VW Clean diesels.... how did they get them so clean?

Garandman · Oct 7, 2015

A fellow at work has his TDI get totaled, so he went to buy a new one. The dealer told him, basically, "We are not authorized to admit that VW sells diesel automobiles."

So he hung up and called the used car department at the same dealership, who was happy to sell him a 2014 with something like 700 miles on it.....

2LaneCruzer · Oct 7, 2015

ultrarunner said:
Born and raised in California and don't have any stories of smog so thick you could cut it with a knife.

I'm guess Southern California must have been very different from Northern CA?

My friends were born and raised in Hawaii and never experience smog... yet their vehicles have all the emission controls just like anywhere else.

It would seem we are a one size fits all society... conform about all else.

I was in L.A. in 1970. Can't remember if I was coming to or from the airport, but I drove into the smog big time. I thought I had driven into a release from a chemical plant; I had a very hard time breathing, my eyes watered so bad I thought I was going to have to stop...but I noticed all of the other cars were paying no attention to the stuff, so I finally concluded that this was what it was all about. I was there again about 10 years later and it had improved considerably.

IslandTractor · Oct 7, 2015

ultrarunner said:
Born and raised in California and don't have any stories of smog so thick you could cut it with a knife.

I'm guess Southern California must have been very different from Northern CA?

My friends were born and raised in Hawaii and never experience smog... yet their vehicles have all the emission controls just like anywhere else.

It would seem we are a one size fits all society... conform about all else.

Different local "standard" might be nice but impractical. There are good reasons for standardization. Manufacturers don't want to produce 5 much less 50 different versions of an engine to meet individual state requirements. California doesn't want a different northern and southern standard as then vehicles from SF could not drive in LA. And there are other ways conformity actually makes life more efficient. I don't think the folks in Hawaii would benefit if there was a special engine for Hawaii and Wyoming as those would almost certainly cost more simply due to the added logistics and small market share. Besides, it is not only local smog that is an issue but global release of ICE emissions.

IslandTractor · Oct 7, 2015

Garandman said:
A fellow at work has his TDI get totaled, so he went to buy a new one. The dealer told him, basically, "We are not authorized to admit that VW sells diesel automobiles."

So he hung up and called the used car department at the same dealership, who was happy to sell him a 2014 with something like 700 miles on it.....

Well, I'm not a lawyer but I did sleep in a Holiday Inn last night: VW didn't sell the used TDI, the dealer had bought the used car from an auction or taken it as a trade. I don't think VW can technically stop a dealer from selling a car the dealer did not acquire directly from VW. Interesting to consider whether a dealer can sell a used TDI that was a lease turn in as that car would still technically belong to VW or the VW credit company.

ultrarunner · Oct 7, 2015

IslandTractor said:
Different local "standard" might be nice but impractical. There are good reasons for standardization. Manufacturers don't want to produce 5 much less 50 different versions of an engine to meet individual state requirements. California doesn't want a different northern and southern standard as then vehicles from SF could not drive in LA. And there are other ways conformity actually makes life more efficient. I don't think the folks in Hawaii would benefit if there was a special engine for Hawaii and Wyoming as those would almost certainly cost more simply due to the added logistics and small market share. Besides, it is not only local smog that is an issue but global release of ICE emissions.

For many years there were world cars, 49 State cars and California cars in the world of emissions.

I've seen a lot of screwy things in the early years when cars, especially imported cars, where modified for California by add on and today... it can be a real problem because these parts no longer exist for repairs... I have two 1976 vehicles and both require California Emission testing for registration... the Triumph Spitfire and BMW 2002 simply sit in the barn because I just don't have the time to deal with it... now if both cars were 1975 year models I could drive to my hearts content...

When I bought the cars... the law was such as they would be exempt... a change in the law and they will forever require passing emissions for the registration to be renewed.

MossRoad · Oct 7, 2015

Garandman said:
A fellow at work has his TDI get totaled, so he went to buy a new one. The dealer told him, basically, "We are not authorized to admit that VW sells diesel automobiles."

So he hung up and called the used car department at the same dealership, who was happy to sell him a 2014 with something like 700 miles on it.....

I thought I read the VW has put a halt on all sales of new and used diesels until this is settled out.

MossRoad · Oct 7, 2015

ultrarunner said:
For many years there were world cars, 49 State cars and California cars in the world of emissions.

I've seen a lot of screwy things in the early years when cars, especially imported cars, where modified for California by add on and today... it can be a real problem because these parts no longer exist for repairs... I have two 1976 vehicles and both require California Emission testing for registration... the Triumph Spitfire and BMW 2002 simply sit in the barn because I just don't have the time to deal with it... now if both cars were 1975 year models I could drive to my hearts content...

When I bought the cars... the law was such as they would be exempt... a change in the law and they will forever require passing emissions for the registration to be renewed.

I've got an 85 chevy 1/2 ton 4x4 sitting in my back yard with California emissions. Don't know how it got sold new in Indiana, as I knew the original owner. Maybe its just what was available at the time he bought it. As I recall, you could buy any car in any state except California... those had to be California certified. Man, that would be tough with 50 versions..... kinda like concealed carry permits! OOOPS! Thread drift! :laughing:

hutchman · Oct 7, 2015

IslandTractor said:
... It seems to be a common misconception that government regulators just dream up new standards to torture manufacturers and consumers. If you read any of the standards you will see that there is a pretty rigorous evidenced based process involved in decisions to tighten up on air quality. Yes, the government issues the regulations but typically it is the non governmental scientific and medical community that identifies problems and brings them to government attention. It often takes a decade or more before the government acts on those findings. The process includes lots and lots of lobbying from many sides representing industry and special interests. The process is therefore hardly a "clean" one and involves many compromises on both sides.

You left out the part where Congress has to force them to come clean on their 'rigorous evidenced based process' and make it available to be verified https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/1030 Questionable Data, Secret Science - WSJ