apache

Ive been hearing something about the new diesel emissions comming, Its geared to big trucks and small. anyone have any details.

bulabula

Wouldn't surprise me, especially in granola land.

But I suspect most diesels will come under emissions testing in the near future.

DSjockey

Thats what I've heard, suposedly Volve had to redesign there front end for better cooling due to temp increases from the emmissions gear, also lower fuel milage

We already have diesel emmission tests in our metro air district, have to spin the rollers before you get your tags, my truck blew 4% smoke, 30% is max

ChrisM55

Nevada has already started doing emmisins testing on Diesels. I had to have mine done a few weeks ago. They had to dyno it to get it smogged. I talked to the guy doing it and he said there has never been a diesel fail the smog yet

Chris

Rammer64

We've been doing EMISSION TESTING for gas and diesel for quite a few years here in Ontario Canada. Actually it's been here long enough that the government was saying (AS A POLITAL GAIN IN VOTES FOR ELECTIONS), that they feel the testing has brought emissions down enough and we don't need it anymore.

"BUT ANOTHER TYPICAL GOVERNMENT LIE....... WE STILL HAVE IT"
Diesel tests are quite different than gasoline tests, but they still have to be done or you won't get the validation stickers.[

RowJ

The big change in Diesel emmisions is set for 2007. It's my understanding it's been approved and will become law...unless action is taken by congress to make it less strict. We will be matching the European standards, which are much tougher. At that time diesel fuel will be going to a much lower sulfur level as well.
Read somewhere that the 07 requirements are why car makers in this country are not actively persuing new diesel vehicles.
Heven't heard anything on this subject lately (6 months) so things may have changed. Anyone have more recent info?
RJ

infidel

Besides the advantages for the environment the new emissions laws and ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel will pave the way for more diesel equipped vehicles able to used in the US.

Lightman

By 2006 80% of the stations in the country will switch to 15ppm ultra low sulfur diesel fuel. By that simple switch, emissions will be drastically reduced. As infidel posted, this will pave the way for a much wider variety of diesels to be introduced and approved here. Bring it on!

I'm still waiting for a BMW 330D to be approved :-) 200hp, 400tq, and 40mpg. 0-60 in under 7 secs...droool....

MikeyB

I just read that in Texas (east Texas only) we will start using LED fuel in April '05. LED will have a cetane rating of 48+.

MikeyB

ares

Im sure the low sulfur fuel will probably take 15-20% off your milage. Remeber it burns so clean you have to burn twice as much to get where your going, the same applies to the gas here in california.

I find it very odd that other places have diesels being smogged except here. I guess carb must be too busy patting themselves on the back to add diesel to the list of required smog. Im still trying to figure out what good theyve (carb) done, the sky was brown before and still is now but our ground water is poluted so i suppose thats progress.

MikeyB

ares,
Our fuel economy should get better with the ULSD. The reason is a mandated minimum cetane rating for the new fuel. I believe around 48 like CARB and the LED diesel fuel. Right now our crappy fuel is about 42.
Would be nice to have it around 60+ like in Europe.

MikeyB

infidel

They're not smogging diesels in Calif because the South Coast Air Quality Management District is trying to phase out diesels entirely. If the law goes into effect in the south basin it won't be long till it spreads to the rest of the state.
The courts threw out their last attempt saying it was unconstitutional but the SCAQMD says they will be back with a law that will pass the constitutionality test. While the last law was in court many big diesel fleet operators in the district started phasing in cleaner fuels just in case the law passed, many have found they now like propane and hydrogen better than diesel and say they will continue phasing out their diesels even without a law forcing them to.
Apparently Cummins biggest R&D expense in the last few years has been the development of propane and natural gas powered engines.

MikeyB

From what I have read about the California and diesels is true. But there's a major drawback to this, more trucking companies are moving out of CA and to neighboring states. So CA is losing revenue on commercial truck registrations. I heard a 200k decline over the last few years.
Propane might be viable, but the efficiency is less and the cost is going up.
Hydrogen?? Right now it costs over $7 per gallon to produce from natural gas, and there's no infastructure to support it. I think hydrogen is at least 20 years away.

MikeyB

infidel

Problem is most of the diesel operated vehicles in Calif don't have the option of moving out of state. The ban was to effect publicly own vehicles as well, trash, street sweeper trucks, etc. Plus there are the trucks that never operate out of state.

Lightman

Actually both Ares and MikeyD are a bit off. First of all Ares, the notion of 'it burns so clean you have to burn twice as much to get where you are going' sounds like something derived from a heavy acid trip No offense but that is ridiculous. It's hard to even justify a statement like that with an answer but I'll attempt. Economy and power are directly related to the BTU(energy per gallon) of the fuel . The btu's of our current LSD and the new ULSD will not be significantly changed.

Mikeyd - oh how I wish that cetane were a part o the 2006 ULSD campaign. Unfortunately it's not. The rules of a 40 cetane minimum have and will not change with the onset of ULSD. The only mandate is that fuel be changed from 500ppm minimum sulfur to 15ppm. It stinks they're not raising the cetane. Some test markets, DFW for example, have been experimenting with 48+ cetane fuel for a few years now.

Oh well, I'm lucky to be in one of the few areas blessed with TRUE premium diesel. I drive an extra 15 mins out of my way to fill with 50 cetane minimum BP diesel supreme, which has been pretty close to a ULSD for years - at 25ppm max sulfur.