Emissions legalities

["Storhok, Eric (E.M.)" <estorhok@domain.elided>]

Joe,
It is illegal to change any emissions device on your car.  Especially in California.  Even if you put a fully modern control system on your SPICA injected 74 car, and make virtually no emissions.  

The theory behind it is actually good, as we (the auto companies) must PROVE to the various agencies that our systems actually make the emissions to the letter of the law.  Whereas I doubt that you would pay $10k for one set of real emissions tests that would be needed to prove that the modification does not effect emissions.

But for the 1% of the population that know how to make good emissions AND good power, its not fair, you are right.

Most people still think that modern emission control devices hurt drivability and power, and for the most part, they are very wrong.  To stop people from tampering or allowing the car to run broken, OBD was introduced.  Which actually works REALLY well, 7 years after being introduced.

As for the cat causing the car to run bad, that almost never happens- usually, the engine runs bad for a moment, melts the ceramic, and then runs worse.  Catalysts don't go bad by themselves...

Personally, I'm for clean air, but, then again, its my job.

Eric Storhok
Core Emissions and Fuel Economy Team
Advanced Powertrain Engineering
(313)33x75011
MD 35, FPC-B
Ford Motor Company
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