Washington, D.C. — The Diesel Technology Forum (DTF) is launching a nationwide education and outreach campaign to discourage diesel engine tampering and to educate legislators about state legislative policies that could encourage it.
Due to their unique combination of power, endurance, durability, and reliability, diesel engines are highly valued tools of work. In order to reduce emissions and achieve near zero levels today, manufacturers have spent billions of dollars in the past 20 year, according to Allen Schaeffer, DTF Executive Director.
“To maximize the potential of these advanced engines, it is important that equipment be properly fueled and maintained in accordance to the manufacturer’s specifications. It is also crucial that we work together to prevent tampering and alteration with emission control systems, as well as any proposed policies that may jeopardize clean and safe air benefits, and the safety and security of the equipment to operators,” he said.
The campaign involves direct messaging state and municipal policymakers, aswell as diesel users, about proper care of diesel engines. As a variety of state legislatures consider so-called “right to repair/fair repair” legislation that will affect farm and other equipment, the campaign is intensifying.
These laws would require that manufacturers provide repair shops with access to the engine computer scan tools as well as proprietary codes for customers to repair the equipment. These provisions could lead to dangerous modifications to engine emission control system components and other parts. Manufacturers could also be held liable under the California Air Resources Board regulations.
In November 2020, the U.S. EPA Air Enforcement Division released a comprehensive report on the incidence of tampering in diesel engines and emission controls. It also identified software modifications to engine emission control units. Although the EPA report was focused on commercial trucks and pickup trucks, it didn’t directly quantify the extent to which tampering occurs in off-road engines or equipment. However, the agency believed this conduct occurred within almost all types of vehicles and engines. It includes pickup trucks and commercial trucks as well as passenger cars, trucks, trucks, and motorcycles.
The EPA has more than a dozen regulations that apply to the manufacture of diesel engines. There are also provisions in the Clean Air Act which require that products be built and warranted for emission performance. These regulations include requirements for conforming to emission standards, testing and in-use testing, as well as requirements to achieve the “useful live” provisions. These requirements make it a crime to knowingly falsify and tamper, render inaccurate, fail to install, or to remove any “monitoring devices or methods” required by the CAA (42 U.S.C. § 7413(c)(2C).
News outlets recently reported that pickup truck owners were “tuning their engines” to achieve higher performance levels using software code programming or chipping. These practices have been a source of some very publicized and highly visible incidents that allowed for pulses in excess fueling. The exhaust produces dense smoke, which is often referred to “rolling coke”.
“Advanced diesel emissions management systems are tested. They provide near zero emission performance for all new engines and equipment. Owners are responsible for properly fueling and maintaining engines and equipment. They also need to ensure that the systems are safe from abuse. To end this illegal and dangerous practice, we all must work together. We must also work together to ensure that it isn’t made easier by unnecessary legislation, such as the right to repair and fair repair. Schaeffer says that it is harmful to air quality and jeopardizes the safety of operators and anyone else who travels with such vehicles and equipment.”
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About the Diesel Technology Forum
The Diesel Technology Forum is an organization that raises awareness about the future and current role of diesel engines, equipment, as well as fuels. Forum members are leaders in advanced diesel technology and emissions controls as well as petroleum-based or renewable biofuels. For more information visit http://www.dieselforum.org.
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Jessica Puchala Diesel Technology Forum (202) 480-6441 [email protected]