Date: Sun, 12 Jun 2011 01:58:43 -0400
Reply-To: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Dennis Haynes <d23haynes57@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: The Dreaded Emissions test
In-Reply-To: <BANLkTi=PDW7LZtZpNHZXhgt=heRfc1YVoA@mail.gmail.com>
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The emissions testing program does not look at or compensate for vehicle or
engine size. As for volume per mile only NOx can be relevant for the testing
program. The program is only testing to see to see if the emissions
equipment is functioning or not. Again just looking for the gross polluters.
Many VW products, especially the Vanagon, often has difficulty meeting some
of these tests even when all is well due to the cost saving measures of
using as little emissions reduction equipment as possible. Most notable is
the small catalytic converters and lack of EGR.
Obviously large vehicles especially Diesels put out a lot more
pollution/mile than smaller ones.
One of the primary creators of smog and low level ozone is the creation of
NOx as part of the combustion process. This is also the hardest to control
as most things that increase efficiency increased NOx. The is why our
engines are lower compression and geared to reduce the stress/or load on the
engine. This is why engine conversions can be a problem with emissions
compliance. VW most likely didn't use the inline gas engines for the Vanagon
due to the NOx emissions. The water boxer has a number of design features
reducing NOx and being able to work under a load longer without damage,
Dennis
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Don Hanson
Sent: Saturday, June 11, 2011 11:22 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: The Dreaded Emissions test
On Sat, Jun 11, 2011 at 4:57 AM, Dennis Haynes
<d23haynes57@hotmail.com>wrote:
> While emissions tests suck their main purpose is to identify gross
> polluters and you are definitely there.
>
Just for curiosity, and without a need for detailed explanation of all the
various numbers, just a general sense of what is......
Is the total emissions, overall, ever considered during smog testing or
do they always test for a %? Is what actually comes out of the vehicle and
enters the atmosphere, the total amount of 'gunk' ever factored into it all?
Does a Vanagon, even one that is unable to pass emission tests, actually
pollute very much, compared to other vehicles that may be certified
'acceptable'? Is a 'dirty' vanagon putting more crap into the air than say
a 'clean' 6.5 liter Jeep Grand Cherokee or a Dodge Ram pickup or something?
Over all?
When I drive my vanagon, with it's 2.0liter ABA Jetta motor in my locality
that has no emission testing requirements, am I being irresponsible more so
than some one cruising around in an Excursion that has been smogged
somewhere? Do 20 Prius-es equal one Hummer when it comes to crap put out
for us all to breathe?
When someone mentions Vanagons as being "old tech" and "soon likely to be
prohibited (in places like Cali...maybe) because they are such polluters"
is that really the truth?
At the end of a year, say...if you collected all the smut that spewed out
of a Vanagon's tail pipe and did the same for a Sprinter or a Prevost motor
coach....a bag or a box for each....which box or bag would be bigger?
Don Hanson
