Re-registering a car in France

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Roger O
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Post by Roger O »

So the DVLA calls car owners "keepers"?
I though a keeper was a "nice" name for a pimp!!
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john
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Post by john »

That is what you are chez DVLA Swansea Roger.

I guess,to be fair,that as so many cars are actually OWNED by leasing companies these days,and not taxed/insured by them,they cannot really refer to "owners". Also,because they are in the main company cars,the term"driver" would also not fit as the driver is very rarely the owner.

So hence the term "Keeper"...ie the people who,in practice are responsible for the legal upkeep of the vehicle.
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Post by mpprh »

john wrote:
Pardon my ignorance Peter,but what is a VIN ? (apart from that stuff that comes in red,rosé and white!)
Vehicle Identification Number - a sort of extended (17 digit) chassis number.

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DavidB
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Post by DavidB »

A couple of things to add to the "Car re-reg Database".......

I re-registered 2 UK cars in France, and one caravan. (The caravan required a French plate different from that of the towcar's because of it's size and weight...so watch out for this one.)
In each case, I had to go to the tax office to present confirmation that I was the the "fiscal owner" of the car, but maybe that has changed now as the EU rules may have progressed.
One of the cars was an old MGB, and the VIN plate was not in the form normally found in more modern cars. In this case, I had to get a VIN plate engraved, which I pop-rivetted to the bodywork next to all the other plates, so no major worries about that.

There are also a few changes regarding the Controle Technique...
From 2008 there a one or two new checks added to the list, such as headlamp wipers, and other things depending on the type of car, so get a checklist from the CT centre.
Also, from 2010, a Controle Technique will be required EVERY year.

If you have a camping car (motorhome), and it's a diesel engine, a pollution test is only required every 2 years until 2010. (This was a dispensation from "The Gouv" due to a pressure group).

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jonblane
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C.T. ? for car with UK headlamps ?

Post by jonblane »

Never mind getting a CT for a car with UK plates - do they really issue the CT for a car with headlamps pointing the wrong direction ?

[And the speedo in MPH, albeit with KPH in small print] ?

It might suit me if they will but I am surprised if so. :?
jonblane
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and what about S.O.R.N. ?

Post by jonblane »

If you keep a UK car indefinitely in France, albeit insured / CT-d fair enough as far as France goes.

But that means it remains registered in the UK requiring car tax and MOT every year unless SORN is declared.

But is there an option for SORN to be off road in France somewhere ?
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opas
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Re: C.T. ? for car with UK headlamps ?

Post by opas »

jonblane wrote:Never mind getting a CT for a car with UK plates - do they really issue the CT for a car with headlamps pointing the wrong direction ?

[And the speedo in MPH, albeit with KPH in small print] ?

It might suit me if they will but I am surprised if so. :?
Of course they do! not necessarily with the headlamps pointing the wrong way, but this can soon be rectified....we had a car pass it with beam deflectors on. We have driven a RHD car here for nearly 5 years, one of our cars has passed 2 CT tests, it was still on UK plates for the first test...the car only works with a driver in a different seat, there is no difference in the mechanics....except that the tester has to remember to get in the wrong side for the polutions test :oops:
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Re: Registering your car

Post by Pootle »

JLB said Good luck and if they give you any guff about the battle of hastings remind them of how many times they have been invaded in the last 1000 years.[/quote]

thats not very friendly
jonblane
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headlamps

Post by jonblane »

Sorry - can you clarify what you mean by 'soon........... rectified' - ie the wrong direction of the headlights ?

Are you saying there is some simple way of doing this other than the stick-on strips you can get which are allowed on a 'visiting' basis ?

Or are you saying the stick-on strips are indeed sufficient to get a UK car through the CT ?
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Post by DavidB »

jonblane wrote:....do they really issue the CT for a car with headlamps pointing the wrong direction ?.....[And the speedo in MPH, albeit with KPH in small print] ?

They used to be Ok about left-dipping headlights, but they seemed to have tightened up now, e.g. the CT man told me 4 yrs ago "...I'll pass it this time, but don't expect it to pass next time!"
KPH in small figs seems to be alright.

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opas
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Post by opas »

re headlamps..........depending on what car you have your headlamps beam can be manually adjusted, our Citroen Xantia being an example. The first car we had that passed a CT had Masic tape as beam deflectors and passed, though perhaps may not do so now(the car has been sold) but I should immagine that if you visit any scrapyard you would be able to buy a pair of `french`headlamps for your car.
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Post by mpprh »

opas wrote:I should imagine that if you visit any scrapyard you would be able to buy a pair of `french`headlamps for your car.
Actually cars that are scrapped are either very old (so lights don't fit), or have frontal accident damage resulting in no headlamps !

