EPA Diesel Engine “Delete Tuning” Crackdown...Is It Here Now?

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AbleGuy

Officious Intermeddler
I’ve always understood that getting a Diesel engine “EGR Delete Tune” done to your rig in places like Arizona, where we have annual vehicle emissions testing and inspections, is “problematic”...but I hadn’t read that the EPA was actually now going after diesel repairs shops for doing this wok.

But today, I stumbled across this interesting post on the Colorado Diesel Forum, indicating that that’s what’s now happening. Have any of you read/seen/heard anything about this?

It really makes me wonder if next they’ll start subpoenaing work records from these shops and then start going after and penalizing truck owners who’ve had this delete work done on their rigs!


(Post follows)
EPA Crackdown in Delete Tuning
Discussion in 'Colorado Diesel Tuning' started Sep 18, 2019.

Page 1 of 212Next >

  • Burgess159Active Member

    Just in case you had not heard, American Diesel Performance is no longer doing emissions delete tuning, unfortunately. Here’s their post from Facebook:
    After talking at length with our partners at hACKman's Customs the decision has been made to work towards improving our emissions on tuning and discontinuing off-road and race tuning. As the industry changes so must those that are a part of it. In an attempt to support both the industry and our customers in the best way possible any requests to convert from race/off-road tuning to emissions compliant tuning will be done at a reduced rate. We will begin the process for having our programming certified for road legal use as well.

    During this change we will begin making significant strides towards providing the most capable products and programming possible within the constraints which we are placed. We truly appreciate your support and look forward to sharing exciting new products with you.
    #adp #americandieselpower #hACKmansCustoms

    Effective 2200MST 17SEP2019

    It would not surprise me that all other tuners start to follow suit, as Kory Willis with PPEI was hit (something like $54m). DuramaxTuner quit 3 years ago. So did Banks. So, if you wanted to delete your truck, probably not much of a chance left to do it anymore.

 
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malibubts

Adventurer
Yeah the EPA shut down a ton of these tuning companies in the past couple months. They are essentially going after the ’off road use only’ exemption that no one followed.

I’m on a similar forum for my diesel Ram and all the tuners have basically been shut down and ‘forced’ to turn over their customer lists. Apparently the EPA is even reaching out to the customers and informing them they must return to stock and requesting details from the owners.
 

luthj

Engineer In Residence
It comes in waves, enforcement I mean. Even if it's sold for "off road" usage, if it's on a regulated vehicle, it's illegal. In the last 10 years the number of tuners surged, including the "deleters".
 
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zoomad75

K5 Camper guy
Many of the local tuners here in Colorado have quit doing the delete gig. I know it won't stop though. Yes, the major players and local shops will be forced to stop. But what's going to happen is this business will go underground. Guys that have some ability with software like HPTuners or similar will continue to do the tuning after the owner of the vehicle has removed the offending emissions parts off of it. It will get done with cash payments and little to no traceability.

I am not a big fan of the government reach, but the diesel bros and industry around it have been openly doing these modifications with zero regards for the emissions law by using the stupid "off-road use only" BS. It was bound to happen and as somebody that is in the auto industry, I applaud it. I'm not a fan of the emissions crap on diesels as it makes them a royal pain in the ass to work on. But after working on a few that have been deleted with tunes that were poorly done I'll take the stock emissions garbage to repair all day long. At least the factory diagnostics work if it's not deleted.
 

shade

Well-known member
I’m kind of torn on this. I have no problem with doing things to increase performance and economy, but I hate seeing the diesel trucks that “roll coal.” All that does is leave a big ass stinky cloud for the vehicles behind the truck.
Coal rolling morons also make it easier to justify enforcement action. Tracing decisions like that back to their origins can be difficult, but it's entirely possible that someone saw one too many videos or ate a faceful of exhaust, leading to an interagency directive to rein it in.
 

rayra

Expedition Leader
Glad they’re cracking down. Diesel is a lot of things but clean isn’t one of them. We’re especially sensitive in my state due to already horrible air quality.

lol, it's SO much better than it was in the 80s.

And diesel sales in the USA cratered in the mid-80s when fuel pricing flipped and diesel became more expensive than gas. Before the emission standards tightened so much they effectively gutted diesel sales of passenger vehicles in the States.
 

luthj

Engineer In Residence
I did a bit of reading and 99% of these "tunes" dramatically increase emissions of harmful pollutants. NOx and particulates especially. Even the ones that don't make visible smoke. The small but significant number of engines that melt down due to poor tuning is notable too. Many of these tunes bump fuel pressure, prematurely wearing the injectors. When a common rail injector wears, it can stick open or overfuel. Bad mojo.

The reality is that we need owners to bear the true cost of operating these vehicles. If it is truly so onerous that a tune/delete is required, then people will stop buying them. This forces manufacturers to fix the problems (or just stop selling them if they can't).

As far as shade tree tuning goes. It will never exist on the mass scale that the commercial operations existed.

I have personally seen a handful of vehicles that were basically scrap due to delete/tune hack jobs. The problems weren't always mechanical, but without the original firmware files and a pile of parts to replace the "deleted" ones, they could not be brought to a good running standard. Either just to operate normally, or to pass an inspection for registration/sale.
 

verdesard0g

Search and Rescue first responder
I don't understand the need for people to delete factory stuff. We all live on this planet and should be considerate enough to pollute as little as possible. If you need more power or what ever get a different vehicle, don't alter your oem vehicle for your own selfish pleasure.
 

LRNAD90

Adventurer
Personally I'm okay with the EGR delete, and mild tune (that allows DPF and SCR systems to stay in place). EGR has little affect on emissions, unless you are one that idles for hours, as it is essentially bypassed at engine speeds associated with actually driving. But it has a huge negative affect on carbon buildup in the intact track, causing performance and economy issues, and huge headaches and bills for owners.

I'm not on board with the DPF and SCR system deletes, but I also understand that the cost to keep up with these systems as they age can get pretty ridiculous..

Definitely NOT on board with these 'Rolling Coal' idiots..
 
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