If so, removing that system or rendering it inoperative may amount to illegal tampering, and aftermarket parts and components that bypass, defeat, or render the system inoperative could amount to illegal defeat devices. With regard to a start/stop system, for example, before alleging any violation the EPA would need to determine first whether the manufacturer of the vehicle in question used the start/stop system to comply with the applicable regulations concerning emissions. To determine whether conduct amounts to illegal tampering or whether an aftermarket product is an illegal defeat device, the EPA would first need to investigate whether each element of the statutory prohibition has occurred. “The EPA generally does not allege conduct to be illegal unless and until the agency has developed a factual basis and decided to pursue an enforcement action. After three days of consideration of the question here is the answer we received: EPA’s New England Regional Office of Public Affairs took the point position.
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Environmental Protection Agency joined the communication chain. We also specifically asked for some guidance on individual owners working alone, a local mechanic who charges to perform a stop-start disable service, a company that provides an override product for sale, and an official new car dealership offering such a product or service.ĮPA's Opinion On Stop-Start Disabling Legality We asked the EPA if disabling a stop-start system would be considered a violation of the Clean Air Act or any other environmental regulation. The media relations team at the EPA is super responsive, and always happy to help us when we request it. Let us be clear here that this story is not meant to cast the EPA in a poor light. Here is just part of what the Clean Air Act law says, ".For any person to remove or render inoperative any device or element of design installed on or in a motor vehicle or motor vehicle engine in compliance with regulations under this subchapter prior to its sale and delivery to the ultimate purchaser, or for any person knowingly to remove or render inoperative any such device or element of design after such sale and delivery to the ultimate purchaser or (B) for any person to manufacture or sell, or offer to sell, or install, any part or component intended for use with, or as part of, any motor vehicle or motor vehicle engine, where a principal effect of the part or component is to bypass, defeat, or render inoperative any device or element of design installed on or in a motor vehicle or motor vehicle engine in compliance with regulations under this subchapter, and where the person knows or should know that such part or component is being offered for sale or installed for such use or put to such use." It seems pretty clear that tampering with the emissions controls is a no-no regardless of who does it. But is the law any different for us regular Joe’s?
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These are corporations who act on a much larger scale than just you me and our local mechanic. Then FCA America settled a suit over the same type of issue.
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After billions in fines and even jail sentences we thought we’d never hear anyone try that again. The fines for doing so are in the thousands of dollars. Tampering with the emissions control systems once a vehicle is certified for sale is a big deal. The Clean Air Act has something to say about disabling any part of your automobile that has to do with its emissions. It’s tempting to just kill the darn stop-start system. Some are mechanical, some electrical in nature. We have heard many ways to disable the stop-start systems in today’s new vehicles.
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What we are talking about is a permanent override. But the system comes back on again every time you restart the car. Do you despise your car's stop-start system and want to disable the darn thing – permanently? Sure, some car makers allow you to turn it off.