According to records filed in the case, Achtemeier conspired with mechanics in garages and operators of truck fleets to disable the anti-pollution software installed on diesel trucks.
Coconspirators who wanted to disable their trucks’ pollution control hardware system—a process commonly known as “deleting”—sought Achtemeier’s help to trick the truck’s software into believing the emissions control systems were still functional, a process known as “tuning.”
Monitoring software on a deleted truck will detect that the pollution control hardware is not functioning and will prevent the truck from running. Achtemeier disabled the monitoring software on his client’s trucks by connecting to laptops he had provided to various coconspirators. Some of the coconspirators would pass the laptop on to others seeking to have the anti-pollution software disabled on their trucks. Once the laptop was hooked up to the truck’s onboard computer, Achtemeier could access it from his computer and tune the software designed to slow the truck if the pollution control device was missing or malfunctioning. Achtemeier could “tune” trucks remotely, which enabled him to maximize his environmental impact and personal profit.
Im with you. I’d love to know why.
I’ll have to reread the article to get the details, but here’s a 5 year old Car and Driver article talking about the 2019 Dodge Ram 3500’s complicated exhaust system it needs in order to meet emissions. So my guess is it’s rather expensive to stay compliant.
Edit: Nvm, it’s a pretty short article that doesn’t say much, but it does include pictures of it.
I’m doing some reading here, too. Seems like the additional maintenance expense caused by the exhaust recirculation can be expensive over the life of the vehicle. This isn’t just maintaining/reparing the EGR system, but also maintaining/replacing other engine components that have a shorter lifespan due to the emissions controls. This makes sense to me.
It sounds like a pretty poor solution, but then we haven’t meaningfully innovated on the internal combustion engine for how many years?
Define “meaningfully”. There have been several different types of innovations in recent years depending on how you look at it.
Mazda made a gas engine that can switch from spark plug ignition to compression ignition. Though I don’t think they brought it to the states.
Nissan made an engine that can vary its compression ratio on the fly. Something no other engine can do to my knowledge.
Hyundai made a cam shaft that can vary the length of time it opens and closes the valves rather than just varying the time that they open.
There’s a company called Speed of Air that designed piston heads that have dimples in them like a golf ball. Those dimples apparently can significantly improve the engine’s power and, more importantly, its efficiency. Though I don’t have a video link talking about that. Just their site.
Porsche also designed a 6 stroke engine. Though I’ll have to watch the video again as I don’t remember much about it.
If you want to get more experimental, someone made something called a rotary vane engine.
People are definitely still trying to find ways to improve the internal combustion engine. It’s just this technology takes time to reach the mainstream, if it ever does.