Engine maker Cummins Inc. will recall 600,000 Ram trucks as part of a settlement with federal and California authorities that also requires the company to remedy environmental damage caused by illegal software that let it skirt diesel emissions tests.
New details of the settlement, reached in December, were released Wednesday. Cummins had already agreed to a $1.675 billion civil penalty to settle claims – the largest ever secured under the Clean Air Act – plus $325 million for pollution remedies.
That brings Cummins’ total penalty to more than $2 billion, which officials from the Justice Department, Environmental Protection Agency, California Air Resources Board and the California Attorney General called “landmark” in a call with reporters Wednesday.
I wonder if the fix will nerf the engines like the VW diesels.
I don’t see how it could NOT affect power output.
But the thing about recalls is they’re completely voluntary. You don’t have to bring your truck in to have it fixed.
And these are Ram drivers. Like a quarter of them have probably already modified their pavement princess to roll coal.
Not in California. They wouldn’t be able to drive it due to annual emissions checks.
You think these guys are too dumb to pass inspection?
Have you met the average Ram driver? They’re usually too inebriated to have coherent thoughts.
They didn’t say “smart”. The bar for being able to pass inspection on your vehicle is pretty low!
I bet every single one of them is a better mechanic than you.
Ah this must be the incredible conservative business acumen I keep hearing about
That’s nice sweetie, now let’s get you back to church where you can foam at the mouth and rave about other mens genitals all you want
Fucking lol
I bet I can park my car better than every single one of them.
Yes, but being able to remove the douchebag tune from your truck long enough to pass emissions requires mechanical ability, not parking acumen, so your response just looks silly.
And that’s what is done in states that have yearly emissions tests. There’s probably a setting for it in the tuner.
Found the dodgy ram driver
You have no idea how CA does emissions. It’s incredibly strict.
You have no idea how bolt-ons work - it’s incredibly easy to swap.
Yes, CA definitely doesn’t scamln the ECU and force you to have driven a set distance to set the ECU. And it’s definitely not a common issue even for enthusiasts using legal mods. Definitely no chance.
So how does that work, there is a truck auditor of some sort?
Every year in states that have safety and emissions testing, you have to bring your vehicle in to be inspected before you can renew your license plate/window tags to be registered to drive on the road. If you fail inspection, you need to remedy the issue and get tested again. You can’t drive the vehicle without registration, so you have to correct it or risk fines for driving with expired registration. Inspections are usually $5-15 in most states.
I’ve seen exactly 1 instance of rolling coal. It’s really not even close.
Lucky you.
Nah, you just ate exaggerating a comical amount.
Probably. And yet, my experience also likely differs from yours. I live in South Texas and drive an old junkbox prius with no A/C.
Imagine you’re the sort of asshole who rolls coal, and you see a prius with its windows down.
👌👍 what a fantastic story
You seem to be great at imagining things up.
I don’t care if you believe me.
Inspection stations in California will probably check the recall status so that will at least cover that for the State concerned by it.
I have no idea what the penalty is, but I expect these trucks would fail any ‘rigorous’ emissions test.
This stuff can be programmed into the ECU so that it is a switch that you flip.
In that specific case it’s different since it’s something from the manufacturer and not an aftermarket reprogramming, but yes the owners could simply turn around and get an aftermarket setup instead.
Its time to buy a ram if you live not in California
Sure would be nice if we had a federal vehicle emissions test or even just a safety inspection. At least for federally owned roads.
these owners aren’t likely to bring their truck in to get ‘fixed’.
If your bring your truck in to a dealer the dealer often will automatically apply all recalls. Cummins can also get third party mechanics involved. While the dealer or mechanic knows their customer doesn’t want this recall applied, they also have various other legal issues that are even more important - dealers may risk their entire dealership if they get caught not applying this recall.
That these vehicles are recalled can also be tracked other ways. If governments really care they will not renew your license without proof that the recall was applied. (I don’t think they have ever done this but is in their power)
EPA only requires recall tracking for 18 months. After that they give up. Also:
Enforcement of emissions regulations are very reliant on state inspection programs, and not every state has an inspection program.
In this case, Cummins would only contract with outside mechanics if dealers were unable to handle the volume or modifications. If an owner brings their vehicle to a third-party, Cummins is still responsible for paying for the fix. But in this case the fix seems to be an update to the ECU, which is generally only accomplished at a dealer.
Driver licensing/vehicle registration is handled by the states, and would only be in jeopardy if a state has an inspection program.
The EPA reserves the right to extend a recall program, and in this case the publicity certainly warrants it. But aside from living in a CARB state or having to pass a different inspection, there’s no enforcement of recall compliance.
Don’t see how it could be any other way.
If Cummins could manufacture and sell compliant engines which met performance goals and customer expectations, they would. Writing has been on the wall for tampering with diesel engine emissions in the US for a while now.
I hope it at least makes them quieter so I can sleep at night but I won’t hold my breath.
Unlikely. That would require adding in significant sound deadening to almost the entire engine bay and restricting exhausts more than they already are with diesel particulate filters and cats. If you ever check out the car audio enthusiasts, you can see they easily spend a few thousand applying deadening materials to their vehicles and increasing their weight to boot.
We can’t move to electric any faster. I hate loud engines. Then you have the trifecta, loud engines, loud exhaust, and booming sound systems. And cops don’t give a shit but shit is falling off my walls when they drive by or I feel ill when sitting next to them at a red light.
I feel you. Noise pollution is bad in some places. You have to play your music really loud for it to bother people next to you.