the help of additional gears in the movement. The simplest form is a classic mechanical movement with manual winding.

Where you can buy the environmental sticker, how much it costs and how best to remove it: we explain what you need to know about the fine dust sticker.

General information about the environmental sticker

– why is there an environmental badge?

– which environmental badges are?

– which german cities have an environmental zone?

The environmental sticker on your vehicle

– which environmental sticker do i need?

– where can i buy the environmental sticker?

– how expensive is the environmental sticker?

– what is written on the environmental sticker?

– how do i put the environmental sticker on?

– how to remove the environmental sticker?

Legal information on the environmental sticker

– who checks the environmental sticker?

– are there exemptions?

– how long is the environmental sticker valid?

General information about the environmental sticker

The environmental badge is also known as the fine dust badge. It is intended to reduce pollution in cities.

Why is there an environmental badge?

Car exhausts contain fine dust and nitrogen dioxide. These substances endanger health and harm the environment. The aim is to reduce the pollution caused by road traffic in major German cities. Since 2008 there are environmental zones. They are in the center of 55 german cities and may only be driven on with a valid environmental badge.

Which environmental badges are available?

Depending on its type and age, a vehicle emits more or less pollutants. Each vehicle is assigned one of three environmental badges, or none at all. Only if the sticker proves that a vehicle does not emit too many pollutants, it is allowed to drive in the zone. The badges have different colors.

– pollutant group 1: no sticker

– pollutant group 2: red sticker

– pollutant group 3: yellow sticker

– pollutant group 4: green sticker

Vehicles in pollutant group 1 do not get a sticker. You emit too many pollutants. These include, for example, petrol vehicles without a regulated catalytic converter and some diesel vehicles. They cannot be fixed to a certain year of construction. Entry into an environmental zone is prohibited without a sticker.

The red environmental sticker the pollutant group 2 is valid for old diesel vehicles. Normally you will get models from 1995 to 2003. entry into an environmental zone of level 1 is allowed.

The pollutant group 3 receives a yellow environmental sticker. Only diesel vehicles can get it. You are allowed to drive in the environmental zones of level 1 and 2. Entry into a zone of stage 3 is prohibited.

A green sticker vehicles in pollutant group 4 receive. They emit the least pollutants and are allowed to enter any environmental zone. If older vehicles are retrofitted with particulate filters, they can receive the green environmental badge.

Which German cities have an environmental zone??

The environmental zones in germany are divided into three levels. A zone may only be entered with the appropriate sticker:

– environmental zone stage 1: red, yellow and green stickers allowed

– environmental zone stage 2: only yellow and green stickers allowed

– environmental zone level 3: only green sticker allowed

Since 2016, there has been only one level 2 environmental zone in germany. It is located in new-ulm. In all other 54 german environmental zones the level 3 is valid. Level 1 environmental zones no longer exist. You can see where the 55 environmental zones are located in germany in the overview of the federal environmental agency (status 10.07.2017).

environmental zones are marked by large signs. They also say which stickers are allowed. © istock/ednam

The environmental badge on your vehicle

You can often buy the environmental sticker at the gas station. You only need your vehicle registration document.

Which environmental sticker do i need?

The pollutant group of your vehicle is determined by the so-called emission code number. it determines which environmental sticker your car gets. The emission key number is in your vehicle registration document: in the old vehicle registration document in field 1, in the new one in field 14.1.

You can also find your pollutant group online. Enter the emission key number, for example, in the badge check the DEKRA one. the fine dust sticker is also mandatory for electric cars.

Where can I buy the environmental sticker?

You can buy the environmental sticker at TuV, DEKRA, citizens’ offices, registration authorities and most gas stations. Show your vehicle registration document with the key number. This is the only way to get the right sticker. you can also buy the sticker online and have it sent to you by mail. This service is offered, for example environmental badge.Org an.

How much is the environmental sticker?

The fine dust sticker costs between 5 and 8 euros. Online it can be a little more expensive.

What is on the environmental badge?

The sticker must show the registration number of your car. The workshop or the registration office registers your license plate. The fine dust sticker will not be issued if the license plate is not registered.

How to apply the environmental sticker?

The fine dust sticker is affixed to the windshield from the inside. stick them in the lower area on the passenger side.

1. First spray glass cleaner on the spot and wipe it dry with kitchen paper.

2. You can remove the sticker from the foil on the bottom right.

3. Stick the sticker legibly on the window and make sure that there are no air bubbles.

How to remove the environmental sticker?

you need glass cleaner, kitchen paper and a hotplate scraper.

1. Put the kitchen paper on the tray under the windshield and spray the glass cleaner on the sticky sticker.

2. Take the scraper, put it from above diagonally on the edge of the sticker and loosen it.

3. If you have removed the sticker a little bit, pull it off additionally with your fingers.

4. to remove possible remains, spray again glass cleaner on the window and scrape the rest off.

5. wipe the glass dry with the kitchen paper.

Legal information about the environmental sticker

If you drive into an environmental zone without a valid sticker, you will have to pay a fine.

Who checks the environmental sticker?

The environmental stickers are checked by the police. Either at the entrance to the environmental zone or on parked cars. If you drive into an environmental zone without a sticker or with the wrong sticker, you will be fined 80 euros.

Are there exceptions?

Cars without a green environmental sticker can apply for a special permit at the municipal office for environment and traffic. But only if you are instructed to drive through an environmental zone. Exemptions are limited to a maximum of one year. Depending on the permit, costs of between 10 and 100 euros are incurred.

An exemption may be granted,

– if your car is in front of the 1. was registered on august 2014.

– if your car cannot be technically retrofitted to meet the requirements for a green environmental badge (proof is required).

– if your financial means for a replacement vehicle are missing (proof is required).

– if you have very important individual interests, for example regular visits to the doctor.

– if you supply vital products or services, for example for pharmacies or nursing services.

– if you have to drive special vehicles. This includes heavy goods vehicles, cranes, vintage cars, towing vehicles of showmen or cars with regulated catalytic converter and the code numbers 04, 09 and 11.

Depending on the city, there may be different rules. You can find them out from the competent administrative authority.

How long is the environmental badge valid??

The environmental badge is valid indefinitely. However, the writing may fade with time. If the sticker is no longer legible, for example because the license plate is no longer recognizable, you need a new environmental sticker.

You also need a new sticker if your license plate changes. license plate and sticker must always match, otherwise you will be fined.

Well informed about the environmental badge

Now you are prepared: you know where to buy an environmental sticker, which fine dust sticker you need for which environmental zone and how to remove your environmental sticker again

Remember that you will not pass the MOT with the wrong sticker. More about the MAIN EXAMINATION learn more in our guide. you should already find out when buying a car whether it will receive the required environmental sticker. Find out what else you should watch out for in our car buying checklist.

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Read the sticker

Design of the MOT sticker

How long is it allowed to overstay the HU?

Getting through the TuV

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