Info on the new DVLA requirement for engine change evidence.

[rjes]

The DVLA have recently (as of around August 2008) introduced a policy of requiring evidence of the engine fitted for all engine conversions. They have always required notification of changes to engine number and cylinder capacity (cc), and previously only required evidence for certain types of changes. They now require evidence for all engine changes. If you send your V5 off with the changes indicated (the old procedure), you will now get a letter back requesting the evidence.

The info about the evidence required on the DVLA web site (http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/ChangesToYourRegistrationCertificate/DG_4022054) was not particularly helpful to the DIY installer, as it only covered professional engine changes, so I asked a lot of pretty specific questions in two e-mails to the DVLA, and it's taken about a month to get useful answers to some of them, so I thought I'd share the info with VWKD users to save everyone doing a DIY conversion having more hassle than necessary.
In fairness to the DVLA, they seem to have reworded the info on the page since my enquiries. It's still very basic, but no longer specifically mentions 'the garage who carried out the engine swap' or how ever it used to be worded.

According to the DVLA web site, the evidence required after making changes to engine capacity / number of cylinders is any of the following:

* a receipt for the replacement engine
* written evidence from the manufacturer
* an inspection report provided for insurance purposes
* written confirmation on headed paper from a garage if the change in engine size took place before you bought the vehicle

Pretty basic info. I assume the following:
a) that the engine receipt would need to show the engine having been sold to the registered keeper of the vehicle, etc,
b) the evidence must be supplied at the same time as sending the V5 back to have the relevant changes made
c) you get your evidence back with the new V5 if you've sent them your receipt.

If you do not have a receipt for the engine, then the fourth option is the only one which is really relevant.

As the previous version of the DVLA site only referred to evidence for professionally installed conversions, most of my questions were about who is qualified to provide such evidence, and what evidence of a DIY conversion do they need to see. The DVLA only answered a few of my questions about this, but have confirmed that as an engine conversion components manufacturer, I can provide such evidence.
If anyone with a Subaru conversion needs an 'evidence of engine change' letter to send to the DVLA, I will provide one by post for free to anyone who has bought the majority of their Subaru conversion components from me, on receipt of the following info:

1. A legible photo of the number of your engine number installed in your VW so it is visible that it is in a VW. On Subaru engines the engine number has 6 digits, and is stamped on the flat, rectangular face on the block above where the starter motor part of the bell housing meets the block.
2. A photo of your VW in which the registration number can be read
3. Details of your VW model and year
4. Details of the capacity and year of your engine (eg 1996 EJ20)
5. Info about fuel type if anything other than petrol, including a photo of the alternative fuel equipment on the engine (ie the LPG vapouriser, injectors, etc).
6. Your name (i.e registered keeper of the vehicle) and address.
7. £10 if you have only bought a few or no components for your conversion from me.

I hope this info helps. Please don't ask me to provide evidence for conversions to engines other than Subaru, as I have no idea what formats their engine numbers will be in, or where to find them.

Moderators - I think this info ought to be a sticky somewhere, as it applies to all engine conversions, but there is no obvious place. Maybe a new section called 'UK legislation' or similar??? Feel free to remove the bit about me providing the evidence if required, and I'll just post that bit in the 'Subaru' section(s). Thanks.
_________________
Regards,

Richard,

R J Engineered Solutions
Quality Subaru Powered VW Components
www.rjes.com

[rjes]

I have just had some criticim from a customer because he can not see the engine number in his Subaru engine into late bay conversion. Because of this he can not provide me with the specific photo I ask for showing the engine number with the engine installed in the VW, in order to provide an 'evidence of engine change' letter for the DVLA.

It is not yet clear exactly what is obscuring the view of the engine number (as far as I am aware non of my products, assuming they are fitted as intended), but his criticism seems to be that I have either not made it clear enough that I can not provide the evidence letter without such a photo, or that he thinks this requirement is unreasonable.

I want all my customers to be able to be able to get the paperwork for their conversions correct with minimal hassle. By offering to provide the evidence letters for free to customers I thought I was just trying to help, particularly those who bought an entire donor car for its engine, and for DIY installation (as this is the area where the DVLA's evidence requirements cause the most confusion). Strictly, the evidence letters for DIY conversions have nothing to do with me at all, as a manufacturer of conversion components (as I didn't supply the engine or install it).

I thought I'd made it very clear that I require this photo to be able to supply a DVLA evidence letter, but this has shown that people doing DIY engine conversions need to be more aware of the DVLA's requirements in general.

I still think a new section in VWKD called something like 'UK Engine Conversion Legislation' would be the best way of making people more aware, as there is no real place in the current structure of vwkd for this kind of thing which affects all engine conversions. What do the moderators think?
_________________
Regards,

Richard,

R J Engineered Solutions
Quality Subaru Powered VW Components
www.rjes.com

[ElusiveStranger]

I've posted a link into the "Mods Area" to ask.

@ everyone else, you can't see this area
_________________
The advice you receive on here is worth the paper it's written on.
Your experiences are worth shed loads to others, including the f'ups - live and learn.
Wouldn't YOU rather learn by someone else's mistakes? So would they.