Discovered that the hard way.

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opas
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Post by opas »

Next time peter , know your stopping distance :wink:
jonblane
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headlamps must dip the correct way

Post by jonblane »

I have checked with the CT Centre in Argel`es: the car will definitely NOT pass with just the stick on deflectors - it must have correctly dipping headlamps fitted or it will fail.
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john
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Post by john »

Well,jon,perhaps we've just been very lucky(or ,more likely, the guys at each CT station make the rules up as they go along),but my wife's RHD VW Golf has had not one,but TWO CT's without any stickers/adjustments to the headlights since it left Dover Docks for the last time,and on neither occasion have the functioning of the lamps been questioned.

Personally,I do not think the "direction" of the lamps makes one iota of difference.
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sue and paul
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Post by sue and paul »

We had to replace headlamps on our old RHD Lotus for the 1st CT last year, prior to re-registering. We sourced them from a scrapyard - old VW Transporter lights for about 50€
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Post by Colin L »

john wrote: Personally,I do not think the "direction" of the lamps makes one iota of difference.
Not even when you are driving in the opposite direction to the one with the wrongly aligned lights?
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Roger O
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Post by Roger O »

Colin L wrote:
john wrote: Personally,I do not think the "direction" of the lamps makes one iota of difference.
Not even when you are driving in the opposite direction to the one with the wrongly aligned lights?
Obviously one who drives about wearing "Men in Black" sunglasses at night! C O O L !
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john
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Post by john »

Colin L wrote:
john wrote: Personally,I do not think the "direction" of the lamps makes one iota of difference.
Not even when you are driving in the opposite direction to the one with the wrongly aligned lights?
Nope......

What IS a problem is when people drive around on full beam,or do not use the "headlamp levelling " facility on the dashboard of a fully loaded car. But tha't a problem whatever "direction" your headlights point.
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Roger O
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Post by Roger O »

john wrote:What IS a problem is when people drive around on full beam,or do not use the "headlamp levelling " facility on the dashboard of a fully loaded car.
John, not being cynical, but firstly, how many drivers actually are aware of this facility and secondly, have the courtesy to use it

I use it typically when driving in heavy rain by daylight - headlights on dipped and lowered - even when alone. I like to be seen by pedestrians and other drivers when on the road - oh and I'm a fanatic about direction indication too.. How much time spent waiting at the entrance to roundabouts for those exiting left of you without indication - and also here in the south - those who indicate they are exiting left, but you see from the other signs that the car will carry on in front of you!!
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john
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Post by john »

To be fair,some older vehicles do not have this facility,Rog.

What they all do have,you are right,is an indicator stick. Don't get me started about it,especially lack of use and wrong lane choice at roundabouts in France. Why DOES the average Frenchman think the correct lane to be in if turning left at a roundabout ,is the RIGHT HAND one!!??
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Roger O
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Post by Roger O »

Well, my car is still my faithful old 'work horse' Nissan Primera 98 2 litre turbo diesel model which has the "level" facility and air conditioning. I just (well)spent nearly 1500 euros on reconditioning it as it has only 120,000 km on the clock - and it's practically as good as new again. However, all these old AX and Renault 5 one sees on the road don't have it - nor are their headlights usually correctly aligned - in spite of controle technique!!

How many times does one see an almost brand new car with only one brake light or only one headlight working?? OK.. guess that's enough of that - otherwise this thread will be moved to "Have a Moan"!! Hopefully the new regulations will have at least a small positive effect??

PS for the roundabout problem you mention.. I had the garage install brighter than regulation bulbs in all 6 direction indicators on my car so they really flash (!) and I use them effectively to cross lanes on roundabouts like the famous Auchan one- so far with good results (cross fingers and touch wood, etc.)

PPS If you really feel like a spectacular "drifting" roundabout performance, recommend you to try this training!! You'll need high speed connex to run it - and patiently wait for the advert to finish if not in the UK, I guess!
100MPH 'VIDEO GAME' RACING
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7370993.stm
This will gain you "Respect" - but make sure there are no cops about before you do it!! When you get really good, you'll be able to compete with the Nice and Marseille taxi drivers!!!!!
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??? 17 digit VIN no ?

