If you aren’t realizing that deleting diesel trucks is serious, you need to. One of the most aggravating things diesel companies encounter, whether that be within the media, repair, or part manufacturer, is the question of “Where can I have my truck deleted?” Asking the question seems innocent enough, but acting upon it can result in serious repercussions as this is a violation of the Clean Air Act.
What you, well, maybe not you specifically but using you as a general term, need to understand is that business owners invest everything they have into their businesses, and one slip-up can have them ostracized online. For instance, if someone says “Bob’s Diesel” will do anything you want, everyone will be calling them. While that may sound great for them, in reality, that puts a huge bullseye on their business. Then, what inevitably happens is the government hears this and is then knocking on Bob’s door saying sign here, send the fine money here.
Case in point, just a few days ago, the Department Of Justice released a statement regarding the latest case involving emissions tampering. The statement is as follows:
April 13th, 2022- Department Of Justice
Denver – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Pro Diesel Inc. and Endrizzi Diesel, LLC. pleaded guilty to conspiring with a Colorado-based diesel shop to remove or alter the monitoring component of emissions control systems on Class 8, commercial heavy-duty diesel trucks and semi-trucks, thereby violating the Clean Air Act.
According to plea agreements, between July 2017 and May 2020, Iowa-based Pro Diesel Inc. paid a Colorado diesel shop identified as “E.D.” more than $76,000 to disable on-board diagnostic systems on 34 Class 8 trucks. And, between January 2017 and December 2020, Missouri-based Endrizzi Diesel, LLC paid E.D. more than $149,000 to disable the diagnostic systems on approximately 60 class 8 trucks. Both diesel shops pleaded guilty to one count of violating Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.
On-board diagnostics systems (OBDs) are monitoring devices required under the Clean Air Act to be installed on vehicles to monitor emissions control systems and to ensure they are functioning properly. Tampering an OBD is frequently referred to as “tuning.” One purpose for “tuning” an OBD is to allow the vehicles to continue to seemingly operate normally while the emissions control system is disabled. This reduces the high costs associated with maintaining or repairing components of the emissions control systems on heavy-duty diesel trucks. However, as a consequence, tampered vehicles spew substantially more deleterious pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, non-methane hydrocarbons, and particulate matter into the air, presenting a risk to the environment and public health. Nitrogen oxides from tailpipe emissions are a major contributor to the creation of ozone on the front range. Tests conducted by the EPA have found that completely deleting a diesel pickup truck’s emissions controls can increase the truck’s tailpipe emissions of nitrogen oxide by a factor of approximately 310 times, carbon monoxide by a factor of approximately 120 times, and non-methane hydrocarbons by a factor of approximately 1,100 times. The pollutant increase is even greater when the emission controls on Class 8 vehicles, such as the ones tampered with here, are disabled.
Through a remote connection, individuals at E.D. would run software programs to reprogram or “tune” the vehicle’s onboard diagnostic systems. These programs would tamper with, render inaccurate, and disable the monitoring functions of the OBDs so they would no longer detect malfunctions in the emissions control systems.
In conclusion, the government isn’t messing around. You can either hate it or love it. The bottom line, this concern about deleting diesel trucks and violating the Clean Air Act isn’t going away. If you think you know someone that can help you sneak through the cracks, all I can say is that that train will be stopped eventually and it will yield a hefty cost, quite possibly for a friend. Take this information as you wish.
What do you think the diesel market will look like in the next few years? Will the performance side of things die? Will they really phase out diesel trucks as fast as they claim? Let us know in the comments below.
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