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Umwelt and Crit Air Stickers


Clive_Adams

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Any one have any tips for keeping the Umwelt and Crit Air stickers from getting soaked from condensation in the windscreen, the position is bottom right which if I don't use the external screens happens to be the wet area as far as condensation. I was thinking coating them with some sort of waterproof spray?
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Mine do get wet occasionally but have never become unstuck (Quite a few years)....in fact it is incredibly difficult to actually remove them....as they are designed to be 'not transferable' ;-)

 

PS. They are plastic.

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Just had the windscreen replaced, but that's another story, I did have both the stickers replaced and indeed still have them, but the windscreen replacers actually reused the original ones.

On further inspection the registration number is not that visible on the Crit Air, perhaps its left on the original screen when they removed it and not due to condensation, will put the new ones on, don't want to upset the French Authorities lol.

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I have put mine in old road tax license holders and the holders peel off the windscreen easily if needed. The holders themselves seem to keep the stickers dry and I have never had a problem with condensation on them.

 

Also I have never had any problem with the authorities saying that the stickers should be applied directly to the glass..

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spospe - 2019-01-20 5:22 PM

 

I have put mine in old road tax license holders and the holders peel off the windscreen easily if needed. The holders themselves seem to keep the stickers dry and I have never had a problem with condensation on them.

 

Also I have never had any problem with the authorities saying that the stickers should be applied directly to the glass..

 

I did that with a Swiss Vignette. The Swiss border thug at Basel nearly smashed the windscreen after he took it out and thumped it onto the glass! Depends who sees it I guess?

Not worth the risk I reckon - the Crit Air sticker application instructions are very specific.

 

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For future reference, I found our Hymer Exsis A class van had a bit of an appetite for windscreens - mainly, I think, because the screen was aligned virtually upright. However, I suspect all A class van windscreens will be quite prone to road damage, and even the more acutely raked coachbuilt/PVC screens seem to need replacement sooner or later.

 

So, I bought some of this: http://tinyurl.com/yasyt2vs

 

If you first stick the vignette carefully to the plastic, then cut carefully around the edge of the vignette, clean the windscreen thoroughly inside, and ensure that the face of the plastic if free of grease or dirt, the plastic will happily stick to the screen, and seems to be unaffected by condensation.

 

My only caveat is to smooth the vignette onto the plastic, and both to the screen, using the edge of a credit card or similar so as to eliminate any air bubbles. Then, when the inevitable happens, you can easily peel away the plastic film with the vignette attached, and transfer both to the new screen.

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I don't see a particular reason to do this. Effectively cheating and not taken kindly by whoever does the checking as it enables you to switch them between cars. If you break a window, any decent repair service changes/replaces any vignettes present over to the new one free of charge. Had this happen to my car twice.
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I don't see how this is cheating. Both critair and umweltplakette have the vehicle registration on them, so could not be switched between vehicles. Neither certificate has limited validity: they last the life of the vehicle, so the fact of having to replace a windscreen should not invalidate the certificate. It is not issued unless properly and legally paid for. It is not a certificate for the windscreen, but for the exhaust emissions level of the vehicle. They should therefore be capable or transfer between windscreens on the same vehicle.
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This argument somehow reminds me of the concept of mental adultery ;-)

 

If a vignette is stuck directly to the windscreen, when it will be difficult/impossible to remove and vulnerable to condensation, or the rear of a vignette is covered by clear plastic to protect it from condensation, or a vignette is stuck to a piece of clear plastic that is adhered to the windsceen, or a vignette has clear plastic in front and behind it, as Brian has emphasised, each vignette remains unique to a vehicle and carries that vehicle’s registration number and a QR code.

 

Realistically, provided that the data on the vignette matches the vehicle that carries it, the chances of being prosecuted for ‘incorrect mounting’ on a windscreen will be nil.

 

(While it may be standard practice in Slovenia for a windscreen-replacement company to pay for replacement vignettes, it would be interesting to know what (for example) Autoglass’s attitude would be in the UK.)

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Since Autoglass is the same (parent) company where I've had my window changed I'd say they follow the same policy. They can change it for you or you do it yourself. Typically you need to provide proof you had your window changed and that the old vignette was valid (toll vignette etc.) and you get a new one.

 

The environmental ones obviously have vehicle registration on them but how hard would it be to switch to a different car and count on the fact nobody will be checking the numbers? Switching toll vignettes between cars is a classic and the reason why vignettes in some countries are almost impossible to remove without significant damage.