'78 Bay, 2 litre 091 box, EJ20 NA & the ashtray's on the 'right' side.
I don't lean forward for hills any more
Bugger, missed out on "Live fast, die young"

[Kai]

Hmmm, I've read your photo instructions twice and they seem pretty crystal clear what your after. But I did study Art (and design) during my GCSE's

I suppose perhaps some examples of the pictures you require ( with Engine numbers and registrations blurred out) might help out the less imaginative out there.



It's great to see that their is an effort to help all of us clarify the mystery of the dvla's requirements.


Great bit of info.
_________________
Think......

Don't sleep and drive!!!

[doppelganger]

[Bugsy_malone 666]

I have just got my logbook changed, both CC and fuel type with the DVLA and its pretty simple to have the V5 changed.

The way I approached it was to get my local MOT inspector/Mechanic (known him for years he does all my MOTs) to write out on headed paper that a replacement engine has been fitted, new Serial number is XXXXXX and new CC is XXXX. He checks what I have to just confirm what I have written on my logbook matches, we then send off his inspection letter (quite short) and my logbook, 2 weeks pass and it comes back changed.

The DVLA seemed happy with this information as verification of the changes I had made engine wise.

and it seems alot easier than the site makes out.
_________________
Second Gear All The Way Baby!

Doing Thing Differently.

[rjes]

For peoples info, the DVLA are currently taking 4 - 6 weeks!!!! to make changes to V5's. I sent mine off 4 weeks ago expecting it to take 1 - 2 weeks to come back, as that's how long they have typically taken before. Now I have no vehicles on the road, one is MOT'd and insured, and ready to go apart from tax. I am desperate to tax it but I can't because the DVLA (still) have the V5.
After phoning today to chase it up, they confirmed that it is in their list of V5's to edit, but they refuse to give me the reference number I need to tax it. Apparently the reference number changes when they edit a V5. One of the numerous menu's you have to go through before you actually get to speak to someone tells you what the current waiting time for V5 changes is.
All they could do was mark mine as 'urgent'. Whether that makes any difference remains to be seen........ I'm not impresed. I need to use in now.
_________________
Regards,

Richard,

R J Engineered Solutions
Quality Subaru Powered VW Components
www.rjes.com

[illzlee]

is there any gain to be had in doing this at your local DVLA office? i've altered the logbooks of 3 work vans in minutes at the nottingham office. Whilst this was only changing the tax class, they do have an inspection bay there, so wonder what services they can offer?
_________________
'79 Bay running citroen 1.9td and phat tyres!

[13 window deluxe]

when i registered my split at the sheffield dvla office i had to take the van there and they came out with a torch and checked the engine number and a couple of days later i had some paper work and the logbook came about a week later
_________________
1964 rat 13 window deluxe 1Z tdi,
1975 rhd twin slider tintop (TBA)
1991 golf 2 gti with tweaked AHU tdi,

previous tdi swaps: gone but not forgotten
1979 rhd twin slider tintop bay ahu 1.9tdi
1990 T25 1Z 1.9tdi
1993 suzuki samurai with 1Z 1.9tdi

[Ianbott]

[rjes]

5 1/2 weeks now, and the DVLA still have my V5. I still have no vehicles on the road, three weeks of which is entirely due to the DVLA. To say I am p1ssed of with then would be an understatement. Without the V5 (or the reference number from it) you can't tax a vehicle which has previously been SORNed, online or otherwise. You need the reference number from the V5 and from the tax reminder letter to tax online.
I spoke to them again today. It turns out the idiot I spoke to 2 weeks ago, who was not very helpful, but said he would mark my V5 as urgent did not do so, so they have still done nothing with it. Explaining that I have a business to run and desperately need this vehicle taxed so I can use it obviously didn't make any difference. I wish I had his name to complain about him.
The woman I spoke to today at least sounded helpful, and said she would make sure it was sorted out today, but that it could take up to another week for the paperwork to arrive. If it does, it will be over the 6 weeks maximum they claim to take.
I am certain that it can't possibly take them longer to change three lines on a piece of paper than I have spent on the phone to them so far. Apparently because I changed the colour at the same time as the engine capacity and number. They apparently have to do extra checks, which makes the process longer. They confirmed that the evidence of an engine change I sent them is acceptable, and I owned the vehicle for about three years before making the changes. Just what are they supposedly checking?

I have learned one big lesson here. Don't assume the DVLA don't deserve their reputation just because you have never had any trouble dealing with then before. Assume the worst. Scan or photocopy everything before sending it to them, preferably by recorded delivery, and never send them any paperwork to be edited within a couple of months of any time when you know you will need it, like to tax your car.
_________________
Regards,

Richard,

R J Engineered Solutions
Quality Subaru Powered VW Components
www.rjes.com

[13 window deluxe]

just like every goverment agency there a bunch of cu**$ want you to do everything to the letter of the law but still fcuk it up at there end!!!! bet if you were driving the van with no tax or you forgot to sorn it then it wouldnt take them 6 weeks to send you a fine?
_________________
1964 rat 13 window deluxe 1Z tdi,
1975 rhd twin slider tintop (TBA)
1991 golf 2 gti with tweaked AHU tdi,

previous tdi swaps: gone but not forgotten
1979 rhd twin slider tintop bay ahu 1.9tdi
1990 T25 1Z 1.9tdi
1993 suzuki samurai with 1Z 1.9tdi