its not exactely the time they say . some times it is longer, sometimes it is shorter as in your case. but

In Switzerland you have to take your car for a compulsory test by a a Kantonal test facility every 2 years.
Lucky you it is your turn.

Usually they find enough problems on my cars to run up repairs bills between 2 & 4 thousand.

The worry flag has just gone up reading this thread, you get an invite from the Behoerden to go in for the mfk every two years, i have had the car for three and the bike for four years, no invite yet, methinks i should check what is going on.

You should never need to take a bike in for emissions.

Be happy about that - my importer royally screwed up and the Abgasmessung for my bike has cost 1,600 chf...

Some places have longer waits for the mfk. Just depends on the balance between the number of testers & the number of tests required.

After all the ongoing Behoerden crap draining my reserve at the moment i am starting to go real paranoid

My once trusty local garage, charged me 50 chf for the last but one Abgas on a petrol car, now robbed me of 100chf, on a tiny diesel Lupo. He just took the 100, stuck it in his pocket and waved me off. All in all it took 5 minutes. Is there a cheap (predictable) place in/near Zurich that does them?

I have a problem now, the winter car (S6 Petrol) Abgas expired 5 months ago. Is there anything I can legally do to mitigate possibility of being fined for not having one on the way to the test?

About "the winter car (S6 Petrol) Abgas expired 5 months ago".
You have to book an appointment to have it done & you can drive to the appointment.

Most garages seem to have started an Abgas rip-off approach
Just keeps fingers crossed that the discussion about doubling the period between tests will get somewhere.

if anyone is near basel then go to stop and go in weil - its 30chf.

if he can not do it straight away he gives you a paper and then you go to drieland garage near the number 8 tram stop.

stop and go doesnt do abgas on weekends though

After having tried several garages and buying a different BMW I found this garage

http://www.bmw-zbinden.ch/index.jsp

I paid 60CHF for the Abgastest.

The always tasty Espresso and some Schoki is always included

I need to get my abgas renewed on a reasonably new diesel car, with an OBD port. I think it will cost me CHF40-. Am I reading this price list correctly:

Abgastest Diesel mit OBD System
40.- Fr. (Motordiagnosetester anschliessen, auf Fehler überprüffen und Datenspeicher resetten, Oel-und Kühlflüssigkeitsstand Kontrolle)