When the diesel scandal came to light a few years ago, a lot of customers were angry because they had been lied to. On the other hand, not everyone was eager to go to the dealer for a software update, because the diesel cars would be slower after the update. For the same reason, some people have their cars’ emission systems disabled.
In America, a tuner has received a huge fine for selling software and parts that bypass the emission systems in diesels. These include models from GMC, Ford, Dodge and Ram. Some customers go to such a company for extra power, but others want their pickup to blow black smoke. Fiddling with the emission systems goes against the so-called Clean Air Act (CAA) in the US.
Bad for the health
“The defendants in this case knowingly violated laws that protect the air quality and overall quality of life of people in Idaho, especially vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly and those suffering from respiratory illnesses,” said the Idaho state attorney. The tuner would have treated ‘tens of thousands’ of cars and the fine is one million dollars.
Normally, if you remove the soot filter, for example, the car will notice this and the driver will see a light, or the car will go into limp mode. The tuner removed emission systems and tricked the software so that the control systems didn’t notice. In this way, the owner of the diesel can drive without a particulate filter without technical problems. This happens often enough in the Netherlands, by the way.
Is it allowed in the Netherlands?
‘Removing a soot filter from a diesel car or van has been prohibited for several years. This falls under the manipulation of a vehicle and results in the vehicle no longer complying with the type approval. The car is then suddenly no longer a car according to European rules,’ writes de Bovag. If the inspector finds out, your car will be MOT rejected.
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