Post by jonblane »

I was interested to see refererence to the VIN number being of ' 17 digits '.

My interest is that the DRIRE in Perpignan will not even check my car in their database for its Conformite' or otherwise unless I can provide them with a 'nume'ro de 17 chiffres' . Yet all documentation I have for the car, both from Japan and from the UK Registration Certificate [ 2004] gives only a 12 digit VIN No.: LN1300080053.

That is also the number which figures on a plate at the centre back of the engine, under the bonnet. [I cannot see any 17 digit number anywhere.]

Is there something obvious I am just not seeing or did the VIN nos become 17 digits since 1991 , or can anyone see any other explanation or solution to how I get the 17 digits and the Attestation de Conformite' ?

I did ask the official at the DRIRE office if he could simply come and look at the car to inspect it for conformite' - ness but he basically seemed to be interested only in directing me towards Toyota to provide the Certificate, rather than for them ( DRIRE ) to do it. ( And the office was not even busy at the time - oddly, considering they open to the public only for 2 and a 1/2 hours a week.)

An email from Toyota states it will take them up to 6 weeks to respond to any request for this Certificate [ plus they want all kinds of technical details about the car ( such as size of the tyres // Nombre de Rapports / whether it has a catalytic pot // which I do not know the answer to but which you would have thought, would you not, that the actual manufacturer of the vehicle would know, once you told them the model and year )] .

Does EU law not mean that if the car conforms for UK registration then it should also qualify automatically for registration in other EU member countries ? - A different question I realize and actually not that urgent compared to the practical issue - but one would be interested to know if there is any reason swapping car registration from one EU country to another has to be so complicated. They have done it for driving permits - which one would have thought was a far more subjective issue than whether or not a car possesses a catalytic pot.
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Post by mpprh »

Hi

just worth saying that in the 90's shiploads of Japanese used cars were sold in Ireland (where there were very few regs on the registration of used car imports). Many of these cars eventually arrived in UK.

Registration is generally simple for imported cars that are :

standard
exactly the same spec that was once sold in France
from another EU country
Under around 10 yrs old

Registration of imported cars with an EU certificate of conformity from another EU country is usually a formality now (2 hrs at my prefecture last year).

If the car is not originally EU spec, the process differs across Europe, and in some markets single vehicle testing will be needed. This can make importation uneconomic.

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john
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Post by john »

The final point Peter makes above is perhaps the key one. I know several people who've considered importing cars into both France and Spain,and ,after weeks of the sort of annoying stuff that jonblane is referring to,have eventually decided that it's a lot cheaper (not to mention less hassle) to get rid of the old RHD car in Britain and buy a replacement LHD one from a garage here.
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Registering a Lexus in France

Post by sirkevin »

Despite having received a Certificate of Conformity from Toyota (GB) for my 2004 Lexus IS 300 Sportcross, the vehicle remains stubbornly unknown on the Prefecture's registration system (SIV).
Any helpful advice will be most welcome.
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Post by thumbelina »

I've never heard of this problem, Sir Kevin. (Welcome to the forum, by the way)

Here's our very latest thread on re-registering vehicles with the most up to date info.

http://forum.anglophone-direct.com/seto ... automobile

What are they suggesting at the prefecture?
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Problem re-registering a UK Lexus in France

Post by sirkevin »

Thanks for the welcome, T.

The Carcassonne prefecture staff were very helpful, but had to admit defeat in the end, and suggested I contact Toyota France for advice, which I am in the process of doing.

I'll keep everyone up to date with progress.
thumbelina wrote:I've never heard of this problem, Sir Kevin. (Welcome to the forum, by the way)

Here's our very latest thread on re-registering vehicles with the most up to date info.

http://forum.anglophone-direct.com/seto ... automobile

What are they suggesting at the prefecture?
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Post by thumbelina »

That would be really helpful.

Good luck :D
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sue and paul
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Post by sue and paul »

Now you have got it .....
Everything in FRENCH and detailed in the same order as the application form if possible...ie... tell TOYOTA which area you will be applying in as I have been told this format may also change...!!!
But you must change your headlights to keep your car in FRANCE long term- it is the law ... not open to discussion .... not forgetting your import cert...
WHEN you have this ... go to your local prefecture (not PERPIGNAN ) appprox 45 mins. before lunch..(this is important as they will not want to mess you about ) then all will be fine....Best of luck - you still need some -
Paul of Sue fame... :shock: :shock:... :D :D
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