European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 17, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Thursday december 17, 19b7 the stars and stripes Page 13 new policy due in 88, should end confusion Here s catalytic converter Story in today s car cum i Well look in the converter situation nacre. Id Pui it mildly confusion reigns. Tin to Lii of Lead tree Gas in Germany Anil several ii Lii r euro Pean nations Calls for a new polity on converters and a new Polky. Is hopefully expected to Tome Inlo limit by Spring or Sun ii i. Since August of this year. Mories have been kicking around Europe about $850 convener tests possible impoundment of converter equipped cars by customs agents at . Ports and other horrors awaiting the unwary upon return. But on the Bright Side both cafes and foreign car sales executives in German of re port they have received no complaints from owners at the other we be had Many letters to the editor on this subject All asking what s going on so let s begin. Ite Pilc the fact thai super and Rogu Lar Grade lend free gasoline is pumped everywhere in Germany cafes also column reported complaints from customers who have returned to the states. For instance Jim Bennett longtime sales director for general motors Mili tary sales in Germany says a Large number of our converter equipped cars have been shipped Back by now to the slates and we Haven t had an owner s complaint yet. Not one word Kon Nicholas of military car sales Chrysler Volkswagen. Nissan Honda and other Marques and Ford s military car sales manager Manfred Tombor Ger were in agreement with pm s Bennett with neither Chrysler nor Ford report ing customer complaints from the states. Meanwhile owners of foreign made us specification cars purchased in Europe Are apparently Home free regardless. Buyers of foreign cars in most cases must pay for their own shipments if they purchased it in cars in Europe and these shipments Are normally made on a private i Hcrman Aarts als regarding private shipping of . Sols Lead free coupons Tor both grades Spucci Scaljon fori Rign ears Toyota s Cit the current hut aging policy of con Mclim manner of Toyota Verier removal and refit becomes in Nat who a in increasingly unrealistic for the times. The army and the environmental Protection Agency Are finally moving toward .1 policy agreement on the test ing of conveners before a car is re turned to the United Stales and an army Epa meeting on this subject was held nov. 9 in Washington. But a final official program is nol expected to be approved until Spring or summer As just noted. In the meantime most Independent foreign ear dealers As Well As american car sales representatives at the cafes new car sales Points Are Selling cars in Germany already equipped with catalytic converters All of these ears scientifically designed to run strictly on Lead free fuel. In nearly All modern Auto mobiles the emission system including convener oxygen sensor and up to 20 other parts is a part of he car s make up and using general motors As an example the pm emission system War Ray is for 50,000 Miles or five years. A i current army Al a policy see slur it Bottom of Page still Calls for removal of converters because convert ers will be rendered useless i Fth owner uses leaded fuel while cars were once sold in Europe with the converters removed sales of converter equipped cars started almost two years ago. And at the moment the almost total Selling of or converter equipped cars has been going on since about july 1 with late 1987 models and continues with All new 1988 cars but if the Serviceman lakes his newly purchased convener equipped car Home at space required government expense la rough the military overseas customs clearance system he could have problems. Tape. Gerald Fisk. Of the 42nd maps in Mannheim says that the car s papers will be red lined to Alen . Customs agents to the fact that the car has been driven in Europe where Lead free Gas is nol totally available. In thai Case when customs agents in the . Check the red lined car and the agents say they will if the car s papers Are marked by the maps. Trouble can follow bonding and worse if the owner cannot prove the convener is working properly and has never been subjected to leaded fuel this possibility Here apparently have been no major problems at the ports because none of the car sales executives that we contacted for today s Scott Section manager f Toyota nato sales with Headquarters in co Logne says we be been Selling converter equipped Toyota for More than a year and a half now and at least 4,000 to 5.000 of these cars have been ship Ped Back to the states and we be never had a single problem with . Cus Toms due to non conformity. The maps in never even see these cars. Our .-specification Toyota Are converter equipped Becaum of the availability of Lead free Gas in Ger Many Scott says. And when cafes Lead free coupons came onto the mar Ket we received More and More re quests to leave the converters on the cars so we made in policy. We will Only remove the converter if the customer specifically requests it. Our cars arc identical to those sold in the slates and when driven with m leaded fuel there is no reason whatsoever for a convener to be damaged. If the Driver uses unleaded there can be no problem Anil at the Lime of Purchase the customer is informed in writing and also told that he must drive the car with unleaded fuel. Furthermore the Cus Tomer must sign a statement saying Hewill use unleaded fuel Only when returning to the states the customer ships his fit Back through our shipping agents . Harms or Al Brecht and these firms Check to see if the converter is in proper working order and if in is in is so certified. The . Customs people then know the car conforms and we be Cyl to have a reject Scot says. This process apparently applies to the