 

And I still don't see a reason why you'd need to cover any of them against condensation?! It's plastic...it won't fade or disintegrate.

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spirou - 2019-01-22 11:35 AM

 

Since Autoglass is the same (parent) company where I've had my window changed I'd say they follow the same policy. They can change it for you or you do it yourself. Typically you need to provide proof you had your window changed and that the old vignette was valid (toll vignette etc.) and you get a new one.

 

The environmental ones obviously have vehicle registration on them but how hard would it be to switch to a different car and count on the fact nobody will be checking the numbers? Switching toll vignettes between cars is a classic and the reason why vignettes in some countries are almost impossible to remove without significant damage.

 

And I still don't see a reason why you'd need to cover any of them against condensation?! It's plastic...it won't fade or disintegrate.

But we weren't aren't discussing toll vignettes, only emissions certification vignettes.

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Yes, they can be relatively easily replaced (albeit at some cost in time and money), but it is impossible, in my experience, to move them from one windscreen to another. So, a small cost for the plastic sheet I used avoids the cost and inconvenience of replacement, and itself cost less than one replacement set of the "stickers". No-one has to buy the plastic if they don't want to, it is a mere suggestion for a work-around.
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The French Crit Air sticker comes with the ability to reverse the sticker onto the clear plastic backing for use on motorcycles, so they obviously are ok with this. I have done exactly that and placed it into a VED disc holder that is attached to the screen, simple job and works the same for the Umwelt sticker using cellophane, both trimmed to size that makes fitting in to the holder easy.

 

Have not had a discussion in Germany with the authorities but the French Gendarmes were very amicable and looked at the sticker and made no adverse comment.

 

Basil

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Ok might be a bit off topic but still the same subject. I recently imported my German motorhome which has a Umweltplakette, however, it has the vehicles original registration number on it. Now that I've got a UK registration, will I need a new one? Despite it being the same vehicle I'd probably be better of getting a new one, but wondered what others thought.

BTW there seems to be a huge variance in price for an Umweltplakette from Euro 6 up to Euro 39 depending on the website you visit!

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Use an official site and it's 6 Euro, I use Berlin but there are other cities!

If it's more than 6 Euro go elsewhere...always look at the address.

It's the same in all countries and for virtually all official papers....use an official website and the cost is the real cost...use an internet trawler and it's a silly price ;-)

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rael - 2019-01-22 8:25 PM

 

Ok might be a bit off topic but still the same subject. I recently imported my German motorhome which has a Umweltplakette, however, it has the vehicles original registration number on it. Now that I've got a UK registration, will I need a new one? Despite it being the same vehicle I'd probably be better of getting a new one, but wondered what others thought.

BTW there seems to be a huge variance in price for an Umweltplakette from Euro 6 up to Euro 39 depending on the website you visit!

 

 

yes

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rael - 2019-01-22 8:25 PM

 

Ok might be a bit off topic but still the same subject. I recently imported my German motorhome which has a Umweltplakette, however, it has the vehicles original registration number on it. Now that I've got a UK registration, will I need a new one? Despite it being the same vehicle I'd probably be better of getting a new one, but wondered what others thought.

BTW there seems to be a huge variance in price for an Umweltplakette from Euro 6 up to Euro 39 depending on the website you visit!

In UK, the registration number identifies the vehicle, in Germany, it identifies the vehicle owner. So, once your vehicle is registered in UK, the German umweltplakette is void. In addition, if you visit Germany with the German sticker still on your windscreen, you may be in trouble for trying to pass off someone else's, as yours, which is how it might look. To obtain a new one the Berlin contact above is quite clear, quick, and simple, and you will have to send them a copy of page 2 of your V5C. A .pdf scan is accepted, so all can be done via e-mail.

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goldi - 2019-01-23 12:12 PM

 

rael - 2019-01-22 8:25 PM

 

Ok might be a bit off topic but still the same subject. I recently imported my German motorhome which has a Umweltplakette, however, it has the vehicles original registration number on it. Now that I've got a UK registration, will I need a new one? Despite it being the same vehicle I'd probably be better of getting a new one, but wondered what others thought.

BTW there seems to be a huge variance in price for an Umweltplakette from Euro 6 up to Euro 39 depending on the website you visit!

 

 

yes

 

Really helpful, thanks

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