After the so-called gas system test DVGW G 607, for motor caravans and caravans, was repealed by the legislator in Germany on 31 December 2019, this application is also no longer part of a main inspection according to §29 StVZO. This applies until 1 January 2023. It is not possible to make a final assessment of what the legislator will stipulate as a requirement for inspections in the StVZO in the future. However, it must be clearly stated once again that tests according to DVGW G 607 may no longer be used for a main inspection in any form according to §29 StVZO.
Gas system tests (GAP) in accordance with § 41a StVZO (vehicles with LPG engine drive) will of course continue to exist as a normal part of a main inspection. However, leak tests on the gas system may only be carried out with test equipment according to DIN EN 14291. Furthermore, in recent days there have been more and more reports in the media claiming that vehicle owners who cannot produce a DVGW G 607 test certificate are threatened with the loss of their insurance cover in the event of damage. This statement lacks any truthfulness.
Of course, in many areas there has been a considerable renewal of the quality regulations/ingredients for LPG fuel according to DIN EN 589 as well as for fuel gases/industrial gases according to DIN 51622 and DIN 51629 when purchasing these products. It is now possible to determine the exact contents of a compressed gas container at a filling station immediately after filling. Of course, the sulphur content according to mg/kg and the exhaust vapour residue according to mg/kg are in the foreground of the examination. This is the first time that the regulation UN ECE R 83 with Annex 12, Para. 1 has been legally implemented in the regulation UN ECE R 115 since 2003. This means that in the event of non-fulfilment of specifications in the area of DIN standards, when these LPG gases are delivered to filling stations, they can be read out by customers and thus complaints can be submitted to the market surveillance authority (KBA).
The purpose of this new technology was to ensure that the 10th BImSchV and its implementing ordinance are now finally applicable to customers in the event of complaints. For this purpose, the GAGT e.V. will introduce a complaint register, fed by customers with their complaint documents. In the case of recognisable violations, we will report the findings to the responsible ministry at the federal and state levels.
Yours sincerely
Peter Ziegler
Chairman GAGT e.V.