other major Sellers of foreign cars that we contacted for this column All of them shipping can Back privately through their own agents and All agreeing with Toyota s Scott that there has never been a problem at the . Ports where converters Are concerned. Meanwhile regarding the overseas customs clearance out processing of care through the military system at . The 42nd maps Fiske says Lii maps Check Only lost it the us Verier is is ill on the car. If in is still on Here tin1 Rar papers arc red lined Fiske says. We Dun l mean this in a derogatory Wise. Hut Only to Alert the . Cuc inuit no the port of entry that the car his been driven in Europe where cad inv Gas is nol totally is one nor Prinn i this Fisk says and hat comes when an owner chooses to put his converter Back on the car but can prove he has done so within the past 48 hours. In this Situa Tion the converter would Haw been re moved when the owner shipped his car from the before sending the car Home after its use Here in Europe he must prove that the convener has been replaced just 48 hours or less before scheduled shipment. A work order from the shop will prove this and in this Case the papers will nol he red lined fisc a sum things up. Chuck Vitus the Washington Bureau chief for the Manana strikes covered the nov. Meeting in Washington of the army and the Epa on the convener subject and said in a nov. 14 report thai the army and the Epa arc inching toward agreement on a policy to allow servicemen hours Lokeel catalytic conveners on cars ship Ped to Europe but a Muihor of is sues still must be resolved before the Agency will give its final after studying this extremely perplexing Issue one can Only Hope Ili ii the Epa s final approval is Mil inn Long incoming. Randy Barnett customer must be aware of rules beginning with 1988 models All vehicles shipped to Europe and sold through the cafes new car sales program will arrive with catalytic converters intact the american car sales managers report. If the Epa allows the army to do local converter testing under the policy expected be enacted during 1988, there should be no problems. But until this policy goes into effect the new car buyer is in limbo where converters Are concerned. Should he leave the convener on or take in off Charlie Bowdon Munich Bureau chief for the slurs and Sirijio s. Sounded out cafes s Walter Kania on the subject. Kania is chief of the automotive Branch at cafes Europe Headquarters in Munich. The cafes position is that a Cus Tomer must be aware of nil the rules and regulations concerning he catalytic converter issues to include the manufacturer s warranty specifications which May affect or even void a War Ranty if you change anything on a newer Model vehicle Kania said. It should be the customer s vision 10 drive with the converter. There is nothing illegal about driving a .-specificalion vehicle with the converter intact in any country it s just a matter that when you re Coler the United states it must con form to the Epa requirements. The Epa lest which costs s850, is not the Only option. The other option is to replace the converter with a new one replace or clean the oxygen sensor and re place the filler neck if it was altered. If replacing the Eon Verk a. In does t have to be one from the manufacturer of the car after Market products Are now readily available for most curs at a much lower Cost. Walker manufacturing a Leader in making Esha Usi by slim pans Sells after Market converters for As Tow As 159, depending on make and Model of the car. Right now there s nol been any de Mand for after Market catalytic convert ers but we feel there will be and we can special order them with no problem. If there is going to be a big demand then yes. Definitely Well gel into the catalytic convener replacement current converter policy is defined Many letters to the editor criticizing the convener removal and refit policy have arrived at the stars and stripes during the past few months. Along with specific complaints most letter writers also Point out that item Lional Good will is involved one writer Saung Fie Many is encouraging the use of unleaded fuel now and aside from the fact our government is disregarding the desires and welfare of another country by forcing us All to use leaded fuel there is also the scientific fact hat our world is one great ecological system and what is done in one country affects All other regardless until policy is changed Here is the prevailing policy As defined by John Pierce traffic management special isl. Office of the Deputy chief of staff logistics he Usa eur this policy explanation appeared in the aug. 2 letters Page of the Stan and sri i s in reply to a query. It is As follows you Don t have to remove the Cai a Lyric convener before shipping a cur to Europe bul it is recommended in order to simplify shipping the ear bin it to he United slates "tri.1 Epa requires that persons importing a ear either i show evidence that the Culak Lic converter was removed before a zoning the car and reinstalled Jum before shipping in Back or "2. Have the catalytic converter sys tem inspected before the car is operated in the United Stales. Depending on inc Lyneo Scarand location tins inspection can be very expensive. Because Vou usually can t get this inspection a the Pov processing Center in the Pun area before taking the Caraway from the port to gel in inspected you May have to Pust a Security Bond of up to three limes the value of the car plus the sri Imald duly in Case your car does nut meet Epa requirements. Obviously option one is easier for most of us. " until Epa rules Are changed we have to recommend for your own Protection that you remove the Cai Allic converter from a ear thai Juu May want to ship Back u the i filed Stales. If you plan to sell the car be fore you leave Europe then you May. Of course leave he converter
