1989 GMC Vandura emissions limits

[Alfa]

Hello

Please forgive me raising a work related question, but I work for Transport for London in the UK. I need to assess the emissions performance of a 1989 GMC Vandura with a petrol engine (I believe it is the 305 cu in V8). The vehicle has been converted into a mobile kitchen and food stall and is about to fall foul of the Ultra Low Emissions Zone in London.

 

So my question is this; is there a handy (hopefully on-line) resource that will tell me the NOx (oxides of nitrogen) emissions that that vehicle would have had to comply with when it was new? I am hoping to compare the emissions limits and the drive cycle they were derived from against the European standards to see if the vehicle is compliant with the European Standard. It needs to be less that 0.11 grammes/km over the New European Drive Cycle. But what was the standard in US Federal regs in 1989?

 

Thank you for any references or help you can give.

 

Adam..

[wldavis]

 

Alfa,

I did several searches on this topic and could find nothing.  There was this "block" of time beginning in 1991 that ran for several years that was known as "Tier 1" for emissions standards.

One site referred to the "block" of time (years) prior to 1991 as "Tier 0" or "pre-Tier 1", but the earliest table I could find with the information you need is from "Tier 1", but I don't think that

this van would have to comply with "Tier 1" emissions.  NOx emissions for Tier 1 light duty vehicles was 0.97 grams/mile for vehicles heavier than 3,750 lbs. but lighter than 6,000 lbs.,

if I read the table correctly.

-Bill

[plymouthcranbrook]

A,though possibly a stretch maybe contact the GM Engineering Dept or Tech center and see if they can give you the numbers. I have contacted manufactures in the past with some success.

 

https://www.gm.com/contact-us.html

 

or maybe in something like this from the  US EPA;

 

https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyNET.exe/9100WD2N.txt?ZyActionD=ZyDocument&Client=EPA&Index=Prior to 1976&Docs=&Query=&Time=&EndTime=&SearchMethod=1&TocRestrict=n&Toc=&TocEntry=&QField=&QFieldYear=&QFieldMonth=&QFieldDay=&UseQField=&IntQFieldOp=0&ExtQFieldOp=0&XmlQuery=&File=D%3A\ZYFILES\INDEX DATA\70THRU75\TXT\00000015\9100WD2N.txt&User=ANONYMOUS&Password=anonymous&SortMethod=h|-&MaximumDocuments=1&FuzzyDegree=0&ImageQuality=r75g8/r75g8/x150y150g16/i425&Display=hpfr&DefSeekPage=x&SearchBack=ZyActionL&Back=ZyActionS&BackDesc=Results page&MaximumPages=1&ZyEntry=1&slide

 

Perhaps the EPA can answer what was required in 1989

 

 

Edited March 2, 2019 by plymouthcranbrook (see edit history)

[joe_padavano]

I too searched and the on-line documentation pretty much appears to start with the 1991 Tier 1 limits. Obviously there were EPA limits prior to that, but there is not much on line.  I did find the California limits for a 1989 vehicle, but those would not be the same as the 49 state limits.  Also be aware that light trucks had a more lenient limit than did cars, and the limits depended on the GVW of the vehicle.  Note that the published GVW is not the same as the "half ton" or "three quarter ton" common designations.

[Alfa]

Thank you all for the efforts that you have gone to to help with this. I really do appreciate it.

 

I will follow up on some of the references that you suggested and see where I get to.

 

Thanks again

Adam..

[Alfa]

A quick follow-up question; This has the gasoline engine; would it need to have a 3 way catalytic converter? They were not mandatory in Europe until 1993

[plymouthcranbrook]

Might be related to GVW as at onetime Heavier vehicles had different emission standards than lighter ones. I don't remember when that might have changed if it even has. My 1983 Chev one ton Van did not have a cat and it was considered a Heavy type.

[joe_padavano]

1 hour ago, plymouthcranbrook said:

Might be related to GVW as at onetime Heavier vehicles had different emission standards than lighter ones. I don't remember when that might have changed if it even has. My 1983 Chev one ton Van did not have a cat and it was considered a Heavy type.

Heavy duty emissions vehicles (defined as GVW over 8600 lbs) were required to have cats starting with the 1987 model year for gasoline engines.  The OP has a 1989 van.

Edited March 8, 2019 by joe_padavano (see edit history)

[plymouthcranbrook]

5 hours ago, joe_padavano said:

Heavy duty emissions vehicles (defined as GVW over 8600 lbs) were required to have cats starting with the 1987 model year for gasoline engines.  The OP has a 1989 van.

I knew there was a change, just didn't remember when it took effect.

[Alfa]

I am fairly certain that this will be a light duty van. It is an 1989 GMC 2500, for which I think the gvw is 6,000lbs. So from what you have said, I assume it would have a catalyst fitted.